Shootings on school campuses across the nation are significantly influencing students’ decisions about where to pursue their college education.
According to a recent report from Newsweek, 2023 has already seen 53 school shootings, as per data from the Gun Violence Archive, and the country has witnessed over 30,000 gun-related deaths.
This surge in school shootings is impacting students’ choices of where to attend college, a consideration that previous generations rarely had to face. Campus safety has always been a concern, but the nature of security considerations has evolved.
A survey conducted by BestColleges revealed that 65% of current and prospective college students are concerned about their safety due to school shootings on campus. This growing concern is affecting students’ decisions on where to apply and whether to enroll if accepted.
The survey also found that 60% of respondents considered overall campus safety a major factor in their college decision-making process.
Today’s college-bound generation has grown up in a world where school violence has been a prominent societal issue. For example, the infamous Columbine High School shooting in Colorado occurred in 1999, five years before some of this year’s incoming college freshmen were born. They also witnessed events like the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut.
These students are now having to grapple with the reality of school shootings firsthand. For many, these incidents are distressingly common, and it’s shaping their views on campus safety.
When evaluating a campus’s safety, students aren’t just considering the school’s response to a shooting but also whether the institution has proactive safety measures in place.
Laws on carrying guns on campus vary across the country, but these regulations don’t always prevent violence. For example, despite North Carolina’s laws against carrying firearms on university campuses, a shooting still occurred at the University of North Carolina.
BestColleges’ survey revealed that more than half of students believe their college should do more to ensure their safety on campus. Many of these students believe that having police officers stationed on campus and stricter gun laws would contribute to their sense of security.
Nonetheless, it remains uncertain what measures will effectively prevent school violence and what factors will determine prospective students’ decisions regarding college choices based on security measures.
