ACADEMIC NEWS - The name and history of a college or university are no longer enough to win over prospective students.

According to Dr Marietjie Pienaar, Academic Principal at the Academic Institute of Excellence (AIE), young South Africans are increasingly assessing institutions according to what they can offer graduates after completing their studies.

With unemployment remaining a major concern, students and their families are scrutinising higher education choices more carefully, considering whether a qualification will lead to meaningful employment, entrepreneurship or sustainable income.

“Higher education is among the biggest financial decisions most families in South Africa will ever make, and young people are becoming more aware of the pressure to secure work in a country with the second-highest unemployment rate in the world,” Pienaar said.

She said institutions offering mainly theoretical learning without sufficient practical application are increasingly being challenged by alternatives including TVET colleges, CET colleges, private colleges and accredited skills development providers.

As institutions prepare for their next student intakes, Pienaar and her academic team have identified six ways Gen Z is redefining what quality higher education means.

1. Trust matters more than legacy

Gen Z students are increasingly investigating an institution before committing to registration.

Rather than relying solely on an institution’s history or reputation, prospective students compare its claims with the experiences of current students, graduates and employers, particularly through online platforms.

They also want programme information, costs and expectations to be clearly communicated, with institutions able to provide useful answers to questions.

While reputation still matters, trust increasingly depends on whether an institution’s actions support the promises it makes.

2. Employability is a measure of quality

For many students, the real test of a qualification comes after graduation.

They want to know whether graduates find employment in their chosen fields, progress beyond entry-level positions or use their skills to establish sustainable income streams.

A qualification therefore carries greater value when an institution can demonstrate a credible pathway between education and a graduate’s future livelihood.

3. Practical skills are increasingly important

Gen Z is placing greater value on education that allows students to apply what they learn while they are still studying.

Students want exposure to current technologies, practical problem-solving and situations that require them to make decisions and demonstrate what they can do.

Theory remains important, but its value is increasingly linked to how effectively students can apply it in real-world circumstances.

4. African realities must be reflected

South African students are also looking for curricula that recognise the realities in which they will work.

Issues such as limited infrastructure, unequal digital access, multilingual workplaces and informal economies can influence how projects are designed, financed, implemented and sustained.

Courses that explore these realities can help graduates apply global knowledge to the challenges they are likely to encounter in South Africa.

5. Industry links need to go beyond guest lectures

Students are also paying attention to the relationship between educational institutions and industry.

Employers appearing at occasional lectures or having their logos displayed on promotional material is no longer enough.

Students increasingly expect industry to contribute to programme content, provide exposure to current tools and practices, assess practical work and demonstrate the professional standards expected beyond the classroom.

6. Personal growth is part of the value equation

For Gen Z, the value of education extends beyond a qualification.

Students want their studies to strengthen their judgement, broaden their perspectives and prepare them to continue learning as technology and workplaces evolve.

They are also considering how their education shapes their contribution to society and how their professional decisions affect communities and the wider economy.

Accreditation remains important

Pienaar said accreditation and recognised standards remain essential because they demonstrate that qualifications meet accepted academic and regulatory requirements.

However, she said Gen Z increasingly views accreditation as a starting point rather than the final measure of quality.

“Gen Z students, however, no longer treat compliance as the final proof of quality, but rather judge whether those standards are visible in the teaching they receive, the resources they can access, the work they produce, and the opportunities the institution creates before they graduate,” Pienaar said.

For South Africa’s higher education sector, the message is clear: institutions increasingly need to demonstrate not only what qualification they offer, but what that qualification enables a young person to do with their future.

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