Class of 2026 – Mindset List

The publication of the Mindset List each year is one of the highlights of my “back to school” experience. For many years as a higher education professional and pop culture aficionado, this list was a way to understand (wink, wink) the new students heading back to campus each fall semester. For the past couple of years though, it has also been personal. My two kids both just graduated from Purdue University, and this list also helps me understand and connect with them. Enjoyable historical and generational trivia on which to nerd out on.

I still miss the Beloit College version but the Marist version is much easier to digest and more relevant in several ways. Enjoy the Class of 2026 Mindset List as presented by Marist College.

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Mindset List – Class of 2026

1. The Class of 2026 has always known LeBron James as the most recognizable sports icon on the planet.
2. For incoming students, Hillary Clinton has always had a more significant role in American politics than Bill Clinton.
3. Created in 2004, Facebook has been active for the entire lives of the Class of 2026.
4. Incoming students are the first generation in fifty years who must include their own reproductive rights as part of their overall college decision. 
5. The Class of 2026 will be the first since the “Duck and Cover” generation of the Cold War to live with the real possibility of world war and global conflict.
6. The debate on climate change is over. Incoming students are now the first generation faced with the omnipresent reality to actually effect change to combat global warming. 
7. The Class of 2026 is the first cohort in recent memory for whom knowledge about a diverse country and world is actually regressing.
8. Incoming students are still recovering from the mental health impact of COVID and COVID fatigue. 
9. The Class of 2026 is the first to realistically see the possibility of canceling or reducing student debt. 
10. Incoming students are aware of fashion sustainability, but nevertheless social media and influencer culture draw them to cheaper and faster options from online retailers.

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The Class of 2026 is exploring…

1. Sports Communication 

The Class of 2026 has always known LeBron James as the most recognizable sports icon on the planet.

LeBron James entered the NBA in 2003 and in 2004, the year many of the Class of 2026 were born, his jersey topped the best-seller list for the first time; in 2022, James’ jersey still tops the list.

Leading Support: “LeBron James Is Officially A Billionaire” Forbes 

2. Political Science 

For incoming students, Hillary Clinton has always had a more significant role in American politics than Bill Clinton.

Although older Americans may think of Hillary Clinton as primarily First Lady from the 1990s, incoming students born in 2004 only know her as a United States Senator, Secretary of State, and contemporary presidential candidate.

Leading Support: “Hillary Clinton’s Legacy Is Huge and Lasting” The New Republic

3. Computer Science 

Created in 2004, Facebook has been active for the entire lives of the Class of 2026.

Although Facebook is only 18 years old, many incoming students already see the social media platform as outdated, preferring newer platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

Leading Support: “What Happened When Facebook Became Boomerbook” The Atlantic

4. Ethics 

Incoming students are the first generation in fifty years who must include their own reproductive rights as part of their overall college decision. 

The recent Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will affect so many decisions for young women, who currently make up 59% of college students in America.

Leading Support: “The Abortion Debate Affects Higher Education” Insight Into Diversity

5. Global Studies 

The Class of 2026 will be the first since the “Duck and Cover” generation of the Cold War to live with the real possibility of world war and global conflict.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine echoes the experiences of growing up during the Cold War, but today’s digital technology makes the images of war much more visceral.

Leading Support: “U.S. Colleges and Universities Respond to Ukraine Conflict” Fierce Education

6. Environmental Science 

The debate on climate change is over. Incoming students are now the first generation faced with the omnipresent reality to actually effect change to combat global warming. 

Greta Thunberg has set the stage for youth activism; now, incoming students are part of a new generation increasingly demanding legal reforms to improve future generations’ lives. 

Leading Support: “Gen Z | Between Climate Crisis and Coronavirus Pandemic” By Klaus Hurrelmann, Erik Albrecht

7. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

The Class of 2026 is the first cohort in recent memory for whom knowledge about a diverse country and world is actually regressing.

Thirty-five states have recently introduced and/or passed legislation to either ban or censor teaching about race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and American history in schools. 

