The 2017 Inside Higher Ed Survey of College and University Admissions Directors

Title: The 2017 Survey of College and University Admissions Directors

Author: Scott Jaschik

Date: Sept. 13, 2017

Inside Higher Ed recently released the latest 2017 Survey of College and University Admissions Directors, which found that only 34 percent of colleges met new student enrollment targets this year by May 1. The 34 percent figure is down from 37 percent a year ago and 42 percent two years ago.

The only sector where a majority of colleges and universities reported meeting their goals was public doctoral institutions, of which 59 percent said that they had met their target by May 1. However, only 22 percent of public bachelor’s/master’s institutions met their targets by May 1, and the figure was 27 percent for community colleges. For private colleges and universities, 36 percent met admissions goals by May 1, even though some private institutions continued to have far more applicants than they could ever need.

Many public and private colleges are dependent on tuition and/or state funds, which tend to be distributed based on enrollment. So failing to hit that target can be anything from an annoyance to an existential crisis.

The survey also provides findings on applicants’ social media habits, disciplinary records, the impact of the 2016 election, and the impact of student debt, among other topics.

Click here to download the full survey report.