University of New Hampshire to lay off 75 employees to help save $14M

The public institution’s president indicated more cuts could be on the horizon, including program eliminations.

By Laura Spitalniak • Jan. 18, 2024

New York Gov. Hochul unveils direct admissions, mandatory FAFSA proposals

The initiatives, which include admitting the top 10% of high schoolers to the state’s public systems, are part of broader efforts to boost enrollment.

By Laura Spitalniak • Jan. 10, 2024

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

Investing in DIII athletics doesn’t guarantee higher enrollment, analysis finds

Half of Division III institutions that didn't add varsity sports or head coaches still saw their headcounts rise, the Urban Institute found.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 9, 2024

First-year college applicants have risen 8%, suggests early Common App data

The portal found prospective students from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds have applied to college at rates outpacing their peers.

By Laura Spitalniak • Updated Dec. 21, 2023

Why more colleges are adopting direct admissions

The practice — which notifies students that they’re admitted before they even apply — is taking off at public systems and some private institutions.

By Lilah Burke • Dec. 11, 2023

‘Affirmative action for well-off students’: Why early decision is under fire

Scrutiny over the practice heightened after the Supreme Court struck down race-conscious admissions earlier this year. 

By Lilah Burke • Nov. 27, 2023

What happened when UW-Madison lifted its out-of-state enrollment cap?

A new working paper suggests the move brought in more tuition revenue, which was used to fund grants for low-income students.

By Lilah Burke • Nov. 27, 2023

Park University to cut 16 faculty jobs and various academic programs

The private nonprofit institution in Missouri blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for broad financial stress on the higher ed sector.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 21, 2023

SUNY grew enrollment for the first time in a decade, but it’s far from meeting state goals

Gov. Kathy Hochul has aimed for the system to bring in 500,000 students over an unspecified period of time.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 16, 2023

How community colleges are revamping their student onboarding process

Institutions nationwide are overhauling how they help learners understand, select and enter a program of study.

By Lilah Burke • Nov. 15, 2023

Want to see more students on college campuses? Start by modernizing the admissions process

How higher education is breaking free from the traditional college admissions playbook.

By Luke Skurman, CEO and Founder of Niche • Nov. 13, 2023

4 charts explaining international enrollment trends

The U.S. hosted more than 1 million international students in 2022-23, an 11.5% spike compared to the year before.

By Natalie Schwartz • Nov. 13, 2023

Common App expands direct admissions, including partnering with Connecticut

The online portal has started two programs, one with Connecticut institutions and a second with 70 other U.S. colleges.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 2, 2023

Fall 2023 enrollment trends in 5 charts

We’re breaking down some of the biggest developments this term, based on initial figures from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

By Natalie Schwartz • Updated Nov. 8, 2023

Moody’s: Enrollment hinges on programs aligning with student interests

Subjects like computer and information sciences have attracted more students in recent years, but they can be expensive to expand and upgrade.

By Laura Spitalniak • Oct. 20, 2023

US accounting degree graduates plunge 7.4%

Students snub accounting for reasons ranging from its comparatively low pay to tough requirements for certification, according to financial executives.

By Jim Tyson • Oct. 19, 2023

UW-Oshkosh cuts workforce by more than 200 as budget crisis unfolds

The Wisconsin public college is laying off 140 staff members, while others voluntarily resigned.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Oct. 17, 2023

How Cornell could revamp admissions after the Supreme Court decision

A task force suggested how the Ivy League institution could diversify its student body after the high court’s summer ruling striking down race-conscious policies.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Oct. 16, 2023

University of Wisconsin System to launch direct admissions program next year

The network’s president, Jay Rothman, cast the initiative as a way to boost enrollment.

By Natalie Schwartz • Oct. 9, 2023

PASSHE finds silver lining amid 2.2% drop in fall enrollment

Though the Pennsylvania system’s overall headcounts fell, seven of its 10 colleges increased their number of first-time students.

By Natalie Schwartz • Oct. 9, 2023

More colleges are resetting tuition. Does the strategy work?

Some institutions have seen short-term enrollment gains from slashing their sticker prices, but the strategy doesn’t guarantee a turnaround.

By Danielle McLean • Oct. 9, 2023

CUNY, SUNY, some private New York colleges to waive application fees in October

More than 120 institutions are participating in the initiative, which aims to remove financial barriers for applicants.

By Natalie Schwartz • Oct. 6, 2023

Georgia is the latest state to try out direct admissions

Starting next week, 120,000 high schoolers will be notified they have reserved spots at many of the state’s public colleges.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Oct. 5, 2023

The Ivies could boost economic diversity with a bit of effort, report says

A modest commitment from the highly selective institutions would make a big difference without harming their elite status.

By Laura Spitalniak • Oct. 5, 2023

Half of Hispanic students report difficulty staying in their college program

That’s the highest share of any other racial or ethnic group tracked, according to a recent survey from Gallup and Lumina Foundation.

By Natalie Schwartz • Sept. 28, 2023