Dive Brief:
- Universities nationwide are facing an enrollment slump of 1.5 percent from the spring of 2016, and the number of students enrolled at higher education institutions has declined for five years in a row, according to the National Student Clearinghouse. This year's numbers were the worst, with 81,000 few higher school graduates overall, writes the Hechinger Report.
- Lower enrollment correlates to dips in birth rates particularly in the Midwest and Northeast, which is contributing to a plateau in numbers of graduates from these regions. However, the Southern and Western regions of the country are bucking the trend, as the number of Hispanic high school graduates — which are more concentrated in these areas — is projected to increase by 50% from 2014, while the number of white graduates is projected to decrease by 14% compared to 2013, according to Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education's report, "Knocking at the College Door."
- Southern and Western states have been able to avoid this trend, even though their own white graduate populations are declining, because of a rapid increase in non-white graduates to fill the gap,the research group reported. This reality means that as higher education institutions attempt to address low enrollment figures, understanding these demographic shifts will be critical in targeting regions where there are actually more graduates to recruit.
Dive Insight:
U.S. universities currently feeling the pressures of declining enrollment rates have already begun looking at new degree programs as well as new facilities that would encourage more students to enroll. As another proactive step to managing student populations on campus, the overall shifts in the nation's demographic makeup will drive prospective enrollment. More than ever, the incoming student body is going to be diverse in terms of race, gender, and socio-economic status, and institutions that don't consider ways of making their campuses more inviting to these types of students may fall behind campuses, such as those in Texas, which are benefiting from the impact of population trends.
With higher percentages of Hispanic students projected to graduate high school in the coming years, campuses surrounded by diverse populations have an edge over others, as these populations are projected to produce more graduates than the white population. Universities outside of these regions may need to take extra steps to entice these students to consider going to school out-of-state. Such steps can come in the form of building inclusive campuses, hiring more diverse faculty, and offering greater financial aid opportunities.
Universities can also reexamine their enrollment goals generally. The Houston Chronicle reported for instance that universities and colleges around Houston, Texas, which has seen an increase in enrollment rates, have recently become more aggressive about recruiting large numbers of students and proactively looking at future market segments, which are projected to be dominated by first generation college students and ethnic minorities. Overall, institutions must consider the nature of the high school to-college pipeline, as well, as low-income students often lack the resources to be able to afford to go to colleges outside their states. One way they can address this is by also partnering with K12 public and private schools to create a relationship that makes it easier to recruit minority students.