Undergrad College Enrollment Dips

Overall college enrollment declined by 3.5% over the past year, according to a recent report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC). But this national trend does not apply to Ivies and international student enrollment. 

Figures from the NSCRC show that overall enrollment fell to 16.9 million students this spring, down more than 600,000 since last spring. That decline is the largest since 2011, and all higher education sectors experienced it, including community colleges, public four-year universities, private nonprofit institutions and private, for-profit schools. Community colleges took the biggest hit, dropping 9.5%. 

As we have previously reported, Ivies have been largely impervious to the effects Covid-19 has had over higher education. Harvard, for example, saw a 42% increase from 2020, and other Ivies saw an equally impressive spike in applications as thousands of students took advantage of test-optional policies. Not surprisingly, the NSCRC’s report shows that New Hampshire was the state where enrollments increased the most, jumping to 10.8%.  

The NSCRC did not include figures for international students, but data from the Common App indicates that compared to 2019-20, the number of international applicants increased by 9%. The interest from foreign students could be picking up again partly due to a “Biden Bump,” as they perceive this administration to be more welcoming to them. The most significant increases came from countries like Brazil, Canada, India, Nigeria, Pakistan and the United Kingdom. 

Despite the overall college enrollment decline, admissions prep and tutoring is still crucial for your student as they will undoubtedly face increased competition when applying to selective institutions, especially now that international interest has surged again and more students are getting wise to the misleading nature of “test-optional” policies. For tips and access to expert guidance, schedule a free consultation with Ivy Link.