Applications are booming, affordability remains paramount and standardized tests are fading.
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The landscape of college admissions is shifting dramatically. To succeed at their jobs, admissions professionals must remain aware of a wide variety of trends to balance students’ preferences, parental concerns, government policies and their university’s goals for recruiting and admitting a new class each year.
General College Admission Stats
- 1,244,476 distinct first-year applicants applied to schools in 2023 — a 30% increase from 2020. (CommonApp)
- 61.8% of high school (or equivalent) graduates go on to post-secondary study.
- 54% of applicants came from ZIP codes in the top fifth of income, while just 7% of the applicant pool came from ZIP codes in the bottom fifth. (CommonApp)
- The average acceptance rate for four-year colleges in the fall of 2022 was around 73%. (Appily)
- 69% of all undergraduates attend college within 50 miles away from their permanent home address. (The Institute for College Access & Success)
- The number of 18-year-olds is expected to shrink by -7.3% by 2030 (and 15% by 2039). (RNL)
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Admission Department Stats
College admission departments shape the student body and ensure a strong fit between institutions and incoming students. They must accomplish this task while remaining frugal and efficient.
- Admissions departments spend approximately 5 minutes reviewing applications (after filtering for academic standards) (Admit Report)
- 80% of admission departments say they plan to incorporate AI into the review process sometime in 2024. (Inside Higher Ed)
- The average time for schools with rolling admissions to respond to an application is 4-6 weeks. (US News)
- Seven in 10 young adults who have applied/are applying to college feel those in the admission office really cared about their success. (NACAC)
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Student College Choice Stats
Choosing the right college is one of the most consequential decisions students make in their young lives.
- The top three factors in choosing a college are affordability (53%), student outcomes (39%), and flexibility and accessibility (e.g., hybrid/online program formats offered) (36%). (Best Colleges)
- 62% of 2022 high school graduates say a college’s brand and name recognition influenced their decision; only 5% said that it didn’t matter. (College Match)
- Safety and scholarships ranked the highest in college features, with over 90% of students calling them “important” or “very important.” (College Match)
- 85% of decided students said their campus visit impacted their decision. (Momentous College Media)
- 76% of students applying to college say completing their applications feels like such a momentous moment in their lives. (NACAC)
- 61% have been overwhelmed by the advice they have been given related to applying to college. (NACAC)
- 55% of students applied to colleges because they were given an application fee waiver. (Forbes)
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Parent College Choice Stats
Parents also play a critical role in helping students select which schools to apply to and which schools to attend.
- 70% of parents actively participate in their student’s college search. (Momentous Campus Media)
- 70% of parents said cost was “extremely important” or “important” in deciding to which colleges their student should apply. (Forbes)
- 84% use college websites — making them the biggest single source of information. (Forbes)
- 61% also follow college Facebook accounts while in the search process. (Forbes)
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Campus Tour Stats
Though diminished by COVID and supplemented digital tours, campus visits can often be the deciding factor for students in picking a school.
- Admissions departments spend 10-13% of their marketing and recruitment budgets on admissions events. (RNL)
- 34% of decided students said there were no memorable or defining moments in their campus visits. (Momentous College Media)
- 62% of students still wanted more info after their campus visit.
- 44% of campus visits by high school juniors are unofficial. (Encoura)
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Admissions Testing Stats
Standardized admissions testing was on the decline before it plummeted during COVID. Now, some schools are bringing it back.
- The average total SAT score in 2023 was 1028. (Best Colleges)
- The average ACT score was 19.5, a 30-year low. (NY1)
- The number of schools considering admission tests to be “considerably important” has plummeted from 50% in 2012 to just 5% in 2023. (NACAC)
- Yet, 56% of young adults rank admissions tests in their Top 5 most important factors.
- 75% of young adults believe test-optional or test-free admission “levels the playing field” for students of different backgrounds. (NACAC)
- More than 80% of colleges did not require standardized tests for Fall 2023 admissions. (Forbes)
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Diversity in Admissions Stats
Despite legal challenges, diverse student bodies remain important to both schools and students.
- 347,644 under-represented minorities applied to at least one school in 2023, making up 27.9% of the total applicant pool. (CommonApp)
- The number of first-generation applicants increased by 36% between 2020 and 2023. (CommonApp)
- 84% of 2022 high school graduates preferred a diverse student body. (College Match)
- Applications from international students increased 14.5% between 2022 and 2023 (while total applications only increased by 5.8%) (CommonApp)
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Financial Aid Stats
With affordability the number one consideration for parents and students, understanding financial aid is essential for admissions professionals.
- 70% of full-time, first-year undergraduate students in 2021-2022 were awarded some type of financial aid. (Best Colleges)
- The average grant and scholarship aid awarded to first-time, full-time students at four-year institutions was $15,960. (Best Colleges)
- Non-Hispanic White and Asian undergraduates averaged $8,800 in federal aid. Black undergraduates and undergraduates of two or more races received $9,700, on average. Undergraduates who were Hispanic or Latino received $7,500. (NCES)
- 74% of undergraduates who identified as female received some type of financial aid, compared to 68% who identified as male and 67% who identified as having a different gender identity. (NCES)
- 610,000 additional students eligible for FAFSA grants (once that application breakdown is fixed). (StudentAid.gov)
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