Rethinking Admissions and Enrollment

How colleges are adapting to the shrinking of higher ed.

Colleges were plenty worried about an enrollment crash before the pandemic hit. Undergraduate enrollment has since fallen, with community colleges taking the biggest hit. And the much-discussed demographic “enrollment cliff” still lies ahead, with the number of high-school graduates projected to decline sharply after 2025. On top of that, the future pool is likely to include more low-income and first-generation students, who need broader types of support.

All of that has led colleges to look for creative ways to boost enrollment and retention. They’re sharpening up their identities, casting a wider net for prospective applicants, and improving the student experience. This collection contains many of The Chronicle’s best reads on a topic that seems to be on everyone’s mind these days.

Section 1: Challenges
Section 2: Strategies
Section 3: Equity Concerns

Date: August 2022
Pages: 144
Digital file size:  27MB