Nationwide, Longitudinal Impact of COVID-19 on University Business Students’ Academic Performance

We analyzed COVID-19’s impact on business students in bachelor’s and master’s programs across traditional, hybrid, and online learning modes using data from 209,073 students in 215 U.S. colleges. Using repeated measures ANOVA and Friedman’s test for this longitudinal study, we compared four periods from 2016–2023: pre-pandemic, a 5-month disruption, a 1-year adaptation, and a 1-year new normal across six degree-modality combinations. Results showed significant score improvements from pre-pandemic to each pandemic-affected period in five of six combinations. For the master’s degree in traditional modality, scores improved without statistical significance. In contrast to K–12 findings, college students’ performance statistically increased through the disruption, adaptation, and new normal periods.