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Insight Paper

College-Search Trends Across Space and Time: 2024 Edition

A deep dive into this year's inquiry, application, and enrollment patterns


Plotting an effective enrollment strategy for your institution depends on gaining a clear understanding of the key forces shaping higher education markets. Trends fluctuate, and what works for institutions in one region may not be effective for those in another. Understanding the dynamics within your specific context is paramount.

In this paper, we present updated research using the most recent data to delve deeper into trends among first-time undergraduates at four-year institutions, including:
  • The regional variation in the population of U.S. high school graduates from 2019 to 2029.
  • Application, enrollment, and inquiry trends broken down by institutional sector, size, and region.
  • The overlap between changes in demographics and the above-mentioned college-search trends, revealing that there’s more shaping enrollment outcomes than the number of prospective students in any given region.
  • Particularly dramatic changes in students' willingness to travel.
  • The shifting timeline of when prospective students are active in their college search.
Taken together, this report provides a multi-dimensional look at the primary forces EAB has found to be currently shaping enrollment.
Download the Insight Paper