When do students start the college planning process? How many plan to take the SAT or ACT? How much do they value a college degree? RNL and Halda surveyed more than 2,200 high school students to answer these and many other key questions. Read our 32-page college planning report and discover a wealth of findings on: (1) when students start to…

Parents and high school counselors play a tremendously influential role during a student's college search. But how has that support changed during the COVID-19 crisis? This white paper from RNL looks at new survey results of parents and counselors to show how the current crisis has altered their expectations and behaviors toward the college search…

Nearly 40 percent of college students are transfers. They approach the college search process much differently than traditional students, choosing a college much more quickly and often having a more focused and specific reason for choosing a new school. How can your campus meet their needs, engage more transfers, and increase your enrollment of…

What are the experiences, expectations, and challenges of college-bound high school students and their families regarding college financing? To answer that question, Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL), Ardeo Education, and PLEXUSS surveyed 1,250 high school students from the 11th and 12th grades about how they become interested in colleges and…

Nearly all parents and guardians of college-bound high school students are involved in the college search process. Most institutions understand this and would say they communicate with those families or provide information for them. However, is that information really reaching families? Is it accessible, comprehensible, and useful to them? Ruffalo…

High school students have been through profound changes and challenges in the last three years. The experiences of the pandemic, lockdowns, virtual classes, and economic and social disruptions have had tremendous--and possibly lasting--impacts on them. As they prepare to enroll in college, have those experiences changed how they search for…

This "2020 Perceptions of College Financing Report" provides insights that colleges and universities can use to engage students and families in conversations about cost. Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL), PLEXUSS, and RaiseMe sponsored this poll to identify the concerns high school students have about paying for college and the resources that…

Parents and guardians are the biggest influencers on enrollment for students. Nearly all are invested and involved in the college search process with their students. But are colleges and universities really engaging them? Are they communicating the right information, with the right frequency, across the right channels? Are they helping families…

The pandemic period of the past two years has altered many aspects of the high school and college experience for students. With more emphasis on hybrid and virtual experiences, how has this impacted the college search process for high school students? What do they value, what do they need to know, and what information have they seen? Ruffalo Noel…

Digital engagement is the most important strategy for engaging Generation Z, but what are the right solutions and strategies to maximize engagement with this crucial target market? Which approaches align with the expectations of the students colleges are trying to reach? And more importantly, how can a college make its institution's unique brand…

An initial measure of success for any higher education enrollment or marketing effort is engagement. And, while students and parents may be engaged with several prospective schools, stronger engagement with your institution may affect their final choice. With the value of engagement in mind, the "2017 E-Expectations Trend Report"…

This "2016 E-Expectations Trend Report" examines the differences in how college-bound students used the digital tools at their disposal from the spring of their junior year to the fall and spring of their senior year. This report contains results from three web surveys: (1) May 2015 survey: 1,526 class of 2016 juniors (spring juniors);…

The "2018 E-Expectations Trend Report" provides institutions with insights from high school juniors and seniors so institutions can engage and inform them wherever they interact with an institution online. This report answers key questions such as: (1) How do students rank admissions resources institutions provide, from most valuable to…

This national report reflects the current state of college student satisfaction at four-year institutions, two-year public colleges, and career and private institutions. It examines the satisfaction and priorities of more than 578,000 college students across the United States. The report details what students identified as their biggest issues…

Adult students (age 25 and older) make up almost 40 percent of the national undergraduate population. Since they are often balancing their college experience with work, family, and other responsibilities, adult students may have different priorities and challenges. What can campuses do to serve these students better and help more of them succeed?…