2020 College Acceptance Rates: The Latest Admissions Trends (2023)

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2020 College Acceptance Rates: The Latest Admissions Trends? ›

An analysis of enrollment data at 18 elite public universities by The Hill found an average admission rate of 31 percent in 2022, down from 47 percent in 2012 and 52 percent in 2002.

An analysis of enrollment data at 18 elite public universities by The Hill found an average admission rate of 31 percent in 2022, down from 47 percent in 2012 and 52 percent in 2002.

The average college acceptance rate in the United States is 68%, with more than half of all U.S. colleges and universities reporting rates of 67% or higher. In preparing a list of college acceptance rates, one should evaluate if the prospective institutions have an acceptance rate of around the average.

Applications to public institutions increased by 39%, and by 24% to private institutions.

Another 2023 college admissions trend is the continued importance of selecting colleges with early action and early decision options. Roughly 50% of applicants apply early, and colleges often fill a significant portion (50-60%) of their incoming class through early decision.

What is the Reason for the Decline? The primary reason for the decline in acceptance rates is because there has been a large increase in the number of applicants. The acceptance rate of a school is calculated by dividing the number of admitted students by the total number of applicants.

Colleges are Receiving More Applications Than Ever

Given that many colleges are not increasing their class sizes, or are doing so in a very limited capacity, this explosion in applications inevitably means that acceptance rates will drop, sometimes precipitously.

The first thing to acknowledge is that the hype and anxiety are not unfounded: it is, in fact, much more difficult to get into college than it was a generation ago. The number of college applicants has risen sharply, especially over the past ten years, and this trend does not appear to be letting up any time soon.

Between 2019 and 2020, about 24% of first-time, full-time undergraduate first-year students dropped out of college. In 2021, 31.6% of students who enrolled in 2015 were no longer enrolled six years later and had not received their degree.

Established in 1911 in southwestern Utah, Dixie State University features a 100% acceptance rate. The campus, which sits adjacent to the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, serves more than 11,000 students, about 60% of whom attend full time.

Is college enrollment declining? ›

From 2010 to 2021, undergraduate enrollment dropped by 15%, translating into about 2.6 million fewer students. About 58% of that decline occurred over the decade prior to the pandemic, with about 42% of the total enrollment decline occurring between fall 2019 and fall 2021.

America's college-going rate was generally on the upswing until the pandemic reversed decades of progress. Rates fell even as the nation's population of high school graduates grew, and despite economic upheaval, which typically drives more people into higher education.

Strong Job Markets, Weak Confidence in Degrees

The steepest decline in completion across degree types, the NSCRC report found, was among older or adult learners. Degree earners aged 25 and up dropped by 4.1 percent, compared with a 1 percent decline for 18- to 25-year-olds.

Admission rates for 2022-2023 have not been announced but are expected to remain just as low. Given this competitive environment, admission experts say students shouldn't assume they'll be a 'shoe-in' at any school.

But recently, the college admissions landscape has gotten more competitive: The number of submitted applications rose by 21.3% between 2019-2020 and 2021-2022, according to a March 2022 Common Application report, which included data from 853 member schools.

Harvard, Stanford and Princeton, unsurprisingly, are America's toughest colleges to get into in 2023, according to Niche's most recent rankings.

Nationwide, undergraduate college enrollment dropped 8% from 2019 to 2022, with declines even after returning to in-person classes, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse.

The 2020 pandemic continues to affect college applications in 2022, with an unprecedented increase in college applicants, a decrease in college acceptance rates, the rise of test-optional schools, and the elimination of SAT subject tests, among other factors.

51.04% of students drop out because they cannot pay for college (What to Become, 2021). Moreover, 55% of students struggle to financially support their education, which results in 79% of them delaying their graduation (ThinkImpact, 2021). $3.8 billion is consequently lost each year (ThinkImpact, 2021).

Why is college on a decline? ›

Part of the reason is that students on average are collectively taking fewer classes. In the last two years, students began taking . 4 fewer units a term. That may seem insignificant, but with more than 400,000 students, that fraction of a change means the equivalent of 8,000 fewer full-time students enrolled.

If you didn't get into any colleges you applied to, consider checking out schools with rolling admissions. Schools with rolling admissions typically have priority deadlines between November and February, but many schools can keep their applications open until spring or later.

Although junior year often holds the most challenging classes, it is not always the most difficult. Students are able to take what they have learned from their previous two years of schooling to better prepare themselves for the more strenuous classes.

College is more competitive.

But Jacoba Urist of The Atlantic says that there is truth and untruth to the myth of college admissions getting harder each year. "As it turns out, getting into college actually isn't any harder than it was a decade ago," she wrote.

Stanford University is one of the hardest colleges to get into in the US. Every year, thousands of hopeful students apply here, and a small handful gets in — as few as 4%. According to the university's website, it says their admissions team practises a holistic approach.

