2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The Building Construction Science (BCS) program at Mississippi State University (MSU) has witnessed significant enrollment growth in recent years, placing it among the fastest-growing majors at the university. This rapid expansion occurs at a time when many other majors struggle to maintain their current enrollment numbers. Exploring factors influencing students' decisions to choose BCS reveals several influential elements in their decision-making process. The insights from this exploration are particularly important for higher education institutions in the Southeast region facing potential enrollment declines. The decrease in student population, which consequently results in more intense competition among institutions to attract students, motivates academic administrators to find ways to increase enrollment. This study explores factors that influenced BCS students to choose the program despite strong regional competition. A quantitative approach was employed to collect data on various aspects, including drivers, obstacles, expectations, and future career paths. All first-year and second-year BCS students participated in the survey. Results indicated that family-inspired factors, job opportunities, and the nature of the program were among the important influencers, while social perceptions, work situations, and lack of accurate advising were hindrances. The findings of this study contribute to the body of knowledge by shedding light on factors affecting the new generation of students' choices of construction majors in higher education.