Enrollment

  • Gavin Newsom up close shot.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Mario Tama via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    California governor signs Cal State direct admissions program into law

    A pilot version of the program proactively offered thousands of students acceptance into the public university system.

    By • Updated Oct. 14, 2025
  • Multiple colored university banners hanging from buildings on busy city block.
    Image attribution tooltip
    The image by Kmf164 is licensed under CC BY 2.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    DePaul University weighs budget measures amid cratering international enrollment

    The private Chicago nonprofit is considering cutting executive pay and freezing staff hiring after new international graduate enrollment fell 62% from last year.

    By • Oct. 6, 2025
  • A Black woman helps two Black young adults who are seated in front of a laptop computer. Explore the Trendline➔
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Trendline

    Enrollment and Retention

    A look at the pandemic's continuing impact on enrollment and how colleges can ensure students stay on course.

    By Higher Ed Dive staff
  • Campus tour
    Image attribution tooltip

    stock.adobe.com/Sean Locke/Stocksy

    Image attribution tooltip
    Sponsored by CampusESP

    Families at the forefront: What the 2025 Prospective Family Survey means for enrollment strategies

    New survey shows what parents of prospective students expect, and how it can impact your enrollment outcomes.

    Oct. 6, 2025
  • College students walk down a pathway.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Inside North Carolina’s direct admissions program

    A statewide initiative is offering high school students proactive admission to dozens of public and private colleges, following a pilot last year.

    By Danielle McLean • Oct. 3, 2025
  • Conference sign at expo center.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by NACAC
    Image attribution tooltip
    NACAC 2025

    College admissions in a rapidly evolving world

    Experts dug into diversity trends, college readiness indicators and more at the National Association for College Admission Counseling’s recent conference. 

    By • Sept. 26, 2025
  • AI powers big data analysis and automation workflows, showcasing neural networks and data streams for business.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    NACAC 2025

    The difficult human work behind responsible AI use in college operations

    Officials should carefully consider if an AI tool can actually address a problem — and then perform audits and error checks after it’s rolled out, experts said.

    By • Sept. 25, 2025
  • A teacher writes a formula on a chalkboard.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    NACAC 2025

    Just how integral is calculus to college readiness?

    Higher education experts say viewing the math course as a proxy for rigor presents equity-related and pedagogical problems.

    By • Sept. 24, 2025
  • A group of students walk together on a sidewalk on a college campus.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    NACAC 2025

    Digging into diversity in college admissions

    Researchers pointed to disparities by race among prospective and admitted students during a Friday presentation at an annual admissions and counseling conference.

    By • Sept. 23, 2025
  • 6 college students sitting on stairs, smiling, and close to each other
    Image attribution tooltip

    Getty Images

    Image attribution tooltip
    Sponsored by Ellucian

    What today’s students really want — and what that means for higher ed

    1,500+ students reveal what's broken in higher ed—and how to fix it.

    By Ellucian • Sept. 22, 2025
  • A sign outside of Northcentral Technical College
    Image attribution tooltip
    The image by Royalbroil is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    UW-Stevens Point partners with community college to shore up struggling branch

    Leaders hope partnering with Northcentral Technical College will create new opportunities and cost savings for the public university’s Wausau location. 

    By • Sept. 12, 2025
  • ECU sign on campus
    Image attribution tooltip
    The image by COGpio is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    East Carolina University eyes $25M in cuts

    The three-year savings goal would be met through permanent cuts, academic program changes and operational restructuring, the public institution said.

    By • Updated Sept. 9, 2025
  • Brick building with columns and campanile.
    Image attribution tooltip
    The image by Garden Sprite is licensed under CC BY 1.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    Ohio University to cut 11 academic programs to comply with new law

    A sweeping higher education law enacted this year requires the state’s public colleges to end undergraduate programs that award low numbers of degrees.

    By • Aug. 27, 2025
  • Red brick building with white columns and dormer windows.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from Albright College on January 22, 2025
    Image attribution tooltip

    Albright College declares ‘remarkable’ turnaround as it borrows $15M from endowment

    The private institution said it’s on track for a $10 million budget surplus after recent cuts and cash concerns.

    By • Aug. 27, 2025
  • The entrance to the Air Force Academy.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Students for Fair Admissions drops lawsuits against West Point, Air Force Academy

    The anti-affirmative action group has found an ally in the Trump administration, which barred race-conscious admissions in the nation’s military academies. 

    By • Aug. 12, 2025
  • A sign on the University of Utah's campus bearing the institution's name.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    University of Utah board moves to cut 81 academic programs

    The planned eliminations are in response to a new state law ordering public colleges to cut certain academic offerings and invest in high-demand fields. 

    By • Aug. 7, 2025
  • A busy staircase with several college students.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    150K fewer international students this fall? That’s what one analysis predicts.

    A sharp drop in foreign enrollment could cost colleges $7 billion in revenue and 60,000 jobs, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

    By • Aug. 1, 2025
  • A group of five college students walk outside on a pathway.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Tennessee launches direct admissions pilot with student aid component

    The initiative aims to ease the path to higher education by providing financial aid information along with automatic acceptance to participating colleges.

    By • July 23, 2025
  • A young person wearing a backpack drags a rolling suitcase behind them as they walk through an airport.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Moody’s: Trump’s tough international student policies could hit some colleges hard

    Visa processing slowdowns and travel bans could mean lost revenue, tighter margins and financial stress.

    By • July 11, 2025
  • Students are sitting at several tables working in groups. There are laptops and notebooks on the tables and the tables are pushed to a wall of windows.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    3 charts that tell the story of spring 2025 enrollment

    Recent data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center showed which cohorts are driving the sector's slow-moving recovery from the pandemic.

    By • July 7, 2025
  • A diverse group of college students sitting on the grass outside a modern campus building.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Adobe / Xavier Lorenzo

    Image attribution tooltip
    Sponsored by Constant Contact

    Building a strong campus community: strategies for engagement and belonging

    Learn how creating a strong campus community boosts enrollment, engagement and retention.

    June 30, 2025
  • A group of students walk together on a sidewalk on a college campus.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Persistence and retention rates hit some of their highest levels in nearly a decade

    Over 86% of first-year students returned to college in the spring, according to the latest data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

    By • June 26, 2025
  • Portrait of a Columbia College Chicago billboard on a building in the city.
    Image attribution tooltip
    The image by afunkydamsel is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    Columbia College Chicago lays off 20 faculty members

    The cuts come as the private nonprofit attempts to “invest in areas that correspond to strong student demand,” one official told the campus community.

    By • June 23, 2025
  • .
    Image attribution tooltip
    Laura Spitalniak/Higher Ed Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Tennessee State raises tuition 6% amid budget stabilization effort

    Even with the tuition hike, the public historically Black institution faces a nearly $39 million shortfall.

    By • June 16, 2025
  • Students standing in woods near a creek facing instructor.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Guilford College
    Image attribution tooltip

    North Carolina’s Guilford College scrambles for cash to keep its accreditation

    Amid enrollment declines, the historically Quaker institution has until December to show its accreditor a balanced budget for the 2026 fiscal year.

    By • June 12, 2025
  • Linda McMahon speaks while seated at a podium.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Week in Review: Deep program cuts proposed at the Education Department

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from possible reductions to Pell Grants and other programs to the continued consolidation of colleges.

    By • June 9, 2025