When the time comes to apply to college, students seem to be sending out applications to a variety of schools and casting a wider net. But what drives the decision making behind enrollment?
To better understand this, Spark451, a Jenzabar company, conducted its latest annual survey to pinpoint the driving factors for graduating high school seniors as they undergo the college selection process. More than 4,000 high school students from across the United States responded to the company’s class of 2026 College Bound Survey. The survey touches on a wide variety of informative topics such as students’ social media habits, marketing preferences, reflections on the college search process, and the major factors influencing their enrollment decisions. Findings also show how Covid19 impacted students’ enrollment decisions as the field enters its third academic year following the pandemic.
Fierce Education recently reported on the implications of students’ social media and communication preferences for higher education admissions marketing teams based on the data from Spark451’s 2026 College Bound Survey. This article highlight the key findings of the report in regards to the primary drivers for students’ application and enrollment decisions.
Application Considerations & Preferences
- 33% of students applied to 10 or more schools.
- More than half (53%) of students were motivated to apply to certain schools because they received application fee waivers.
- 40% of students said that a school’s test-optional status influenced their application decisions
The results of the survey show that over one-third of students applied to 10 or more schools, casting a wider net and opening up more options for consideration. The findings suggest that cost-saving incentives, such as application fee waivers and implementing test-optional policies, play key roles in influencing students’ decisions to apply to specific schools.
Enrollment Decision Drivers
- 71% of students reported visiting campus before making an enrollment deposit and 97% of students who visited campus were in-person visits.
- 27% of students knew they’d found the right school upon their first visit and over 40% reported they made their decision after comparing with other schools.
- Respondents ranked Cost and Quality of Education the top two most important factors in making an enrollment decision .
- Students reported family as the most influential when making their enrollment decision.
Similar to previous survey results, the college-bound class of 2026 is most concerned with academic quality and cost when it comes time to choose an academic program. When narrowing down their choice, nearly two-thirds of survey respondents indicated that scholarship offers helped them make their decision. As with previous survey results, family members were also credited with having the most influence over students’ ultimate enrollment decisions.
Additionally, roughly two-thirds of students said that attending an admissions event (virtually or in person) had a profound impact on their enrollment decisions, with nearly 25% of students claiming they knew they found the right college after their first visit. These results indicate that higher education institutions should focus on engaging students and their families through compelling campus visits and other events.
The Covid Factor
- 25% of college-bound students said COVID-19 motivated them to choose a college closer to home
- 45% of students said COVID-19 did not affect their college decision
- 40% of students said “test optional” affected their decision to apply to a college
- 96% of students visited campus in person and not virtually
- 7% were not attending college and indicated taking a gap year, joining the workforce or military
Even though variants of the Covid19 virus are still at play, life for the class of 2026 has more or less returned to normal. A portion of the survey was dedicated to see if students preferred in-person school visits or virtual events and visits. Ninety-six percent of the students surveyed reported visiting prospective colleges in person, and over three quarters of the respondents said they prefer in-person college fairs as opposed to virtual events. Additionally, 86% of the students reported that they planned to take classes in person.
The Covid19 pandemic also prompted colleges to adopt SAT/ACT optional admissions requirements, which became a highly debated topic across the country. As of the end of 2021, approximately 80% of higher education institutions were test-optional. For Fall 2023, the number of test-optional institutions is trending even higher still. There has been a 30% decrease in students taking the SAT this past year (as compared to the previous) and a 21% decrease in ACT. However, only 5% of students indicated they did not take any standardized tests, and nearly 60% took a standardized test and sent their scores to a college. Monitoring these numbers over the next year will speak volumes to the future of standardized testing.
Many factors are at play when students make their application and enrollment decisions. Better understanding what influences these decisions will help higher education professionals engage with prospective students. Data from survey results such as provided by the 2026 College Bound Survey can help higher education institutions usher in their newest campus members.
“Jenzabar, and its Spark451 division, is made up of a group of highly experienced, dedicated individuals who are focused on fueling the futures of colleges and students, each to become their own masterpiece,” said Steve Kerge, Co-Founder of Spark451 and Vice President of Enrollment Marketing at Jenzabar. “Our knowledge of the landscape and commitment to continually conduct or sponsor original research for higher ed enrollment is unparalleled.”
For Part 1 from the survey, see: