A new EAB survey of over 8,000 current and prospective graduate and adult learners found cost of attendance now tops program selection criteria, with 60% of prospective students saying they would drop a program perceived as ‘too expensive.’ The report highlighted a sharp sensitivity to price: 39% of respondents believe anything over $10,000 per year is unaffordable and 62% would not pay more than $20,000 annually. The findings arrive as federal graduate‑loan caps tighten, research funding faces cuts, and institutions must retool pricing, scholarship offers and program delivery to retain adult learners. Enrollment leaders said institutions must translate cost‑management, flexible scheduling and clear career outcomes into recruitment strategies to avoid further declines in graduate enrollment.