How Concerned Were You About Meeting Your Institution’s Goals for New Students?

Enrollment Concerns

According to Inside Higher Ed, roughly 60% of admissions officials were very concerned about meeting their institution’s enrollment goals for this fall. This number is not substantially different from the years prior which were around 55%. Viewing the graph, it is clear that almost 90% of administrators for all levels of institution were at least moderately concerned.

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When Did You Fill Your Class?

Late Enrollment

Comparing with the enrollment concerns of the last slide, institutions did, in fact, have trouble filling their classes. Only 26% of all colleges were able to fill classes by May 1st, the date that classes are typically filled. The lack of students can be attributed to the uncertainty and financial struggles that students are feeling as a result of the pandemic. Some colleges have adjusted their recruiting practices to incentivize students to enroll, but many colleges still did not reach enrollment goals. The only type of institution that was able to have over 50% of colleges reach their goal by July 1st was public doctoral universities, possibly because their typical class sizes are much smaller than most other institutions. The group that was struggling the most with filling classes were community colleges. Private Bachelor’s, Private Doctoral/Master’s, and Public Master’s/Bachelor’s institutions had similar outcomes in enrollment between 40% and 50% by July 1st.

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This Year, Do You Expect Undergraduate Enrollment to Be…?

Low Enrollment Predictions

The public doctoral and private bachelor’s programs are the only ones that have a lower than 50% prediction of having fewer enrollments than the previous year. Community colleges are again predicted to have the most difficulty meeting enrollment expectations compared to other institutions with only 23% predicting that they would have the same or higher enrollment than Fall 2019.

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How Confident Are You That Your College’s Plan Will Remain for the Entire Semester?

Plan Confidence

Most colleges, public and private, tend to be at least moderately confident in their plans for the semester and that they think it will stay. Private colleges seem much more confident in their plans, perhaps because of a combination of greater flexibility, more resources, and often fewer admin and staff, making decision making easier. Additionally, officials at private colleges felt that they had more of a say in decisions made which can increase their perception of the plan. Almost half of public colleges answered that they feel somewhat prepared for the adjustments due to the pandemic – the perceived preparedness likely plays a role in their confidence in the plans. However, most admission leaders do agree with their institution’s decision in how classes will be delivered (84% for public colleges, and 94% for private colleges).

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What Groups of Students Will Colleges Increase Recruitment Of?

Increased Recruitment

Because of lower enrollment, recruitment is crucial for colleges. The largest increases in recruitment is of online students (51% to 62%) because of the necessity of social distancing and the switch to remote classes. Because of restrictions on travel, the largest decrease in recruitment is of international students (45% to 31%). Out of the 12 identified groups for recruitment, 8 groups had an increase in recruitment, seen in green on the graphic. One group, veterans/military personnel, remained stable in recruitment at 52%.

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