Amherst College ends legacy admissions

The Massachusetts liberal arts institution is among the first highly selective colleges to stop boosting applications from alumni's relatives.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Oct. 20, 2021

Anti-affirmative action group appeals UNC-Chapel Hill decision to Supreme Court

The leader of Students for Fair Admissions called for an end to race-conscious admissions policies "as soon as possible."

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Updated Nov. 12, 2021

Explore the 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

Graduate school applications rose 7.3% in fall 2020, report finds

Interest and enrollment in graduate programs saw a boost during the pandemic, according to new data from the Council of Graduate Schools.

By Natalie Schwartz • Oct. 18, 2021

Ex-USC dean indicted in alleged scheme to get kickbacks for social work school

The Justice Department alleges the dean worked to steer public money to the school in exchange for benefits for a Los Angeles politician's son.

By Natalie Schwartz • Oct. 14, 2021

Overtly religious advertising can harm a faith-based college's STEM reputation

Religious advertising can influence public perception of academic quality, new research finds. What does that mean for colleges' marketing?

By Mathew S. Isaac, Carl Obermiller and Rebecca Jen-Hui Wang • Oct. 11, 2021

Selective schools prioritize prestige in face of rising demand for college, report says

A National Bureau of Economic Research working paper suggests that such a focus is socially inefficient.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Oct. 7, 2021

Washington University in St. Louis uses 65% endowment return to adopt need-blind admissions

Surging investments powered a $1 billion financial aid initiative at the private university. But need-blind admissions can be very expensive for institutions.

By Rick Seltzer • Oct. 5, 2021

UC system seeks to add 20,000 students by 2030

A working group will examine paths to growth, including more online education, mergers and faster times to degrees.

By Rick Seltzer • Oct. 4, 2021

Can colleges compete with companies like Coursera?

Arthur Levine discusses how trends like personalized education are unfolding, what's driving them, and what can go right or wrong for colleges.

By Rick Seltzer • Sept. 28, 2021

Kentucky State says it needs emergency funding to make it past spring

Regents are asking for money to cover a $15M shortfall from unpaid expenses and a projected $7M gap for the 2022 fiscal year.

By Natalie Schwartz • Updated Oct. 20, 2021

Inside one HBCU's plan to waive tuition for a year

Clinton College, in South Carolina, isn't charging students tuition in 2021-22. Officials say enrollment swelled because of the offer.

By Natalie Schwartz • Sept. 24, 2021

NACAC chief executive announces a new mission and vision statement

Angel Pérez says the organization is recommitting to accessible, equitable postsecondary education.

By Angel Pérez • Sept. 23, 2021

Will the SAT and ACT ever be removed from the U.S. News rankings?

Admissions experts believe change could be coming to the influential lists, but it may take a shift in what students and families want.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Sept. 16, 2021

Far fewer prospective college students submitted admissions test scores last year, report finds

Common App documented a sharp decline in SAT and ACT score submissions during the 2020-21 school year, especially among disadvantaged students.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Sept. 8, 2021

5 charts showing how transfer enrollment fell last year

Transfer enrollment slid 8.4% from the year before, but data shows the losses weren't even across higher ed.

By Natalie Schwartz • Sept. 3, 2021

California's 2-year system reports scam involving 65,000-plus fake student accounts

Officials suspect the fraudulent accounts were created to obtain financial aid. 

By Natalie Schwartz • Sept. 1, 2021

What factors should college leaders consider with consolidations?

New Ithaka S+R research examines the reasoning behind public higher ed mergers and their effects on disadvantaged students.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 31, 2021

Nearly 200,000 fewer transfer students enrolled in college last year, report finds

Black students and men saw some of the largest drops among transfers, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found.

By Natalie Schwartz • Aug. 31, 2021

3 ways to help increase enrollment

With the decrease in enrollment this year, it's key to find new ways to reach students. 

By Rachel Burris, NCCER Senior Communications Manager • Aug. 9, 2021

How K-12 schools are switching gears on college prep as test-optional admissions grow

With two-thirds of four-year institutions not requiring the SAT or ACT for at least fall 2022 admissions, schools are exploring portfolios, early college and more.

By Lauren Barack • Aug. 6, 2021

Biden's free community college plan won't succeed without robust transfer strategies

A senior program manager at the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program argues for strengthening pathways between two- and four-year schools.

By Gelsey Mehl • Aug. 5, 2021

Over two-thirds of bachelor's-granting colleges won't require SAT, ACT for fall 2022

It's the second straight year a group advocating for test-optional admissions policies tracked similarly high levels.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • July 29, 2021

Amazon Web Services, Arizona State to offer for-credit cloud education to 10K high schoolers

The Ed Equity Lab will deliver asynchronous courses taught by Arizona State faculty members to high school students.

By Natalie Schwartz • July 28, 2021

Augustana College tests income insurance for transfer students

The program guarantees income for five years after graduation and gives the institution a new way to attract certain students.

By Rick Seltzer • July 21, 2021

Virginia higher ed funding is inequitable and needs reform, report says

One think tank is criticizing public colleges for taking big shares of state dollars without enrolling many low-income students.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • July 21, 2021