Computer science, unfortunately, is also the major with the highest dropout rate among undergraduate students — about 1 out of 10 computer science majors leave college before getting their degree.

First generation bachelor's degree-seekers have a dropout rate that is 23.5% higher than average. First generation students have a 92.2% higher dropout rate than students whose parents had bachelor's degrees or a higher level of education attainment.

Business Major

Business isn't just one of the easiest college majors — it's also the most popular major. You'll study core topics like accounting, management, and organizational behavior. You can specialize your skills with upper-level courses in logistics, training and development, or entrepreneurship.

The Princeton Review recently released its 2022 ranking of the best college dorms, based on student ratings of their dorms and residence halls. Taking the top spot is Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

What GPA do you need to get into Harvard? ›

The GPA requirements for Harvard University are between 3.9 to 4.1. You will need an incredibly high GPA and will likely be graduating at the top of their class in order to get into Harvard University.

The "enrollment cliff" refers to the dramatic drop in the college-age population beginning in 2025. Forecasting the number of college-age youths is a relatively simple task. Take the birthrate of a given year and fast forward 17 and 18 years — when most kids start college.

A recent survey of HR managers by Intelligent.com found that 53 percent of hiring managers have ditched the requirement for a bachelor's degree for some roles in the past year. And roughly a third of those dropped the requirement for senior-level positions.

COVID-19 has caused unprecedented drops in college enrollment numbers. Large enrollment declines are observed among underserved student populations. Data reveals that fewer low-income students have applied for financial aid this year. Experts worry these losses could spell trouble for future enrollment.

Based on these numbers, the college dropout success rate is only at around 6%. There is no guarantee of financial success if one chooses to leave school and pursue an interest that could possibly be translated into a scalable business.

The percentage of adults in the U. S. between the ages of 25 to 64 with college degrees, certificates, or industry-recognized certifications, has increased from 37.9% in 2009 to 53.7% in 2021, a gain of nearly 16 percentage points.

The evidence that a college degree significantly improves one's employment prospects and earnings potential is overwhelming. Bachelor's degree holders are half as likely to be unemployed as their peers who only have a high school degree and they make $1.2 million in additional earnings on average over their lifetime.

Roughly one-fifth of recent graduates, 21%, are working in jobs, either full or part-time, that aren't related to their major area of study.

And remember those critical skills employers are looking for? Having a degree demonstrates that you have those. Many employers are even willing to leave a job unfilled longer so they can fill it with the right degree-qualified candidate. Your future employer cares about your degree, and so should you!

Is it OK to still be in college at 23? ›

It is never too late to go to college or benefit from the advantages of a postsecondary degree.

Current figures estimate around 80% of four-year colleges won't require standardized tests for fall 2023 admissions, so the burning question remains: are SAT/ACT scores still important? The shorter answer is: yes. Just because scores are optional, it doesn't mean they aren't still important.

ACT / SAT Test scores

No matter which you take (colleges don't actually prefer SAT or ACT scores over the other) higher test scores will increase your acceptance odds. Not only that, but ACT / SAT scores can also qualify you for scholarships and certain forms of financial aid.

Colleges today are looking for students whose strengths and experiences will be an asset to their school. Good grades, a challenging high school curriculum, standardized test scores, extracurriculars, and a strong essay are a few key factors admissions officers assess.

Together, these factors–the increases in selectivity, the focus on rankings, the intensified stress on test scores, the lack of clarity around each school's enrollment priorities–has made the college admissions landscape feel treacherous, littered with obstacles to potentially thwart applicants' aspirations.

The first thing to acknowledge is that the hype and anxiety are not unfounded: it is, in fact, much more difficult to get into college than it was a generation ago. The number of college applicants has risen sharply, especially over the past ten years, and this trend does not appear to be letting up any time soon.

Admission rates for 2022-2023 have not been announced but are expected to remain just as low. Given this competitive environment, admission experts say students shouldn't assume they'll be a 'shoe-in' at any school.

Why is no one going to college anymore? ›

College enrollment has declined over the last decade. It comes amid higher education affordability issues and a surging student-debt crisis. Today's hot labor market and campus politics may also have contributed to the drop.

Bachelor's degree holders generally earn 75% more than those with just a high school diploma, according to “The College Payoff,” a report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce — and the higher the level of educational attainment, the larger the payoff.

A survey from the WSJ and the research organization NORC at the University of Chicago found that 56% of Americans say earning a four-year degree isn't worth the cost.

Some students fell behind academically and didn't feel prepared for college. Others lost access to counselors and teachers who help navigate college applications and the complicated process of applying for federal student aid. “Students feel like schools have let them down,” Campbell said.

There are a number of reasons for the increased competitiveness in college admission. Although the number of high school graduates in each state has either plateaued or decreased in recent years, there are more applicants because a larger percentage of graduates apply to four-year colleges.