Kaplan

🤖 Is AI anxiety changing how young people think about their careers? According to a fascinating new report from The Hechinger Report Report, some young workers and recent graduates are reconsidering traditional white-collar careers in favor of more hands-on, human-centered professions, including teaching, nursing, electrical work, and automotive repair. And recent research helps explain why: 📊 A Pew Research Center survey found that 73% of adults under 30 believe AI will lead to fewer jobs, up from 61% two years ago. Meanwhile, research from Stanford's Digital Economy Lab found a 19% relative employment decline among 22- to 25-year-olds in occupations most exposed to AI, compared with their peers in less-exposed fields, between November 2022 and June 2026. The article also explores growing interest in apprenticeships and teacher preparation programs, suggesting that concerns about AI may be influencing not just how young people prepare for work, but the kinds of careers they envision for themselves. Key takeaway: Technology will continue to influence the labor market, but the future of work should offer more choices, not fewer. Whether someone pursues a traditional degree, professional certification, skilled trade, or an entirely new career, access to quality education and training remains essential. https://lnkd.in/g2CZ4kxM #futureofwork #careerdevelopment #highereducation #highered #collegesanduniversities

According to Kaplan's 2026 law school admissions officers survey, the law school applicant boom, which continued in 2025-2026 with an 8 percent increase in applicants on top of an 18 percent surge the year before, shows little sign of easing. A combined 91 percent of law school admissions officers said the 2026-2027 application cycle would be at least as competitive as the 2025-2026 cycle. Only 6 percent predicted a less competitive cycle; and 3 percent weren’t sure. 🚀 What’s drawing more people to law school? Politics may be part of the answer. Ten percent of admissions officers said the U.S. political climate was the main driver of the applicant surge, 44% called it a major factor, and 39% a moderate one. A challenging post-college job market may also be contributing. 📈 Glen Stohr, Kaplan's lead LSAT® instructional designer, said, "While passions may be high, the primary motivation for pursuing a J.D. should be a genuine desire to practice law. The decision shouldn’t simply be about responding to the politics of the next few years, but preparing for a career that may span the next four decades.” He also notes that beyond its weight in deciding who gets in, LSAT performance is a major consideration in the awarding of merit-based financial aid, meaning a strong score can potentially make a legal education significantly less expensive. Read more below. https://lnkd.in/gfHpiw6u #highereducation #highered #collegesanduniversities #lawschool

🩺 Who are America’s newest doctors? New data from the AAMC offers a fascinating look at the medical school Class of 2026 — and the numbers tell an encouraging story about the future of medicine. 🎓 22,189 students graduated from U.S. medical schools, up from 19,262 a decade ago, an increase of about 15%. 🔬 84.6% had undergraduate research experience, while 93.7% participated in community service. 🌎 73.6% reported speaking more than one language. 🏥 And their motivations are clear: 97% said patient care is an area where they hope to focus their careers, while 80.4% cited teaching and nearly half (49.5%) research. Together, the data paints a picture of a new generation of physicians bringing a wide range of experiences, interests, and skills to medicine. At Kaplan, we’re proud to be part of the journey for so many future physicians — from preparing for the MCAT on the road to medical school to tackling the USMLE® on the path to becoming practicing doctors. Here’s to the next generation of physicians! 👏 https://lnkd.in/e5RmPpZU #medicaleducation #futuredoctors #medschool #mcat #usmle

🤖 AI is changing the workplace fast, but are employees and employers keeping pace together? More than half of employees say their roles have significantly changed because of AI over the past two years, yet nearly 60% are unsure how their employer plans to address those changes, according to new research from Visier Inc., based on a survey of 1,000 full-time employees and additional interviews. The findings reveal another challenge: nearly half of employees feel pressure to use AI, while a similar share admit to exaggerating their AI use and expertise to colleagues and managers. And 7 in 10 are concerned AI adoption could negatively affect their careers or lead to job loss. 📚 Employees say AI training and upskilling, greater transparency from leadership, career advancement opportunities, and clearer communication about how AI will affect their roles would help them feel more confident about AI in the workplace. As AI continues reshaping jobs and workflows, organizations have an opportunity to ensure their people have the skills, support, and clarity they need to adapt and succeed. 🚀 https://lnkd.in/gGAs52QN #artificialintelligence #futureofwork #upskilling #learninganddevelopment

What if student support started before students even enrolled? 💡 Colleges and universities are being asked to demonstrate their value earlier in the enrollment journey. Beyond return on investment, prospective students and their families increasingly want proof that an institution is prepared to support their success before they ever arrive on campus. At Alabama State University, pre-enrollment and early-college initiatives have become central to showing families the value of student support months before move-in. In our latest feature, Dr. Dr. Ronda W., assistant vice president of student affairs, shares how the university creates structured, personalized pathways that support students from enrollment through graduation and beyond. See how Alabama State is using proactive student support to strengthen enrollment and outcomes. Read the feature and listen to the conversation—below. 🎓 https://lnkd.in/gzeFVYnh #highereducation #highered #collegesanduniversities #studentsuccess

