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In a recent article featured in Enrollment Management Report, we came across several interesting higher education predictions for 2018 from author and higher education administrator of more than forty years, Marguerite J. Dennis. Some of her predictions anticipate accelerations in well-known trends, while others expect new changes to traditional practices.
Here are some of her predictions for 2018:
Several small colleges will close.
Many colleges with enrollments of fewer than 1,500 students may find it very difficult to meet their enrollment goals moving forward.
Mergers will increase.
As state funding continues to decline, the merging of administrative and faculty functions may increase, especially at community colleges. In addition, more public and private four-year institutions may seek to purchase smaller, struggling schools.
Online enrollment will continue to increase.
According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, there are 13 million online students worldwide. This is only going to increase as technology and innovative educational models join forces. For example, IBM, Apple, and Google are actively collaborating with colleges and universities to offer higher education courses to future students. In addition, online enrollment has proven an effective strategy for growing institutions’ overall enrollment numbers.
International student recruitment practices will change.
The majority of colleges and universities experienced a decline in the number of international students in the fall 2017 term, and this decrease is expected to continue. Institution’s international deans and recruiters should explore different sources for recruiting future international students. Expect collaborations and articulation agreements to increase among two-year and four-year schools.
As evidenced by these predictions, it’s clear that higher education continues to evolve. Economic, political, and technological trends are demanding institutions’ enrollment managers, deans of admission, and chief financial officers adjust their strategies meet future enrollment and financial goals. This is no small task. Read the full article from Enrollment Management Report to learn how several institutions have prepared for these trends.
For more higher education forecasts and strategies, visit our Resources page.
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