Whether rebounding from a sluggish 2022 or rivaling pre-pandemic enrollment numbers, colleges and universities embraced a variety of initiatives to win new students and maintain a healthy cohort.
National Student Clearinghouse found first-year students have a 67.2% retention rate, besting pre-pandemic averages. NSCRC defines retention as students who remain at a given institution for their second year instead of transferring, which counts toward persistence.
As big-brand universities struggle to retain talented admissions officers and identify who they'll let in and who they'll turn away, small schools are grasping for straws.
