A new nationwide survey of over 82,000 college and university alumni reveals that while alumni feel positive about their educational experiences and in general have a positive perception of their schools, they do not feel engaged or connected to these institutions. The National Alumni Survey is a collaborative study made possible by CMAC, ParisLeaf, and Washburn McGoldrick.

This “disconnection” is across generations from Generation Z to Boomers. The survey finds a large majority of alumni (86%) report being very satisfied or satisfied with their student experience. In comparison half (50%) feel very satisfied or satisfied with their alumni experience—a 36-point difference. This drop is even steeper among recent graduates, signaling early disengagement rather than a gradual drift.

The National Alumni Survey is the largest research study of its kind and draws on responses from tens of thousands of alumni across colleges and universities, providing one of the most comprehensive looks at how alumni engagement and philanthropy are evolving today. Now in its third year, the survey has collected more than 150,000 responses since its inception.

Alumni Feel Good About the Product – Less so About the Relationship:

• One-third (34%) of alumni describe themselves as satisfied with their alumni experience. While not inherently negative, this represents a six-point decline from last year, placing satisfied alumni in a fragile middle — outnumbered by those who feel neutral (36%) or not very and not at all satisfied (13%).
• Millennial and Gen Z alumni report the lowest satisfaction across every dimension—including educational value, institutional reputation, and student experience. One in five (20%) say they are not very or not at all satisfied with their alumni experience, and younger alumni are four times more likely than older generations to feel indifferent or neutral about their alma mater’s engagement of alums.

Alumni are Generous, Just Not Necessarily to their Alma Mater:

• While most survey participants (82%) report volunteering their time and/or making financial donations to charitable organizations, only (35%) report giving to their alma mater last year, and just 10% report volunteering for the school.
• Nearly half (42%) of alumni don’t see their school as a philanthropic priority, a figure that rises to 54% among Millennials and 59% among Gen Z graduates.
• Seven in ten Millennials (74%) and roughly half (49%) of Gen Z graduates report making a gift or volunteering their time to causes they care about.

Connection and Information are Among the Strongest Predictors of Giving:

• Nearly half (48%) of alumni report feeling ill-informed about their institution, and 40% report feeling disconnected.
• Alumni who feel very connected are twenty-four times more likely to donate than those who feel very disconnected. Those who feel very connected (81%) and very informed (75%) rank their alma mater as a top philanthropic priority.

Giving Behaviors Differ Across Generations:

• Only 13% of younger alumni gave to higher education, versus 32% of older alumni – a troubling trend for pipeline development and long-term sustainable fundraising.
• More than a third of older generations (37%) give because it’s ‘the right thing to do,’ compared to only 20% of younger generations. Similar gaps appear by race and gender: 30% of white alumni versus 24% of alumni of color, and 34% of men versus 26% of women cite this motivation.
• 37% of Millennial and Gen Z donors made charitable gifts to individuals (e.g., GoFundMe, Fundly, CaringBridge) in the past year, compared to 24% of older alumni.
• ‘Area of Greatest Need’ (general annual giving) ranks among the top three funding areas alumni are likely to support. But it’s near the bottom for recent graduates and alumni of color. First-generation initiatives, crisis or student emergency funds, and student mental health services are much higher priorities among these alumni groups.

Recognition and Impact Transparency are Structural Weak Points:

• Roughly one-third (30%) of white alumni versus 24% of alumni of color, and 34% of men versus 26% of women give because it’s ‘the right thing to do.” Passion for and connection to a specific cause are more influential for younger generations, alumni of color, and women.

Student Debt Matters, But It’s Not the Whole Story:

• Alumni burdened by student loans have not disengaged from generosity; they have redirected it.
• Recent graduates, alumni of color, and women feel more burdened by student loan debt. However, 77% of those burdened by that debt still give to other organizations.

Volunteering Signals Engagement and Giving Potential:

• Ninety percent (90%) of alumni who recently volunteered with their alma mater gave to or volunteered with at least one organization or cause, compared to 82% overall. Nearly half (48%) who volunteer ranked their alma mater among their top three philanthropic priorities (vs. 15% overall), 70% gave to their alma mater in the past year (vs. 35% overall), and 68% indicated they are likely to give in the coming year (vs. 37% overall).

Alumni Don’t Feel “Known” by Their Alma Mater:

• Only 14% of alumni believe their institution has a good understanding of their current career or life stage. Just 13% say their giving and volunteer priorities are very or extremely well known, while nearly half (48%) feel their priorities are not known at all.
• Less than one out of ten (8%) of alumni feel very or extremely well known by their college institution, and 54% feel their interests are not known at all.

“The future of alumni engagement will belong to institutions brave enough to redesign the relationship, not just refine the appeal,” states Howard Heevner, co-founder of the National Alumni Survey. “Incremental optimization may improve performance at the margins, but it will not repair structural misalignment. The work ahead requires humility, curiosity, and the willingness to build something better.”

“We encourage advancement leaders to use the NAS report to educate campus leaders and governing boards about the implications for their schools,” says Bonnie Devlin, Managing Principal, Washburn McGoldrick. “Given the intense political and economic pressures on higher education, institutions who can adapt their alumni programs will reap greater advocacy, connectedness, and financial support.”

The National Alumni Survey was conducted during the period of September – November 2025. The margin of error is +/- .3% (three-tenths of a percent) at a 95% confidence level.

The Presenting Partners for the National Alumni Survey are Washburn McGoldrick, Chris Marshall Advancement Consulting (CMAC) and Parisleaf.

Media Inquiries: Patrick Taylor, 59 Media, patricktaylor0103@gmail.com