Leading Support: “From slavery to socialism, new legislation restricts what teachers can discuss” NPR

8. Public Health 

Incoming students are still recovering from the mental health impact of COVID and COVID fatigue. 

Mental health has been an issue for some time, but the class of 2026 is still recovering from the effects of the pandemic on their mental health. 

Leading Support: “College Student: Mental Health Statistics” The Zebra

9. Education 

The Class of 2026 is the first to realistically see the possibility of canceling or reducing student debt. 

The Biden administration has publicly announced its determination to tackle the rise of crippling student debt. Will they get results?

Leading Support: “Americans support student loan forgiveness, but would rather rein in college costs” NPR

10. Fashion 

Incoming students are aware of fashion sustainability, but nevertheless social media and influencer culture draw them to cheaper and faster options from online retailers.

Students have a better understanding of sustainability than previous generations, but their consumer choices do not reflect a strong commitment to protecting the environment.

Leading Support: “What Do Gen Z Shoppers Want? A Cute, Cheap Outfit That Looks Great on Instagram” The New York Times

Support Tucker & Penny – Hunger Hike 2022

Donate – Hunger Hike – Tucker & Penny

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Hi, we are Tucker & Penny, 5-year old chiweenie & one-year old mini-dachshund, and a part of the Malavenda family. We know we’re just two little dogs – but when we learned that millions of children go hungry, we decided to do something about it – especially this year with the huge economic impact of post-COVID. We’re going to participate in HUNGER HIKE on Sunday, Sept. 18 with our team, Dogs Against Hunger, and hope you’ll support us. Any amount you can give will help! PLEASE dig deep and donate to us online. Donating is simple, fast, secure and tax-deductible.

BTW — we will be “hiking” with Max, Zoe, Kristin & Pablo — so, a donation to us is also supporting them. If you’ve already given — THANK YOU! If not, please support the cause and make a donation. Any amount you can give will help! Here are the three easy (secure) ways you can give:

• ONLINE – click HERE
• TEXT HHIKE5 to 71777
• MAIL or DROP OFF a check to: Hunger Hike/Tucker & Bailey Malavenda, 420 N 4th St, Lafayette, IN 47901

Donate – Hunger Hike – Tucker & Penny

We are very excited to be a part of this annual effort which raises funds for three fabulous not-for-profit organizations: Lafayette Urban Ministry, Food Finders Food Bank, and St. Thomas Aquinas Haiti Mission. Together we will be helping hungry children and families – locally, regionally & globally. PLEASE give for the hungry children. 

Thank you again for your support! We really appreciate it.

Tucker & Penny (and Kristin, Pablo, Max, & Zoe)

Donate – Hunger Hike – Tucker & Penny

PS – We are dedicating this year to the late, great Bailey Malavenda. Bailey, a 15-year-old double dapple miniature dachshund. She has been an inspiration to all “Dogs Against Hunger.” Bailey participated several years in a row and raised more than $6,000 for Hunger Hike. Please support us and honor Bailey’s commitment to end hunger.

Class of 2024 – Mindset List

The publication of the Mindset List each year is one of the highlights of my “back to school” experience. For many years as a higher education professional and pop culture aficionado, this list was a way to understand (with a wink and a smile) the new students invading our campus each fall semester. For the past couple of years though, it has also been personal. My two kids are currently matriculating undergraduates and this list also helps me understand and connect with them. Fun stuff to nerd out on, for sure.

I must admit that I miss the Beloit College version but the Marist version is much easier to digest (read – shorter). Well, without further adieu, enjoy the Class of 2024 Mindset List as presented for the sophomore year, Marist College.

