3/24/2026

UPPER MICHIGAN - For high school seniors, college application season can be stressful, but for students in rural communities, the challenges can involve more than deadlines and essays. Experts say rural students face a range of challenges when trying to continue their education after graduation. Sheneka Williams, a professor at Michigan State University, specializes in rural education. She says one major issue is that students in small communities are often overlooked in the recruitment process.

                    0:12  "Particularly big state institutions, or highly selective institutions. They are not necessarily doing a deep dive to try and recruit the rural student."

National data reveal about one in five public school students across the nation attend a rural school. Research shows about 90-percent of rural students graduate high school, compared to roughly 82-percent of urban students, but fewer go on to enroll in college.