Undergraduate enrollment intentions and willingness-to-pay for online to in-person teaching modalities: Capturing heterogeneity across and within universities in the United States during the pandemic

Abstract

This study analyzes undergraduate students' enrollment intentions and preferences for alternate teaching modalities during the pandemic under a range of reopening scenarios and flexible teaching modalities to investigate the value of flexible learning options and campus life offerings for students. Using primary survey data from six land-grant universities, our findings suggest that there is no one-size-fits-all policy for tackling significant shocks like the pandemic. Business-as-usual was the most divisive, with wide differences in preferences both within and across universities. These results have important implications for future responses to major disruptions in higher education.