http://www.good.is/post/how-the-recession-changed-why-students-go-to-college/ I've been in college during economic times both good (mid-late 90s) and bad (2009-current). According to a UCLA survey, more students are now saying they're attending college to ready themselves for the workforce, instead of indicating they're there to pursue their interests. I don't know if there's a causation argument to be made, but simply the increasing cost of college is surely causing more students to think about the financial return on their investment.