Trends in Colleges & Universities
A Look at Trends in Colleges & Universities
A Timeline for Reopening
According to the COVID-19 Update Survey taken in early May, some 13.5% of college respondents said they would be reopening their facilities in May or June.
Another 10.1% of college respondents were planning to reopen in July, and 29.2% said they would be reopening in August or September.
As of early May, nearly half (47.2%) of college respondents were still unsure when they would be reopening their facilities.
Programming
A majority of college respondents (96%) said they offer programming of some kind at their facilities, down from 99.3% in 2018. This compares with 97% of non-college respondents who said they provide programming in 2020. Fitness programs continue to be the most commonly offered type of program among college respondents. Some 80.6% of college respondents said they provide fitness programs, down from 91.2% in 2019.
Other programs commonly found among college respondents' facilities include: group exercise programs (78.2% of college respondents feature group exercise); mind-body balance programs like yoga and tai chi (76.6%); educational programs (62.1%); adult sports teams (54.8%); functional fitness programs (55.6%); personal training (51.6%); tournaments and races (50.8%); individual sports activities like running clubs or swim clubs (50.8%); and swimming programs (44.4%).
College respondents were less likely than non-college respondents to report that they had plans to add more programs at their facilities over the next few years. Some 29.8% of college respondents said they were planning to add programs (up from 24.7% in 2019), compared with 35.7% of non-college respondents.
The top 10 planned programs for college respondents include:
- Nutrition and diet counseling programs (up from No. 3)
- Functional fitness programs (down from No. 1)
- Fitness programs (up from No. 6)
- Group exercise programs (up from No. 5)
- Day camps and summer camps (down from No. 2)
- Sport tournaments and races (up from No. 9)
- Educational programs (no change)
- Individual sports activities like running clubs (did not appear in 2019)
- Sport training such as golf or tennis lessons (up from No. 10)
- Climbing programs (did not appear in 2019)
New to the list in 2020 are individual sports activities and climbing programs. These programs replace adult sports teams and personal training. RM