1. State of College Admission
2017 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
Fall 2016 Admission Trends Survey
Surveyed admission and institutional research offices at 1,383 four-year colleges
Received 604 partial and complete responses
Counseling Trends Survey
Surveyed NACAC member secondary schools plus random sample of all public high schools (11,139 total)
2,266 usable responses

4. College Applications

5. Number of High School Graduates: Actual and Projected, 1990 to 2027
Note: Includes both public and private high school graduates.
Source: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2017). Digest of Education Statistics. Table Washington DC: NCES

6. Increases in Student Application Submission: 1990 to 2016 (First-Time Freshmen)
Source: Eagan, K., Stolzenberg, E.B., Zimmerman, H.B., Aragon, M.C., Sayson, H.W., & Rios-Aguilar, Rios. (2017). The American Freshman: National Norms Fall Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA.
Eagan, M.K., Stolzenberg, E.B., Ramirez, J.J., Aragon, M.C., Suchard, M.R., and Rios-Aguilar, C. (2016). The American Freshman: Fifty-Year Trends, Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA.

7. Growth in Applications Fall 2015 to Fall 2016
Percent Change
First-Time Freshmen 7%
Transfer Students 1%
International Students
13%
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, 2016

8. College Application Fees (First-Time Freshmen)
Percentage
with Fees
Mean Fee
78.5%
$47.62
Type
Public
96.2
$48.24
Private
66.7
$47.03
Enrollment
Fewer than 3,000 students
65.2
$41.64
3,000 to 9,999
90.4
$50.13
10,000 or more
95.6
$56.23
Selectivity
Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants
90.7
$58.75
50 to 70 percent
70.8
$45.45
71 to 85 percent
82.1
$45.25
More than 85 percent
78.4
$40.50
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2016

9. Applications and Enrollment, by Selectivity: Fall 2015 (First-Time Freshmen)
Average Acceptance Rate for Four-Year Colleges: 66.1 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
19.2%
11,924
36.7%
21.5%
50 to 70 percent
35.9%
5,772
33.3%
34.7%
71 to 85 percent
28.7%
5,032
23.2%
31.1%
More than 85 percent
16.3%
2,589
6.8%
12.8%
Source: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. ( ). Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Data Center. Washington, DC: NCES. [Includes Title-IV participating, four-year public and private not-for-profit, degree-granting (primarily baccalaureate) institutions in the US that enroll first-time freshman and are not open admission.]

10. Key Statistics for Transfer and International Applicants
Mean
TRANSFER
Transfer Selectivity Rate
62.1%
Freshman Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Transfer Students
66.0%
Transfer Yield Rate
65.2%
Freshman Yield Rate for Institutions with Transfer Students
27.6%
INTERNATIONAL
International Selectivity Rate
54.5%
Freshman Selectivity Rate for Institutions with International Students
66.3%
International Yield Rate
31.7%
Overall Freshman Yield Rate for Institutions with International Students
27.7%
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2016

11. Recruitment and Yield Strategies

12. Percentage of Colleges Using Early Decision, Early Action, and Wait Lists
All Survey Respondents
20.3%
34.0%
39.1%
Type
Public
5.1
26.1
30.8
Private
30.4
39.3
44.7
Enrollment
Fewer than 3,000 students
25.1
31.5
33.3
3,000 to 9,999
20.8
39.0
44.4
10,000 or more
5.9
33.8
48.5
Selectivity
Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants
49.3
29.3
72.0
50 to 70 percent
21.6
38.4
39.6
71 to 85 percent
9.8
30.1
More than 85 percent
0.0
19.1
12.0
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2016

13. Key Statistics for Early Decision (ED) Colleges
Mean
Applications Received through Early Decision
5.8%
Early Decision Selectivity Rate
59.5%
Overall Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Early Decision Policies
47.9%
Early Decision Yield Rate
86.6%
Overall Yield Rate for Institutions with Early Decision Policies
25.2%
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2016

14. Key Statistics for Early Action (EA) Colleges
Mean
Applications Received through Early Action
43.2%
Early Action Selectivity Rate
71.1%
Overall Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Early Action Policies
65.2%
Early Action Yield Rate
24.8%
Overall Yield Rate for Institutions with Early Action Policies
23.3%
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2016

15. 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 was only 48 percent, on average.
Mean Percentage
All Survey Respondents
31.9
Selectivity
Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants
14.1
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2016

16. Factors in the Admission Decision

17. Percentage of Colleges Rating As: Considerably Important
Importance of Various Factors in the Admission Decision: First-Time Freshmen
Percentage of Colleges Rating As:
Considerably Important
Moderately Important
Limited Importance
Not Important
Grades in College Prep Courses
76.9%
12.5%
9.3%
1.4%
Grades in All Courses
77.1
13.8
6.4
2.8
Strength of Curriculum
51.8
35.3
7.3
5.5
Admission Test Scores (SAT, ACT)
54.3
27.9
13.7
4.1
Essay or Writing Sample
18.9
35.9
22.1
23.0
Counselor Recommendation
14.6
46.0
25.8
13.6
Student’s Demonstrated Interest
25.5
32.1
28.8
Teacher Recommendation
10.9
46.4
28.0
14.7
Class Rank
9.2
24.0
34.6
32.3
Subject Test Scores (AP, IB)
6.9
30.6
31.9
Portfolio
6.2
5.7
27.6
60.5
Extracurricular Activities
7.9
36.0
36.9
19.2
SAT II Scores
2.4
6.1
21.2
70.3
Interview
4.7
17.4
State Graduation Exam Scores
1.9
7.6
21.9
68.6
Work
15.6
47.4
34.1
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2016

18. Top Factors in the Admission Decision: Transfer and International
Overall GPA at prior postsecondary institutions
Grades in transferrable courses
International
English proficiency exam scores

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