Editor’s note: This story is part of a series examining the aspects of recruitment, enrollment, and retention on U.S. campuses.
Key points:
- Institutions will soon be faced with steep declines in college-going students
- Ensuring flexible learning options and focusing on retention are valuable strategies to meet this challenge
- See related article: Student retention is the critical element for the nation’s success
Higher-ed analysts, institution leaders, and college and university stakeholders are looking to 2025 with nervous anticipation as the higher-ed industry is predicted to experience a steep enrollment drop, resulting in a massive enrollment cliff.
This forecasted 15 percent drop is due in part to fewer children who will reach college age thanks to a lower birth rate during the Great Recession of 2008-2009, along with a decline in high school graduates and more students opting to pursue non-degree training pathways.
Here are a handful of insights into how that enrollment cliff will impact higher education:
1. In 2025 and for the following four years, the number of 18-year-olds will decrease by 15 percent, according to an analysis by BestColleges. That’s more than half a million lost students–approximately 576,000 students, in fact. During COVID, undergrad enrollment dropped by 7 percent. Enrollments have been on a decline since 2012.
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