Inform your higher education recruitment and retention planning with the results of Hanover’s annual survey of admitted students.
Despite an overall 2.5% increase in U.S. undergraduate enrollment in spring 2024 (due, in large part, to community college enrollment growth), many higher education institutions continue to experience enrollment uncertainties that aren’t likely to disappear anytime soon. Examining admitted students’ motivations, beliefs, and behaviors is a critical way for institutions to evaluate their enrollment funnel and college admissions strategy.
Hanover’s report on the 2024 National Admitted Student Survey summarizes the key trends affecting college-bound students and uncovers new insights about their:
- Perceptions of the value of a college degree
- Motivations for applying to and selecting an institution
- Reasons for accepting, declining, or deferring admission offers
- First-year needs, expectations, and concerns
“Each year, colleges and universities spend a tremendous amount of resources to recruit and guide prospective students toward applying for admission. But just getting students to the application stage is not enough for institutions to maintain or grow enrollment. Even after students accept admission offers, they may not persist past their first year if their needs and expectations are not being met.”
The State of U.S. College Admissions in 2024
In 2022, four-year public not-for-profit institutions accepted 73% of admission applications, however they only yielded, on average, 30% of those students. Meanwhile, the average college completion rate was just 62% in 2023, essentially the same as it was in 2015.
This means that each year, a significant number of students admitted to colleges and universities ultimately choose not to enroll — or enroll with a high chance of leaving before they earn a degree. To seal the leaks in the enrollment pipeline, it’s imperative for institutions to pivot to the needs, perceptions, and experiences of students as they complete the college search and enrollment process.
Without a clear return on investment (ROI), the guarantee of financial assistance, or the assurance of strong academic and personal support, fewer students and their families will be willing to make the time or financial commitment for a college degree and will instead pursue other career or job training paths.
Higher education leaders can use the survey insights in this report to improve their recruitment and retention plans and practices to help more students find successful pathways to admission, acceptance, and, ultimately, completion.
