Higher Ed. Dive
July 12, 2021 Admissions
A dozen groups and individuals in higher education are pressing U.S. News and World Report to stop using average SAT and ACT scores to calculate its influential Best Colleges rankings. The publication has long built entrance exam scores into its methodology for the rankings, though recently it has taken steps to account for their diminished role in some schools’ admissions processes. More than 1,500 colleges will not require test scores for fall 2022.
Higher Ed. Dive
July 08, 2021 Enrollment Management Trends, Student Success
According to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, first-year persistence rates dropped to 73.9% in fall 2020, with community colleges seeing the largest decline, followed by private and public four-year colleges. Racial and ethnic disparities continued – 87% of Asian students persisted into their second year, compared to around two-thirds of Black and Latinx students. Additionally, retention rates fell by 0.7% and the downward trend continued in the spring. Colleges are hopeful that in-person classes will increase enrollment; however, high school seniors have mixed feelings.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
July 01, 2021 Enrollment Management Trends, Student Success
Last fall, male undergraduate enrollment fell by nearly 7 percent, almost three times as much as female enrollment. The steepest decline and largest gender gap was found among students of color attending community colleges. Declines in Asian male enrollment were smaller compared to Black and Hispanic men, but still about eight times compared to Asian women. Increased pressure and gender norms also play a role in these disparities. Colleges are adding male-specific majors, mentoring, and advising programs in an effort to increase male enrollment.
The Wall Street Journal
June 19, 2021 Enrollment Management Trends
Hundreds of thousands of students who graduated from high school last spring veered off the path to higher education, diverted by the pandemic; the lowest enrollment in 20 years. Identifying and contacting those students to persuade them to enroll can be difficult: some have moved, some lost access to their high schools email networks, and some are employed full-time and do not want to give up their income. The longer they are away from formal education, the harder it could be to ultimately enroll them.
Higher Ed. Dive
June 14, 2021 Enrollment Management Trends, Research
The higher education sector didn’t get a reprieve from the enrollment losses that defined the fall term, new data shows. Instead, the numbers from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found a few continuing trends.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
June 10, 2021 Enrollment Management Trends, Student Success
New data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shows a total undergraduate college enrollment decline of 3.5%, a shortfall of 603,000 students. The decline was sharper in traditional-aged college students, and male student enrollment continued to fall more than female enrollment (5.5% vs. 2%). Enrollment fell in almost every undergraduate major except certain majors such as psychology (+4.8%) and computer and information science (+3%).
Higher Ed. Dive
June 08, 2021 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many 4-year colleges that required entrance exams temporarily moved to test-optional policies for admissions consideration. Research indicates that the SAT and ACT favor White and wealthy students over poor, Black and Hispanic students. Though policies and messaging across institutions was inconsistent and ambiguous this year, Admissions experts believe that these test-optional policies open doors for students whom higher education has historically boxed out.
Inside Higher Ed.
May 19, 2021 Enrollment Management Trends
Due to a decline in births from the 2008 recession, a demographic cliff (an anticipated 15% drop in freshman prospects) is anticipated to reach higher education institutions in 2025. Another large drop in births in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic will reach colleges in 2037. These demographic changes, paired with mounting factors that dissuade prospective students from investing in traditional degrees will require post-secondary institutions to be innovative and shift service delivery.
Higher Ed. Dive
May 05, 2021 Enrollment Management Trends, Student Success
Federal agencies have extended and clarified flexible policies for international students attending U.S. colleges during the 2021-2022 academic year, as well as eased some travel restrictions. This decision will allow students and schools to better plan for the upcoming academic year, but visa processing backlogs could be a potential hurdle.
Higher Ed. Dive
April 30, 2021 Enrollment Management Trends
A growing contingent of public and private post-secondary institutions are requiring students to be vaccinated in advance of the fall 2021 semester. Colleges typically require incoming students to be vaccinated against certain diseases, and are on solid legal ground to do so. The coronavirus vaccine, however, is currently approved under Emergency Use Authorization, which may make some institutions more hesitant to enforce its requirement.