Higher Ed Drive
October 23, 2025 Pre-College Outreach, Admissions
Although SAT and ACT score averages for the class of 2025 prove to be an improvement from the previous year, scores still remain below pre-pandemic levels. This year, SAT scores for reading and writing averaged at 521, while math averaged at a score of 508. These scores are lower than the 2019 average scores of 531 and 528, respectively. Furthermore, this year, only about 30% of students who took the ACT met 3 or more of the established college readiness benchmarks. These exams continue to see a decrease in the number of test-takers, which is highly credited to the test-optional approach established by institutions during the pandemic, with nearly 90% of U.S. higher education institutions remaining test-optional for admission.
Higher Ed Drive
October 25, 2025 Student Success, Value and Affordability
A recent study from the University of Arkansas found only 9 of the 1,584 U.S. colleges could be classified as “equity engines”. This classification applies to institutions where at least 34% of students receive Pell Grants, and among those, 55% graduate within six years. The exclusivity of U.S. colleges leaves many low-income students lacking equitable access to college. The study recommends expanded investment in colleges that may be close to fulfilling the established “equity engine” qualifications. Institutions more generally must also be willing to undergo institutional changes that embrace shared and equitable learning opportunities.
Inside Higher Ed
October 07, 2025 Admissions
In August 2025, international student arrivals to the U.S. dropped by 19% compared to the previous year, largely due to visa delays, paused interviews, and policy challenges. The decline was especially sharp among students from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, with countries like Iran, Ghana, and India seeing dramatic reductions. While official government data (SEVIS) shows a slight increase in international student enrollment, experts argue this figure is likely misleading or incomplete. Many students, particularly from India, were forced to defer their studies after being unable to secure visa appointments in time. This trend raises serious concerns for U.S. universities, which depend heavily on international students for tuition revenue and global engagement.
Inside Higher Ed
October 07, 2025 Student Success, Value and Affordability
College students often underestimate the cost of attending college. Only about 27% of students claim to fully understand the expenses and costs associated with tuition, housing, and other fees. Students share that these costs and other unanticipated costs could impact their active enrollment at collegiate institutions. Although institutions can often offer emergency aid and other financial support to students, many are unaware of these resources. The survey in this article highlights the current disconnect between available institutional support efforts and student knowledge and awareness. Cost transparency and improved communication efforts can assist with student retention related to financial matters.
HigherEd Dive
September 23, 2025 Admissions, Research
At the NACAC Conference, researchers presented findings regarding diversity in college admissions. Data from 17 universities showed that while Black and Hispanic students are applying in growing numbers, their admit rates are not reflective of this. The study found that colleges overwhelmingly prioritize academic factors like GPA and curriculum strength over essays or personal attributes, countering myths that race alone drives admission. Researchers warned that demographic changes and opaque institutional priorities complicate public perceptions of fairness in admissions.
HigherEd Dive
The federal Grad PLUS loan program was recently eliminated via the “One Big Beautiful Act” . This program allowed graduate students to borrow up to their full cost of attendance. The end of the Grad PLUS program will impost strict lifetime borrowing limitations, which may drive students toward the use of private loans with higher interest rates. While only 16% of graduate students used Grad PLUS, it accounted for 32% of federal loan disbursements and helped finance the most expensive programs. Critics argue the program fueled rising tuition and excessive debt, while supporters warn its end could reduce graduate enrollment and force colleges to cut programs. Experts remain uncertain how the loss of Grad PLUS will reshape access to graduate education and the financial stability of higher education institutions.
Inside HigherEd
September 10, 2025 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends, Student Success
Despite anticipated enrollment challenges, many colleges and universities throughout the United States are celebrating record-breaking enrollment this fall. Driven by initiatives such as dual enrollment, a growing interest in health sciences, and access to online education, institutions across the nation are witnessing the impact of their investments in strategic enrollment initiatives. Institutions like the University of Minnesota Rochester are highlighted in their successful prioritization of initiatives aimed at enrolling and retaining their students beyond the first year. These results underscore the importance of institutions adapting to meet the needs, demographics, and expectations of the incoming generation of students.
Higher Ed. Dive
September 08, 2025 Value and Affordability
Tasked with addressing disputes between students and loan servicers, the Office of Consumer Education and Ombudsman, formerly known as the Financial Student Aid’s Ombudsman Office, is rebranding and expanding. As part of the U.S. Department of Education’s efforts to increase financial literacy of borrowing students and their families, new borrower tools and accessible guideline measures on student loans and repayments are being developed. The FSA also aims to establish a standard manual for servicers that strives to address borrower complaints and “systemic issues” while establishing a set of standards to be followed by student loan servicers.
Inside Higher Ed.
September 08, 2025 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
High school student dual enrollment —education programs where high school students participate in college-level courses for credit — has skyrocketed throughout the last decade. Increased enrollment has prompted researchers to analyze the impact of participating students on their post-secondary collegiate enrollment, transition, and success. A study of nearly 500,000 students by the Community College Research Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College found that not only were dual-enrolled students applying to college admitted at higher rates, but these students were also more likely to obtain merit financial aid. With nearly half of all public high schoolers enrolled in college courses, future research aims to determine how dual enrollment boosts students’ confidence and enrollment participation.
HIGHER ED DIVE
August 05, 2025 Enrollment Management Trends, Value and Affordability
According to a recent working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, lower-income students get less of a boost to their earnings potential than they once did. The catalyst to this decline can be attributed to a shift in lower-income college students’ enrollment at research universities and study fields with high returns which ultimately impacts their long-term earning potential. Colleges historically attended by lower-income students such as teaching-oriented public universities, have experienced declines in “funding, retention, and economic value since 1960.” Lower-income students now receive less than half the earnings boost from college as their higher-income peers and currently have a 5-percentage income gap.