The number of college applicants through March 1, 2024, has seen a 6% increase compared to the same period last year, as reported by [ppp0]. This data pertains to applications for fall 2024 admissions to four-year institutions.
By March 1, a total of 1,313,763 unique first-year applicants had submitted applications to 834 institutions through the Common App, reflecting a growth of over 70,000 applicants from the previous year.
The overall number of applications by March 1 has risen by 7%, from 7,041,256 in the previous year to 7,541,148 this year. In the 2023-24 cycle, applicants were applying to slightly more institutions compared to the 2022-23 cycle, with an increase of 1% from 5.66 to 5.74 applications per applicant.
This year’s surge in applications continues the upward trend compared to the 2019-20 cycle, which was unaffected by the Covid-19 pandemic. In comparison to 2019-20, there has been a notable increase of over 285,000 applicants to four-year colleges this year, marking a 28% rise.
Characteristics of Applicants
This admission cycle is significant as it is the first since the prohibition of race-conscious admissions, sparking interest in demographic trends in applicant behavior.
Underrepresented minority (URM) applicants, defined by the Common App as Black or African American, Latinx, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, have increased by 10%, which is five times the rate of non-URM applicants.
Among the two largest URM groups, Black applicants saw a 9% increase, while Latinx applicants experienced a 10% rise. In contrast, the number of white applicants only grew by 1%.
Applicants from families residing in below-median-income ZIP codes exhibited a 10% growth, surpassing the 3% increase seen among their counterparts from above-median-income ZIP codes.
The number of students eligible for a Common App fee waiver surged by more than six times the rate of those not eligible (13% vs. 2%).
First-generation college applicants increased by 4%, while applicants who were not first-gen saw a 7% rise.
The growth in international applicants (13%) notably outpaced that of domestic applicants (5%), with significant increases observed among applicants from Ghana (93%), Afghanistan (61%), Mongolia (57%), and Uzbekistan (43%).
Regional Disparities
While all U.S. regions experienced a rise in applicants, the Southwestern states recorded the highest growth rate at 17%, surpassing other regions. In contrast, the New England states saw the smallest increase at 1%.
Institutional Variances
Applications to public school members using the Common App grew by 10%, twice the rate of applications to private members (5%) from the previous year.
The level of selectivity in admissions influenced the application rate. Institutions with admit rates below 25% saw a 3% growth, whereas less selective institutions with admit rates greater than or equal to 75% experienced a 10% increase.
Standardized Testing Trends
In the 2019-20 application cycle, 55% of Common App members required standardized test scores. However, this requirement dropped significantly to 5% in 2021-22, and further decreased to 4% in 2023-24.
While 76% of applicants submitted a test score in 2019-20, only 45% did so in the current cycle. The gap between applicants reporting and not reporting a test score has been widening, with more students opting not to report. This cycle saw a 9% increase in applicants not reporting a test score, compared to a 1% increase in those who did.
The divergence in reporting test scores bears monitoring in future cycles, especially with the trend of selective institutions reinstating standardized test requirements for admission.
Implications
The notable 6% increase in applicants at this stage of the admissions cycle suggests a potentially sustained growth for another year. However, challenges such as colleges not participating in the Common App, issues with financial aid offers, and the exclusion of applications to community colleges could counteract this positive trend.