Anonymous
03/14/2026 15:33
Subject: “Demographic Cliff” college admissions?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:https://hechingerreport.org/a-trend-colleges-might-not-want-applicants-to-notice-its-becoming-easier-to-get-in/
List of schools where admissions rates has INCREASED
That's a small list, but interestingly there is no common denominator in terms of size, location, public/private, national or regional.
The list was just a randomly selected sample of colleges with in higher acceptance rates
Anonymous
03/14/2026 15:27
Subject: “Demographic Cliff” college admissions?
Anonymous wrote:That list shows that Elon and Minnesota became substantially easier to get into.
Thoughts on how the Elon merger with the nearby school will affect Elon moving forward?
Wasn't Elon always easy to get into?
Anonymous
03/14/2026 15:17
Subject: “Demographic Cliff” college admissions?
That list shows that Elon and Minnesota became substantially easier to get into.
Thoughts on how the Elon merger with the nearby school will affect Elon moving forward?
Thoughts on how the Elon merger with the nearby school will affect Elon moving forward?
Anonymous
03/14/2026 15:09
Subject: “Demographic Cliff” college admissions?
Anonymous wrote:https://hechingerreport.org/a-trend-colleges-might-not-want-applicants-to-notice-its-becoming-easier-to-get-in/
List of schools where admissions rates has INCREASED
That's a small list, but interestingly there is no common denominator in terms of size, location, public/private, national or regional.
Anonymous
03/14/2026 15:07
Subject: “Demographic Cliff” college admissions?
Anonymous wrote:Smaller colleges with only a local/regional reputation are at higher risk of closure than larger, better known colleges.
Also, colleges in more rapidly depopulating rural areas are at higher risk of closure, especially if there is no airport with mainline commercial airline service within 60-90 minutes drive.
If the trend towards more STEM applicants continues, then colleges focused on arts & humanities that lack strong STEM might have higher risk.
Labs for natural sciences (e.g., Physics, Chemistry, Biology) cost more to build -- and to maintain -- than simple classrooms with tables and chairs. Also, natural science faculty might need to be paid more, because their non-academic job options might pay better.
The local/regional colleges serve a local niche that won't go away. They are generally more affordable and cost less to attend because students can commute if they want to. Those students are not suddenly going to board at the flagship or fly to a private university across the country instead.
Anonymous
03/14/2026 15:04
Subject: “Demographic Cliff” college admissions?
https://hechingerreport.org/a-trend-colleges-might-not-want-applicants-to-notice-its-becoming-easier-to-get-in/
List of schools where admissions rates has INCREASED
List of schools where admissions rates has INCREASED
Anonymous
03/14/2026 15:04
Subject: “Demographic Cliff” college admissions?
There are over 4000 colleges in the U.S. The cliff isn't quite that big.
Anonymous
03/14/2026 14:52
Subject: “Demographic Cliff” college admissions?
Fordham, MI State both considerably easier
Anonymous
03/14/2026 14:51
Subject: “Demographic Cliff” college admissions?
Smaller colleges with only a local/regional reputation are at higher risk of closure than larger, better known colleges.
Also, colleges in more rapidly depopulating rural areas are at higher risk of closure, especially if there is no airport with mainline commercial airline service within 60-90 minutes drive.
If the trend towards more STEM applicants continues, then colleges focused on arts & humanities that lack strong STEM might have higher risk.
Labs for natural sciences (e.g., Physics, Chemistry, Biology) cost more to build -- and to maintain -- than simple classrooms with tables and chairs. Also, natural science faculty might need to be paid more, because their non-academic job options might pay better.
Also, colleges in more rapidly depopulating rural areas are at higher risk of closure, especially if there is no airport with mainline commercial airline service within 60-90 minutes drive.
If the trend towards more STEM applicants continues, then colleges focused on arts & humanities that lack strong STEM might have higher risk.
Labs for natural sciences (e.g., Physics, Chemistry, Biology) cost more to build -- and to maintain -- than simple classrooms with tables and chairs. Also, natural science faculty might need to be paid more, because their non-academic job options might pay better.
Anonymous
03/14/2026 14:42
Subject: “Demographic Cliff” college admissions?
I looked at the US News list. #97 is UC Boulder and #102 is Auburn. At this level, colleges are still very good and in high demand. That's not going to change.
Demographic problems will be happening at colleges much, much further down the list - small liberal arts colleges and some of the smaller regional public colleges, especially in the low population states.
The top 40 privates and the top 100 publics will only get more competitive in the years ahead even with demographic changes.
Demographic problems will be happening at colleges much, much further down the list - small liberal arts colleges and some of the smaller regional public colleges, especially in the low population states.
The top 40 privates and the top 100 publics will only get more competitive in the years ahead even with demographic changes.
Anonymous
03/14/2026 14:35
Subject: “Demographic Cliff” college admissions?
As soon as every kid stops applying to 20 schools on common app, it will immediately become much much easier. But that wouldn’t happen.
Anonymous
03/14/2026 14:32
Subject: “Demographic Cliff” college admissions?
It would be better to ask about specific institutions that might be affected more by local demographic trends.
What is expected is more applications to robust institutions that have no risk of closing. Top 100 counts here.
Also, if you look at the long-term cohort size, the cliff effect looks more like reversion to the cohort size of a few decades ago. It's not a very big cliff considering a lot of the top universities are 100+ years old and have very low acceptance rates compared to when Gen-X went to college.
What is expected is more applications to robust institutions that have no risk of closing. Top 100 counts here.
Also, if you look at the long-term cohort size, the cliff effect looks more like reversion to the cohort size of a few decades ago. It's not a very big cliff considering a lot of the top universities are 100+ years old and have very low acceptance rates compared to when Gen-X went to college.
Anonymous
03/14/2026 14:28
Subject: Re:“Demographic Cliff” college admissions?
No. Not any time soon.
Anonymous
03/14/2026 14:28
Subject: “Demographic Cliff” college admissions?
Think small regional schools at risk of closing - probably on your kid’s list
Anonymous
03/14/2026 14:27
Subject: “Demographic Cliff” college admissions?
Are any colleges in the general top 100 actually
becoming (or will become) easier to get into ?
becoming (or will become) easier to get into ?