1. State of College Admission
2015 Report

2. Purpose
Provide up-to-date information on the admission process for first-time freshmen, transfer students, and international students
Provide information on the status of college counseling in public and private secondary schools

3. Methodology in Brief 2014 Admission Trends Survey
Surveyed admission offices at 1,253 four-year colleges (NACAC members)
Received 335 responses
2015 Admission Trends Survey
Surveyed admission and institutional research offices at 1,380 four-year colleges
Received 687 partial and complete responses
2014 Counseling Trends Survey
Surveyed 10,000 secondary schools (NACAC members and a random sample all public schools)
Received 1,360 responses

4. College Applications

5. Number of High School Graduates: Actual and Projected, 1990 to 2025
Projection data from the US Department of Education show that the number of US high school graduates will be reaching a plateau after 25 years of steady growth.
Note: Includes both public and private high school graduates.
Source: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2014). Digest of Education Statistics. Table Washington DC: NCES

6. Increases in Student Application Submission: 1990 to 2015 (First-Time Freshmen)
Over the past 25 years there has been a significant increase in the number of college applications first-time freshmen submit. Notably, 36% of first-time freshmen in 2015 submitted 7 or more applications compared to only 9% in 1990.
Source: Eagan, M.K., Stolzenberg, E.B., Ramirez, J.J., Aragon, M.C., Suchard, M.R., & Rios-Aguilar, C. (2016) The American Freshman: Fifty-Year Trends, Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA.

7. Growth in Applications Fall 2013 to Fall 2014
Percent Change
First-Time Freshmen 6%
Transfer Students 4%
International Students
23%
Between the Fall of 2013 and Fall of 2014 there was, on average, 6% growth in first-time freshmen applications; a 4% increase in transfer applications; and a 23% increase in applications from international students.
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

8. Applications per Admission Officer (First-Time Freshmen)
Mean
Type
Public
914
Private
411
Enrollment
Fewer than 3,000 students
316
3,000 to 9,999
661
10,000 or more
1,241
Selectivity
Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants
923
50 to 70 percent
593
71 to 85 percent
480
More than 85 percent
327
Public institutions, as well as highly selective colleges and those which enroll more than 10,000 students, reported the highest application to admission officer ratios.
Note: Both admission counselors and mid/senior level admission officials were included in the analyses.
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015.

9. College Application Fees (First-Time Freshmen)
Percentage
with Fees
Mean Fee
83.4%
$43.50
Type
Public
93.7
$43.40
Private
78.4
$43.55
Enrollment
Fewer than 3,000 students
78.2
$41.69
3,000 to 9,999
89.1
$43.74
10,000 or more
96.0
$49.36
Selectivity
Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants
87.4
$52.19
50 to 70 percent
80.5
$40.41
71 to 85 percent
86.1
$41.05
More than 85 percent
79.6
$39.76
The majority of colleges, approximately 83%, charge application fees. The average fee is $44.
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015.

10. Applications and Enrollment, by Selectivity: Fall 2014 (First-Time Freshmen)
Average Acceptance Rate for Four-Year Colleges: 65.8 percent
Selectivity
National share of institutions
Average number of applications
per institution
National share of applications
National share of full-time, freshmen undergraduates
Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants
19.7%
10,678
35.2%
19.8%
50 to 70 percent
36.0%
5,860
35.3%
36.8%
71 to 85 percent
28.9%
4,969
24.0%
32.4%
More than 85 percent
15.4%
2,129
5.5%
11.0%
Overall, the average acceptance to four-year institutions is 65.8%.
Despite highly selective institutions representing less than 20% of the postsecondary sector, they receive over 35% of all applications submitted.
Note: Of the 1,871 total institutions, 1,557 provided selectivity data for Fall 2014.
Source: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. ( ). Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Data Center. Washington, DC: NCES.

11. Average Selectivity Rates, by Prospective Student Group
Mean
TRANSFER
Average Number of Transfer Applications Received
1,379
Transfer Selectivity Rate
61.0%
Overall Freshman Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Transfer Students
65.3%
INTERNATIONAL
Average Number of International Applications Received
863
International Selectivity Rate
33.9%
Overall Freshman Selectivity Rate for Institutions with International Students
64.9%
The overall transfer acceptance rate (61%) is on par with the overall admit rate (65.8%) for first-time freshmen.
On average, the admission rate for international students (33.9%) is considerably less than the overall selectivity rate for all freshmen applicants (64.9%).
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

12. Recruitment and Yield Strategies

13. International Students
Percentage of Colleges Attributing “Considerable Importance” to Various Recruitment Strategies
Recruitment Strategy
First-Time
Freshmen
Transfer Students
International Students
Website
84.4%
81.9%
87.7%
82.7
77.3
79.0
Hosted Campus Visit
77.0
49.6
26.3
High School Counselor
60.8
13.8
35.3
High School Visit (Overseas for International Students)
10.0
4.0
23.8
Direct Mail
54.6
29.2
9.4
College Fairs
52.5
29.9
20.5
Social Media
38.2
26.6
30.7
Community Based Organizations
16.9
8.6
6.4
Test-Optional Policy
13.9
8.3
9.7
Alumni
12.5
10.7
Conditional/Provisional Admission Program
5.1
3.8
9.6
Top recruitment strategies for first-time freshmen, transfer, and international students overlap and include: advertising via the college website and connecting with prospective students via . For first-time freshmen and transfer students, colleges also rely on a hosted campus visit.
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015.

