College Search Trends Across Space and Time: 2025 Edition
A deep dive into this year's inquiry, application, and enrollment patterns
Plotting an effective enrollment strategy today requires more than tracking national averages—it demands a nuanced understanding of how demographic shifts, student preferences, and market dynamics are reshaping higher education across regions and school segments.
In this paper, we present updated research with the most recent data on first-time undergraduates at four-year institutions. Among the findings:
- Students are inquiring earlier. The classes of 2024 and 2025 reversed the pandemic-era trend of delayed searches, with many students initiating inquiries months sooner than before.
- Students are casting wider nets. Out-of-state inquiry distances have stretched farther than ever, with large public schools now drawing nearly as widely as large private ones.
- Application growth remains essential. Institutions needed roughly 20% more applications over five years just to secure 3% enrollment growth.
- Southern markets are surging. Schools across the Southeast and Southwest continue to post the strongest enrollment and inquiry growth, while those in the Midwest and Northeast are just catching up to pre-pandemic levels.
Download our paper to explore the interplay of various factors influencing these trends in student inquiries, applications, enrollment, and migration. The resulting insights will guide you in positioning your institution’s performance within an array of outcomes, providing an essential foundation for crafting an effective enrollment strategy.
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