Only 34 percent of colleges met new student enrollment targets this year by May 1, the traditional date by which most institutions hope to have a class set.
That is a key finding of the 2017 Survey of College and University Admissions Directors, released today by Inside Higher Ed, in collaboration with Gallup.
The 34 percent figure is down from 37 percent a year ago and 42 percent two years ago.
For colleges, public and private, failing to hit that target can be anything from an annoyance to an existential crisis. All but a few elite private colleges are dependent on tuition, and most public colleges are as well (both through tuition and state funds that tend to be distributed based on enrollment.)
Read more at Inside Higher Ed: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/survey/2017-survey-admissions-directors-pressure-all-around