1. State of College Admission
2018 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 Admission Trends Survey
Surveyed admission and institutional research offices at 1,266 four-year colleges
Received 493 partial and complete responses
Counseling Trends Survey
Surveyed 16,252 secondary schools ending in grade 12
Received 2,251 responses

4. College Applications

5. Number of High School Graduates: Actual and Projected, 1991 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 2016 to Fall 2017
Percent Change
First-Time Freshmen 4%
Transfer Students 3%
International Students 8%
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey,

8. College Application Fees (First-Time Freshmen)
94 percent of colleges with applications fees
will waive the fee for students with financial need.
Percentage
with Fees
Mean Fee
73.4
$49.57
Type
Public
93.8
$49.88
Private
61.2
$49.29
Enrollment
Fewer than 3,000 students
58.2
$44.51
3,000 to 9,999
89.1
$50.10
10,000 or more
91.7
$57.45
Selectivity
Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants
84.3
$60.59
50 to 70 percent
71.4
$46.47
71 to 85 percent
68.7
$45.24
More than 85 percent
76.9
$40.17
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey,

9. Applications and Enrollment, by Selectivity: Fall 2016 (First-Time Freshmen)
Average Acceptance Rate for Four-Year Colleges: 65.4 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
19.5%
11,969
36.0%
20.9%
50 to 70 percent
36.6%
5,936
33.4%
35.6%
71 to 85 percent
27.7%
5,648
24.1%
32.0%
More than 85 percent
16.2%
2,635
6.6%
11.5%
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
61.7%
Freshman Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Transfer Students
64.7%
Transfer Yield Rate
53.5%
Freshman Yield Rate for Institutions with Transfer Students
27.7%
INTERNATIONAL
International Selectivity Rate
51.7%
Freshman Selectivity Rate for Institutions with International Students
64.5%
International Yield Rate
30.4%
Overall Freshman Yield Rate for Institutions with International Students
27.8%
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey,

11. Recruitment and Yield Strategies

12. Percentage of Colleges Using Early Decision, Early Action, and Wait Lists
All Survey Respondents
21.2%
35.9%
39.5%
Type
Public
5.6
28.4
33.0
Private
30.4
40.3
43.3
Selectivity
Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants
52.3
32.6
75.3
50 to 70 percent
18.9
40.8
37.6
71 to 85 percent
11.3
36.0
37.0
More than 85 percent
9.3
24.4
18.6
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey,

13. Key Statistics for Early Decision (ED) Colleges
Mean
Applications Received through Early Decision
4.7%
Early Decision Selectivity Rate
62.3%
Overall Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Early Decision Policies
50.7%
Early Decision Yield Rate
87.9%
Overall Yield Rate for Institutions with Early Decision Policies
25.8%
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey,

14. Key Statistics for Early Action (EA) Colleges
Mean
Applications Received through Early Action
43.2%
Early Action Selectivity Rate
73.6%
Overall Selectivity Rate for Institutions with Early Action Policies
64.1%
Early Action Yield Rate
22.1%
Overall Yield Rate for Institutions with Early Action Policies
23.2%
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey,

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—50 percent of waitlisted students, on average.
Mean Percentage
All Survey Respondents
24.7
Selective Colleges and Universities
Accept fewer than 50 percent of applicants
14.0
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey,

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 All Courses
80.9%
10.4
5.8
2.9
Grades in College Prep Courses
70.8
17.5
8.8
Strength of Curriculum
52.3
30.8
14.5
2.3
Admission Test Scores (SAT, ACT)
51.2
29.4
12.9
6.5
Essay or Writing Sample
16.7
36.9
20.8
25.6
Counselor Recommendation
10.8
46.1
28.7
14.4
Student’s Demonstrated Interest
15.5
21.4
34.5
28.6
Teacher Recommendation
7.1
46.4
29.2
17.3
Class Rank
9.3
27.9
36.0
26.7
Subject Test Scores (AP, IB)
3.6
34.9
40.8
20.7
Portfolio
4.2
28.9
28.3
38.6
Extracurricular Activities
5.4
7.2
27.5
59.9
SAT II Scores
14.3
53.0
Interview
1.8
17.8
41.4
39.1
State Graduation Exam Scores
6.6
3.0
19.9
70.5
Work
8.3
17.9
72.0
Source: NACAC Admission Trends Survey,

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