As society shifts into a post-pandemic era, colleges and universities continue to face student recruitment and retention challenges. Admitted students — who are closest to the end of the enrollment funnel — provide a wealth of information that institutions can and should use to gain clarity on how to improve and innovate their enrollment strategies.
Download our report, the 2023 National Admitted Student Survey, for key findings from more than 1,000 admitted undergraduate and graduate students across all institution types to identify their:
- Top motivations for applying to one institution over another
- Factors that influence their decision to accept an offer
- First-year needs, expectations, and concerns
“This year’s survey results demonstrate that most admitted students are both interested and invested in completing in-person learning with full credit loads. They want a robust campus experience, though they don’t necessarily want to go far from home to get it.”
Higher Education Continues to Face Enrollment Challenges
For colleges and universities, it’s clear the “new normal” continues to be rocky terrain. While national enrollment figures remained relatively flat between spring 2022 and 2023, they still lag behind pre-pandemic rates, and the number of students who “stopped out” before earning a credential increased 3.6%.
In addition, public confidence in the value of a degree continues to erode with 56% of Americans skeptical of college education. However, there are some bright spots on the horizon, particularly among students who plan to enroll in the 2023–24 academic year. These students are showing signs of academic confidence and renewed faith in the value of obtaining a degree. 76% report being very or extremely likely to enroll in fall 2023, a marked increase of 14 percentage points since 2020.
As students’ needs continue to shift, institutions must keep a close eye on their perceptions and experiences throughout the college search process. Higher education leaders can use this report to learn what moves potential students from applicants to enrollees, which in turn, can help refresh campus enrollment plans and uncover strategies to increase students’ readiness to accept, attend, and succeed.
Want to Learn More?
Watch our on-demand webinar on Understanding the 2023 Cohort: Hanover’s Admitted Student Survey. In this webinar experts from Hanover Research and a panel of experienced higher education leaders presented and reflected on the results of Hanover’s annual 2023 Admitted Student Survey. The results provide a window into the factors that influenced students’ 2023-24 enrollment decisions, their changing perceptions of higher education, and the types of support they may need from institutions in their first year.
After watching this on-demand webinar, higher education leaders will be able to more effectively use Hanover’s annual report to learn what moves potential students from applicants to enrollees, which in turn, can help refresh campus enrollment plans, and uncover strategies to increase students’ readiness to accept, attend, and succeed. WATCH IT NOW!
