Higher Ed. Dive
February 02, 2023 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Undergraduate enrollment decreased only 0.6% in the fall 2022, the smallest drop since the pandemic, according to National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data. Conversely, graduate student enrollment began to decline after two years of constant growth during the pandemic. Enrollment trends varied by region, with a notable decline in undergraduate enrollments in the Midwest and Northeast, while graduate enrollments rose by 1.3% in the Northeast. Across institution types, four-year for-profits saw the most significant increase in first-year student enrollment in fall 2022, at 6.9%, followed by community colleges, which saw a 6.1% increase.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
January 25, 2023 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
As student applicant numbers from China plummeted by nearly 25% from the pandemic, two of the leading countries for international applicants are currently coming from West Africa. Nigeria and Ghana seem to be only behind China and India – the leading source of international students for decades now, suggests the latest data from Common App. Lack of capacity in local universities is driving African students to study abroad, and as of 2023, applicants from Nigeria and Ghana have at least tripled and quadrupled, respectively, from the 2019-20 admission cycle.
Higher Ed. Dive
November 15, 2022 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
At least 1,835 four-year colleges in the US are test-optional for fall 2023. Of those, 85 are fully test-free. 1,450 colleges have made test-optional and test-free admissions permanent. Test-optional policies continue to be studied for their effects on admissions.
Inside Higher Ed
November 14, 2022 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Most international enrollment recovered from a steep decline during the pandemic. The total number of international students enrolled at U.S. institutions increased by 4 percent in 2021-22 and an additional 9 percent this fall.
Inside Higher Ed
November 07, 2022 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
A recent survey found that diversity among faculty and the student body is the top priority for students when searching for a potential college in which to enroll. Relatedly, only 9 percent reported receiving personalized and relevant outreach from prospective institutions.
Inside Higher Ed
October 24, 2022 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Direct admissions kicked off last year in the United States by the company Concourse. This year, 125 colleges around various cities are making admission offers via Concourse. The Common Application is also experimenting with direct admissions, with 14 colleges involved this year.
Inside Higher Ed
October 13, 2022 Admissions, Student Success
The national average composite ACT score for the high school class of 2022 was the lowest in over three decades. The trend of declining average scores, however, began long before the pandemic. While more students took the exams this year, the numbers were still fewer than in 2020. There are also vast differences in the scores of students by race and ethnicity.
Higher Ed. Dive
October 05, 2022 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Federally funded institutions must send their application counts to the U.S. Department of Education each year. The new IPEDS reporting policies could prompt institutions to examine the barriers for students to finish their college applications, which could help eliminate roadblocks that prevent underrepresented students from applying.
Inside Higher Ed
September 26, 2022 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
Diversity continues to be a top recruitment priority for university leadership. At the annual NACAC meeting, Admissions professionals across the country discussed efforts and strategies with an intentional focus on BIPOC enrollment.
Inside Higher Ed
September 12, 2022 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
U.S. News rankings will no longer punish schools where most student don’t submit SAT or ACT scores. In their new calculation, they increased the weight of high school class standing and average graduation rate for those schools that report SAT/ACT scores for less than 50 percent of new entrants. For test-blind schools, rankings value is equal to the lowest test score in their rankings.