As the economy begins to reopen, companies must decide how flexible they’ll be about employees continuing to work remotely. College students who make up the next generation of workers don’t want to work from home full time, but they also don’t want to be tied to an office five days a week.
A new survey of 1,500 undergraduates finds that just one-third (32%) of students want to work in an office full time. A majority want to work remotely at least one day a week, with 19% preferring one day a week at home and 23% two days a week at home. Only 5% of students want to work from home full time and 13% are not sure.
Students of color are even more likely to want a hybrid schedule. Black (22%), Asian (24%), and Hispanic/Latinx (26%) students are less likely than their white (38%) peers to want to be in the office five days a week. Students of color don’t want to work remotely full time, though. Fewer than 1 in 10 Black (6%), Asian (8%), and Hispanic/Latinx students (7%) want to work from home five days a week. The most popular option for a hybrid schedule is going into the office three days a week.
3 Days a Week in the Office is the Most Popular Hybrid Schedule
Percentage of students who want to be in an office ___ days per week.
Among students who prefer a hybrid schedule, the flexibility of working remotely a few days a week is key. Two-thirds (68%) of students who want to work from home at least three days a week say it’s because they want a more flexible schedule. About half (51%) say they don’t want a commute, and 1 in 5 (20%) cite physical or mental health reasons. Fewer students attribute the decision to wanting to dress more casually (17%) or have less social interaction (13%).
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Methodology: This survey was designed and conducted by College Pulse. Interviews were conducted in April among a sample of 1,500 full-time and part-time students attending colleges or universities in the U.S. who are part of College Pulse’s American College Student Panel.
