How Is Climate Change Impacting the Educational Choices and Career Plans of Undergraduates?

Sarah Lynne Stafford ()
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Sarah Lynne Stafford: Department of Economics, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187, USA

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-18

Abstract: Most current undergraduate students have always lived in a world where climate change has been part of the popular discourse. Surveys show that younger individuals are more worried about climate change than older adults, but there has been relatively little examination of the role that concern is playing in the educational and career plans of undergraduate students. This study presents the results of a survey of undergraduates at a US public university that examines the impact of climate change on what these students choose to study and how they are preparing for post-graduation careers. The results show that the majority of respondents believe climate change is an important social problem, that humans have caused it, and that we have a responsibility to address it. About 15 percent of respondents also report that climate change has impacted their area of study or their post-graduation career plans. Respondents who have taken a class focused on climate change are most likely to report an impact, while respondents who have not discussed climate change in a university class are the least likely to report an impact. If the impact of climate change on educational choices grows as climate change impacts increase, universities should expect to see changing demands in areas of study as well as an increasing need for programming and support to prepare students for climate-oriented careers.

Keywords: climate change; student survey; higher education; college majors; career planning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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