Fewer Small Colleges Meet Admissions Targets

(from Inside Higher Ed) Barely a third of colleges overall (34 percent) met their enrollment targets for new students by May 1 of this year, down from 37 percent in 2016 and 42 percent in 2015, according to the 2017 Survey of College and University Admissions Directors. The figure was somewhat better for private colleges and universities, at 36 percent, but some well-regarded institutions received fewer applications leading to increased admit rates. For instance, Grinnell College had 4,850 applicants, down from 7,370 the year before. The Iowa liberal arts college — whose recent "strategic pivot" was covered on NetAssets.org — also admitted almost 200 more applicants than last year, increasing its admit rate from 20 percent to 29 percent. 

Other findings:

• Many private schools appear to be focusing their recruiting strategies on students with the capacity to pay.
• Regarding international students, there's a sense that U.S. higher ed is overly dependent on a few countries.
• Noting the election results, some schools are stepping up recruitment of rural, low-income and/or conservative students.
• Many admissions directors perceive an "image problem" among higher ed, especially liberal arts colleges.