Rethinking Enrollment Strategies

In early 2024, Inside Higher Ed released survey results of presidents of public and private nonprofit institutions and found that 68 percent of presidents expect enrollment will be higher in 2025 than it is in 2024.¹ While, the survey occurred in the early stages of the FAFSA debacle, many didn’t know of its impact (which so far is a near-11 percent drop in FAFSA completion, according to the National College Attainment Network).² Experts also anticipate the much-discussed “demographic cliff” in 2026, where the number of seniors graduating high school is expected to plummet, on top of decreasing enrollments and increased labor costs already facing many institutions.