3 Out of 4 Open Campus Participants Say It 'Influenced Final Decision'. Is 'Campus Atmosphere' More Decisive Than 'Curriculum'?

Is the Open Campus a "deciding factor" in choosing a school?

When considering going on to a university or vocational school, open campuses are held by many schools.

It is a valuable opportunity to visit in person and check the atmosphere that cannot be understood just from pamphlets or websites.

So, how do those who actually participated in an open campus utilize that experience in choosing a school?

Therefore, this time, in collaboration with Nakamura Gakuen University, we conducted a questionnaire on "University Selection and Open Campus" targeting 87 people who have participated in an open campus.

* When quoting the contents of this press release, please take the following actions: - State that the source is "A survey by NEXER Co., Ltd. and Nakamura Gakuen University" - Set up a link to Nakamura Gakuen University (https://www.nakamura-u.ac.jp/)

"Questionnaire on University Selection and Open Campus" Survey Overview Survey method: Internet questionnaire Survey period: April 7 to April 14, 2026 Target audience: Those who have participated in an open campus Valid responses: 87 samples Question contents: Question 1: About how many schools' open campuses did you visit? Question 2: What was the most important point for you at the open campus? Question 3: Please tell us the reason for that. Question 4: To what extent did the experience at the open campus influence your final decision on a school? Question 5: Did you ever think, "I wanted to experience something like this more" at the open campus? Question 6: What kind of content was it? (Multiple answers allowed) Question 7: Please tell us specifically what you thought "I wanted to experience something like this more" at the open campus. * As a general rule, numbers are rounded to the nearest first decimal place, so the total may not be exactly 100%.

58.6% answered that they visited "2 to 3 schools" for open campuses First, we asked those who had participated about how many schools' open campuses they visited. The most common answer was "2 to 3 schools" at 58.6%. This was followed by "1 school" at 21.8%, "I don't remember" at 10.3%, "4 to 5 schools" at 6.9%, and "6 or more schools" at 2.3%. Combining "2 to 3 schools" and "1 school", about 80% visited 3 schools or fewer. It can be seen that many people do not blindly visit a large number of schools, but rather narrow down their candidates to some extent before actually going to see the schools they are interested in.

40.2% answered that the most important point at the open campus was "Campus atmosphere" Next, we asked about the most important point at the open campus. The most common answer was "Campus atmosphere" at 40.2%. This was followed by "Facilities and equipment" at 24.1% and "Ease of commuting" at 10.3%. It can be seen that many people place importance on environmental aspects that are difficult to understand without actually visiting, such as "Campus atmosphere" and "Facilities and equipment".

We asked the reasons for each answer, and here are some of them.

Those who answered "Campus atmosphere": - Because I would hate it if the atmosphere didn't suit me and it was uncomfortable at a place I might attend. (Teens / Male) - I wanted to know what the surrounding atmosphere and vibe were like for attending for 4 years. (30s / Female) - Because if the atmosphere doesn't fit, it seems like it would be hard to fit in even after enrolling, and it would be painful. (40s / Female)

Those who answered "Facilities and equipment": - Because I thought that having the latest equipment and a fulfilling practical training environment would allow me to acquire more practical and advanced skills. (30s / Female) - Because I wanted to know if I could imagine myself attending. (30s / Male) - Considering spending 4 years of university life, I placed importance on an environment of my preference that suits me as much as possible. (40s / Male)

Those who answered "Ease of commuting": - Because it's meaningless if I can't commute, no matter how good the school is. (Teens / Male) - Because I won't attend if it's not easy to commute. (20s / Female) - Because commuting easily every day is important. (40s / Female)

Looking at the answers, it can be seen that not only the cleanliness of the school building and the comprehensiveness of the facilities, but also factors directly linked to daily student life, such as school culture, the appearance of current students, and the burden of commuting, serve as materials for judging which school to attend.

74.7% answered that the open campus experience "influenced" their decision on a school Next, we asked to what extent the experience at the open campus influenced their final decision on a school. "Influenced a lot" was 25.3%, and "Somewhat influenced" was 49.4%, meaning a total of 74.7% answered that it "influenced". On the other hand, "Did not influence much