14. Percentage of Colleges Using Early Decision, Early Action, and Wait Lists
All Survey Respondents
20.8%
33.8%
38.5%
Type
Public
7.2
28.2
30.5
Private
28.6
37.2
43.1
Enrollment
Fewer than 3,000 students
27.3
29.9
37.1
3,000 to 9,999
22.1
36.6
40.9
10,000 or more
4.4
37.4
49.5
Selectivity
Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants
49.0
29.0
77.0
50 to 70 percent
20.3
35.6
37.9
71 to 85 percent
15.1
33.7
More than 85 percent
3.0
24.2
9.1
Yield
Enroll fewer than 30 percent of admitted students
25.1
40.8
44.4
30 to 45 percent
18.0
22.9
33.5
46 to 60 percent
17.9
32.1
More than 60 percent --
20.0
50.0
The majority of institutions surveyed neither have Early Decision and Early Application policies nor utilize wait lists. Very few public institutions offer an Early Decision plan.
Highly selective institutions were the most likely to offer these programs as well as to use wait lists.
Note: - = No institutions in category. Italicized figures should be interpreted with caution due to low sample size.
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015.

15. Key Statistics for Early Decision (ED) Colleges
Mean
Applications Received through Early Decision
6.1%
Early Decision Selectivity Rate
61.8%
Overall Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Early Decision Policies
51.4%
Early Decision Yield Rate
86.5%
Overall Yield Rate for Institutions with Early Decision Policies
26.2%
A very small portion of all applications submitted to colleges and universities –6.1%– are received through Early Decision plans. The overall acceptance rate among institutions with Early Decision policies is 51.4%.
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

16. Key Statistics for Early Action (EA) Colleges
Mean
Applications Received through Early Action
40.2%
Early Action Selectivity Rate
72.9%
Overall Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Early Action Policies
66.0%
Early Action Yield Rate
25.8%
Overall Yield Rate for Institutions with Early Action Policies
25.1%
The Early Action acceptance rate (72.9%) is slightly higher than the overall selectivity rate (66.0%) for institutions with this policy.
Approximately 40% of applications submitted were received through Early Action.
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

17. Mean Percentage of Students Admitted From a Wait List
These acceptance rates are based on the group of students who opt to remain on a wait list, which is only 41 percent, on average.
Mean Percentage
All Survey Respondents
31.9
Selectivity
Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants
12.3
50 to 70 percent
45.0
71 to 100 percent
58.6
Approximately 32% of students are admitted off a wait list. Unsurprisingly, the probability of being offered acceptance is greater from institutions with higher selectivity rates.
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2015

18. Factors in the Admission Decision

19. Considerable Importance
Percentage of Colleges Attributing Different Levels of Importance to Factors in the Admission Decision (First-Time Freshmen)
Considerable Importance
Moderate Importance
Limited Importance
No Importance
Grades in College Prep Courses
79.2
13.0
6.9
0.9
Grades in All Courses
60.3
31.0
8.7 --
Strength of Curriculum
60.2
26.8
10.0
3.0
Admission Test Scores (SAT, ACT)
55.7
32.5
7.9
3.9
Essay or Writing Sample
22.1
39.0
21.6
17.3
Counselor Recommendation
42.4
27.3
Student’s Demonstrated Interest
16.9
33.3
22.9
Teacher Recommendation
15.2
43.5
27.8
13.5
Class Rank
14.0
37.7
32.0
16.2
Subject Test Scores (AP, IB)
7.0
35.2
32.6
25.1
Portfolio
6.6
30.6
52.8
Extracurricular Activities
5.6
43.3
34.6
16.5
SAT II Scores
5.3
8.4
23.0
63.3
Interview
3.5
23.1
28.4
45.0
State Graduation Exam Scores
11.0
25.4
60.1
Work
21.3
44.8
33.0
The top four admission factors for first-time freshmen are: 1) Grades in College Prep Courses 2) Grades in All Courses 3) Strength of Curriculum 4) Admission Test Scores (SAT, ACT)
Note: -- = No institutions in category.
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2014.

20. Factors in the Admission Decision: Transfer and International
Overall GPA at prior postsecondary institutions
Grades in transferrable courses
International
English proficiency exam scores
Besides high school GPA and the strength of the high school curriculum, the overall GPA at the prior postsecondary institution and average grades in transferable courses were factors deemed of “considerable” importance in the admission decision for transfer students.
Approximately 85% of respondents considered English proficiency exam scores to be “considerably important” in the admission decision for international students.

21. More Information Read the Full Report
Contact NACAC’s Research Department