According to Forbes, recent surveys reveal a dramatic shift in how students choose colleges, with mental health services emerging as a critical factor. The Education Advisory Board found that 12 out of 14 demographic groups rate mental health support as moderately to very important in college decisions. Meanwhile, academic prestige is fading—Kaplan’s survey shows 75% of admissions officers believe rankings have lost their luster, and only 10% of students care about institutional rankings. Affordability remains the top concern at 53%, but enrolled students are twice as likely to cite mental health over costs as their reason for considering dropping out. The Princeton Review’s 2026 Mental Health Service Honor Roll schools are seeing enrollment payoffs, with 83% of recognized schools reporting enrollment increases and 47% hitting record numbers.
The Prestige Shift
Here’s the thing: we’re witnessing a fundamental reordering of what matters in higher education. For decades, college decisions were dominated by brand names, rankings, and academic reputation. But post-pandemic, students and families are asking different questions. They’re less concerned with whether a school appears in the top 20 and more concerned with whether their kid will actually survive the experience.
And honestly, can you blame them? We’ve seen enough stories about campus mental health crises to understand why families are prioritizing support systems. The fact that 75% of admissions officers think rankings have lost their luster tells you everything. These are the people who’ve built careers around selling prestige—if they’re admitting the emperor has no clothes, the shift is real.
The Retention Payoff
Now, here’s where it gets interesting for colleges facing financial pressure. Investing in mental health isn’t just good PR—it’s becoming a financial necessity. The Journal of College Student Mental Health study found that two-thirds of counseling center clients said services helped them stay enrolled. That’s huge when you consider the alternative: losing tuition revenue from dropouts.
Basically, schools are realizing that mental health services aren’t just a cost center—they’re a retention tool. When two-thirds of colleges show financial stress, you can’t afford to lose students over preventable mental health issues. The Princeton Review honor roll schools proving this point with enrollment increases? That’s the market speaking louder than any ranking ever could.
The Cost Paradox
But wait—doesn’t all this mental health support cost money? And aren’t students already complaining about tuition? Absolutely. The BestColleges survey confirms affordability remains the top concern at 53%. Yet there’s a fascinating disconnect: once students are enrolled, mental health becomes twice as likely as costs to drive dropout considerations.
So what’s really happening? Students want both—affordable tuition AND comprehensive support. They’re not choosing one over the other; they’re demanding institutions figure out how to deliver both. The schools making the mental health honor roll while maintaining enrollment? They’ve apparently cracked part of that code.
Long-Term Implications
I wonder how permanent this shift really is. Are we seeing a generational change in priorities, or just post-pandemic trauma response? The data from EAB’s mental health survey and Inside Higher Ed’s findings suggest this isn’t a temporary blip.
Colleges that continue to invest heavily in prestige marketing while underfunding student support might find themselves with beautiful rankings and empty classrooms. Meanwhile, schools that build robust mental health infrastructures could become the new “prestige” institutions—the places where students actually thrive rather than just survive.
The real test will be whether this becomes embedded in institutional budgeting and strategic planning. Anyone can create an honor roll list—building sustainable support systems that survive budget cycles? That’s the actual challenge ahead.