Meet Kelly Jones, an aspiring lawyer and senior at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, who recently took advantage of a free Kaplan LSAT prep course through the university’s partnership with Kaplan’s All Access License. ⚖️ Through Kaplan’s All Access License, colleges and universities can provide students with zero-cost access to industry-leading preparation for admissions exams, professional licensure and credentialing programs, and workforce readiness programs. Since launching in 2022, the groundbreaking program has helped tens of thousands of students collectively save more than $85 million in out-of-pocket costs. 💵 For Kelly, one of the biggest benefits of Kaplan is the quality and variety of resources available to support students along their chosen career paths. From online instructors available seven days a week to comprehensive study materials and targeted drill sets that reinforce learning and retention, students have a powerful set of tools at their fingertips to help them prepare and succeed. Expanding access. Creating opportunity. Helping students turn their ambitions into what’s next. We’re proud to partner with forward-thinking institutions like North Carolina A&T University to remove financial barriers and help more students pursue their academic and professional goals. 🚀 Best of luck to Kelly and her classmates this semester and throughout the academic year! https://lnkd.in/e_jcSupd #highereducation #highered #collegesanduniversities #lawschool #studentsuccess

🎓 College rankings still command enormous attention, but the admissions officers who work inside higher education remain largely skeptical about their value. On the heels of U.S. News & World Report releasing its highly anticipated annual Best Colleges rankings today, a new Kaplan survey of more than 200 admissions officers finds that 70% believe college and university rankings have lost some of their prestige in recent years. That skepticism has staying power: the 70% figure is unchanged from 2025, compared with 75% in 2024 and just 56% in 2023. At the same time, 88% of colleges and universities say they still plan to participate in the rankings, closely tracking Kaplan’s findings from previous years. According to Jason Bedford, senior vice president, Kaplan, rankings can provide students and families with useful information, including graduation and retention rates, but the risk is giving them too much weight. He notes that families are increasingly focused on affordability and return on investment, making cost, financial aid, career readiness, and employment outcomes increasingly important considerations. The takeaway? A college is much more than its place on a list. Finding the right combination of value, experience, opportunity, and fit matters most. Read more below. 🎯 https://lnkd.in/gH9vgj3e #highereducation #highered #collegesanduniversities

💼 What makes someone leave a job for…the exact same job somewhere else? New research from Monster offers an important lesson for employers: job descriptions may need to spend less time explaining what a role does and more time explaining what the workplace experience offers. Monster analyzed nearly 1 million job transitions and found that 63% involved workers moving to a new employer while keeping the same job title. For experienced candidates who already know the responsibilities, the real differentiators may be compensation, scheduling, management, workload, stability and opportunities for advancement. 📈 The research also suggests employers should examine their hiring processes. Too many interview rounds, unnecessary assessments or long waits for decisions can make a new opportunity less appealing. The takeaway: attracting experienced talent isn’t just about selling the job. It’s about showing candidates why doing that job at your organization will be a better experience. 🎯 https://lnkd.in/e95qVtxR #futureofwork #talentacquisition #workplace #hiring #careerdevelopment

📈 Encouraging news on college access and student success: More recent high school graduates who enroll in college are staying for a second year, with some of the biggest gains coming among graduates of high-poverty high schools. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s new 2026 High School Benchmarks report, persistence among graduates of high-poverty high schools rose 1.7 percentage points to 76%. Their college enrollment rate within two years of high school graduation also climbed 2.1 percentage points to 58.7%—the largest increase among the groups studied. 🎓 There’s still considerable work to do. The report found a 14.6 percentage-point gap in college persistence between graduates of high- and low-poverty high schools, while the gap in six-year college completion was even wider at 34.2 points. The findings are an encouraging reminder of both the progress being made and the importance of continuing to expand pathways and support that help students not only access higher education, but persist and ultimately earn a credential. Read more below: https://lnkd.in/g8TUi__9 #highereducation #highered #collegesanduniversities #studentsuccess #collegeaccess

American families are spending more on college—but most still believe the investment is worthwhile. New research from Sallie Mae found that during the 2025–2026 academic year, families reported average college costs of $34,019, up 10% from the previous year. That total extends well beyond tuition to housing, food, books, technology, fees and other education-related expenses. Despite the increase, most families still believe they’re getting their money’s worth. Seventy-one percent rated the education itself as appropriately priced or a bargain, while 29% considered it overpriced. The pattern was nearly identical for the broader college experience: 72% rated it appropriately priced or better, compared with 28% who considered it overpriced. Our Take: Families’ willingness to keep investing in college is a strong signal of higher education’s perceived value—but it shouldn’t be mistaken for indifference to price. The same research shows that cost plays a major role in school choice and that families are drawing on savings, scholarships, aid and borrowing to make college work. For institutions, the challenge is increasingly twofold: demonstrate the value of the education they provide while making that value financially attainable. https://lnkd.in/g5kgJdkc #highereducation #highered #collegesanduniversities #affordability #financialaid