The Current State of Student Enrollment in Colleges and Universities

A demographic shift has generated an environment of declining enrollment in what used to be called college-bound students, so many universities are seeking to recruit transfers, international students, non-traditional students, and particularly Hispanic students. US NEWS and World Reports, on May 26th, 2022 article entitled “College Enrollment Declines Are Here to Stay,” wrote that 662,000 fewer students enrolled in undergraduate programs in spring 2022 than the previous spring — a drop of 4.7%, which is steeper than the decline in fall 2021. During the pandemic, the undergraduate student body dropped by nearly 1.4 million or 9.4%.

I have worked as an admission professional and consultant and have been an entrepreneur

focused on admissions solutions for the better of three decades. I spend time analyzing data that include discount rates, application changes, enrollment changes, and other critical indicators for all colleges and universities in the United States and its territories.

The data suggest that colleges and universities need to reinvent themselves. There is a need to evaluate current practices and focus on market opportunities. So I’ve been helping colleges, universities, and professional organizations take their admissions events into a virtual space sparked by the COVID-19 epidemic. An unprecedented change has forced colleges and universities to do business differently.

In talking to enrollment managers, the focus has always been on recruiting the population that has students seeking higher education. The problem lies in the changes in the recruitment landscape. In the past, many students pursued higher education in the United States. Before 2010 the 4500+ institutions that provide higher education for students could meet new Enrollment numbers. U.S White students represented the largest ethnic population of College-bound students for four-year institutions before 2010. Hispanic students fell under the second largest growing population, potentially college-bound students, but they mainly attended community colleges. Today, Hispanic students have become a target audience to try to recruit to college campuses. Attracting or recruiting Hispanic students to campus takes a certain level of responsibility. In many cases, these students require some level of financial support, customer service, sometimes in Spanish, and a strategy to effectively engage with the family as a unit. I learned throughout my career that to recruit and retain students, a certain level of campus support services needed to be available.

As we evaluate recruiting Hispanic students as a strategy, colleges and university professionals must prepare to retain these students on their campuses. Perhaps the topic of conversation to focus on is university discount rates. When recruiting Hispanic students, there needs to be a commitment to supporting them financially. And as we chase after decreasing the discount rate of a university, we need to consider that creating financial gaps for this population would cause the student to attrit. To summarize my statements, colleges and universities need to spend money to support these students through the student life cycle. Don’t recruit them if you are not going to help them.

Enrollment managers are also talking about International students. Unfortunately for Enrollment managers, the international student markets were affected by COVID-19 restrictions and current geopolitical issues. China was the country that sent the most international students to the United States. The U.S. government only issued 50% of Visas to Chinese students this year. According to Opendoor, the percentage of Chinese students attending U.S. Colleges and Universities has declined by 14.8% from 2019 to 2021. Many Colleges and Universities were dependent on Chinese students’ enrollment. I’ve spoken to universities that, during the same period, had over 90% of mainland Chinese students attending specific programs. Today, the international student market has shifted to opportunities in India, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia. Again, this is a sign that financial investment needs to be in place to work and recruit a new crop of students from different countries.

For instance, India has a growing middle-class population who recently was given the ability to borrow money from banks for an education. That being said, many of these students are focused on graduate programs and affordable options. As you might know, there are not many affordable options left for higher education in the U.S. This new group of students represents new challenges for colleges and universities. Once again, financial resources will need to be realigned.

Transfer students are another water cooler conversation. I have helped colleges and universities double the number of transfer students in the past. The art of recruiting transfer students begins with signing articulation agreements with community colleges, building relationships with PTK chapters, and automating the transfer credit process. In addition, transfer students seek outcomes and an easy transition. These elements must be present from the beginning of the student’s journey to its conclusion. However, the persona of this population is also changing. Perhaps universities will look at a more significant number of Hispanic students progressing onto their institutions. As a cohort, it’s just another population that needs customer services today at colleges and universities, pointing to more economic resources that need to be deployed.

Change is the name of the game. Recruitment territories have to change, and budgets will need to be reallocated to support these new students; all a significant pendulum swing for a traditional group that does not take kindly to change. Although colleges and universities see the opportunities in front of them, many still go the traditional route. They are going from high school to high school, from community colleges to community colleges, and traveling abroad. Today, this conventional approach will not work. The isolation that was created by the pandemic forced both students and recruiters and university support staff to embrace technology. Going back to traditional ways won’t work. Allocating traditional budgets won’t work. Flexibility and a real plan that considers all this is the solution. Remember, for many of these students and families, paying for higher education will be one of the most expensive purchases they will ever make, so let’s treat them like important customers.