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The Marist Mindset List For the Class of 2024

• Emerging artists and designers in the class of 2024 will explore race relations beyond Black Lives Matter into a deeper understanding of how Whiteness has shaped bias and influence in contemporary American culture.
• Incoming students will rely on smart devices for shopping, interactive wellness-centered consumer experiences, and engaging in the social good.
• The class of 2024 may view the idea of “banned books” as an artifact from the past, but the Harry Potter series has been banned somewhere in America for their entire lifetimes, and To Kill a Mockingbird has appeared on the American Library Association (ALA) list of frequently challenged books eight times since 2004, due to perceived concerns over offensive language as well as racial and sexual themes.
• Incoming students are willing to pay for their privacy. Privacy is now a commodity, and they value privacy for their real relationships.
• The necessity of personal protection equipment (PPE) will drive fashion trends for the next couple of seasons as young designers in the class of 2024 adapt face masks and other PPE into functional objects of personal expression.
• For incoming students, the world political stage has always been post-9/11; Vladimir Putin has always been the leader of Russia, Tayyip Erdogan has always been leader of Turkey, and the United States military has always been involved in Afghanistan.
• The class of 2024 (and, often, their teachers) expect and embrace a richer diversity of voices in the books they read, and their enthusiasm for young adult (YA) literature has led to the emergence of vibrant new voices such as Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give), Marie Lu (Legend), and Tomi Adeyemi (Children of Blood and Bone). In addition, these students are shaping American literary culture like never before, by contributing commentary and adaptations in online forums such as GoodReads, Reddit, Twitter, and fanfic sites.
• Incoming students are keenly aware of the major threats to the health of our society created by both an international pandemic and the global climate crisis, while at the same time, the value of science in our national dialogue is increasingly questioned.
• Social distancing provided a captive audience for the ESPN documentary “The Last Dance.” This phenomenon allowed the Class of 2024 to see for themselves the evolution of the NBA game in the last twenty years, sparking new debate over how past heroes such as Michael Jordan compare to their favorite players of today like LeBron and Giannis as G.O.A.T.
• Incoming students have never been more ready to embrace social distance by using technology to fill the distance gap. They are always looking for the newest upgrade.

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About the Mindset List

The Mindset List was created at Beloit College in 1998 to reflect the world view of entering first year students. Developed by Ron Nief, Director Emeritus of Public Affairs at Beloit College, and Beloit Professor Tom McBride, who later collaborated with Beloit Professor of Sociology Charles Westerberg, the list has garnered national and international media attention. In 2019, the list moved to Marist and became the Marist Mindset List. Read more here.

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Official Press Release

Marist Mindset List for the Class of 2024: New In-Depth Approach to Examining What Defines First-Year College Students

September 9, 2020—They were born in the aftermath of 9/11 and have entered college during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this year’s incoming group of first-year college students, going to college might even require staying home for remote classes; some may simply be taking a gap year.

While the class of 2024 might be questioning what the future holds, one thing is certain: this group of students is living through an unprecedented start to their college careers and their first 18 years have been bookended by key world events.

It’s especially fitting then that the Marist Mindset List for the class of 2024 is also radically different than the previous iterations of the iconic annual “always/never” list. Moving from Beloit College to Marist, the list went through a transitional phase last year with the founding team from Beloit leading the effort on development with the support of Marist staff and faculty. This year, under the direction of Marist Associate Professor of English and Beloit alumnus Tommy Zurhellen, the list was a collaborative effort with Marist faculty from different disciplines with diverse backgrounds focusing on 10 major areas: arts, commerce, education, ethics, fashion, history and politics, language and literacy, science, sports communication, and technology.

“It was important to me to take the Mindset List in a more substantive direction,” said Zurhellen. “But the COVID pandemic just affirmed that even more. This group of students in particular is living through extraordinary circumstances that deserve examination. And, as last year’s list showed, Generation Z is poised to be a political and cultural force.”

A self-described long-time fan of the Mindset List, Zurhellen conceived of it as a “cultural compass which examines broad areas that can be explored and discussed in meaningful ways.”

Zurhellen’s collaborators were Assistant Professor of Art and Digital Media Joyce Yu-Jean Lee and Assistant Professor of Computer Science Pablo Rivas. The team was assisted by Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Vanessa Lynn, who will be part of the development team next year.

This year’s list examines race relations, fashion in the era of personal protective equipment (PPE), the push and pull between privacy and technology, and much more. It has been pared down to 10 items which each include additional reading in the form of links to sources and, in some cases, living examples of items. All supporting materials are available at Marist Mindset List website marist.edu/mindset-list.