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.
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.
HIGHER ED DIVE
July 07, 2025 Enrollment Management Trends
Spring enrollment data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center showed the college student population rose 3.2% from the previous year, an increase of 562,000 students. Specifically, traditional-aged college students represented about 40% of undergraduates and students 25 to 29 fluctuated significantly. Data also revealed all regions of the U.S., and a vast majority of states saw their total college enrollment grow in spring 2025. Undergraduate enrollment gains were also found across ethnicity and racial demographics. Black students showed the biggest increase of 10.3%, multiracial students likewise expanded by 8.5% year over year, and White students rose by 1.8%. Fall 2024 marked the start of the first cohort of freshmen admitted since the U.S. Supreme Court barred race-conscious admissions practices. The minority of colleges that the ruling affected — those that maintain selective admissions processes — reported mixed outcomes on their class diversity, with Black students representing the biggest loss among racial groups.
HIGHER ED DIVE
June 26, 2025 Enrollment Management Trends
HIGHER ED DIVE
June 09, 2025 Enrollment Management Trends
The future of higher education is uncertain as ongoing federal changes impact university finances and investments. College leaders can take proactive steps to best position their institutions for a changing landscape, including scenario planning, overcommunication, bringing people into the decision-making process, and focusing on their institutional mission to prioritize areas of importance and alignment.
New York Times
May 22, 2025 Pre-College Outreach, Enrollment Management Trends
The New York Times provides a thoughtful resource that thoroughly addresses questions about college financing, including FAFSA, work study eligibility, housing, tuition costs, etc.
HIGHER ED DIVE
March 27, 2025 Pre-College Outreach, Enrollment Management Trends, Value and Affordability
According to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), high school graduates will peak at 3.8 million students in 2025, leading to a more gradual decline in college enrollment over the next 15 years. An approximate 15% gradual decline in enrollment would allow institutions and policymakers time to prepare for anticipated financial hardships, potential institution closures, and other demographic shifts. Additional contributing factors to the enrollment decline are the current economy and job market and the increased skepticism about the value of higher education. Preventative measures that can assist institutions’ ability to succeed include: retention rates, implementation of equity and inclusion, and a greater shift to a non-traditional learning environment.
US Department of Education
March 01, 2025 Admissions, Enrollment Management Trends
The U.S. Department of Education recently released a FAQ resource regarding the Dear Colleague Letter sent February 14.
Inside Higher Ed
February 24, 2025 Enrollment Management Trends, Value and Affordability
In January, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected a $2.7 billion budget shortfall for the Pell Grant program next fiscal year, its first shortfall in over a decade which was not expected until 2029. By fiscal year 2026–27, the CBO projects that the program will be short $10 billion unless Congress puts more money toward the grants. The Pell Grant provides need-based federal financial aid for more than 30 percent of American college students; without a funding increase, low-income students will lose essential funding to assist with rising tuition costs and inflation. The Pell Grant which relies on mandatory and discretionary funds, increases enrollment and completion rates as well as assists with college affordability. The Pell shortfall isn’t in the official spending baseline yet however, Congress will need to act sometime before Sept. 30, the start of fiscal year 2026.