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Trends in College Admission 2000:
A Report of a National Survey of
Undergraduate Admission Policies, Practices,
and Procedures
Sponsored by:
ACT, Inc.
Association for Institutional Research
The College Board
Educational Testing Service
National Association for College Admission Counseling
March 2002
Trends in
College
Admission 2000
A Report of a Survey of
Undergraduate Admissions
Policies, Practices, and Procedures
By
Hunter Breland
James Maxey
Renee Gernand
Tammie Cumming
Catherine Trapani
Copyright Page
v
Contents
Foreword
................................................................................................................................... vii
Acknowledgments
................................................................................................................... viii
Survey Steering Committee
................................................................................................... viii
Sponsoring Organizations
........................................................................................................ ix
Highlights
.................................................................................................................................... x
List of Figure
........................................................................................................................... xiii
List of Tables
........................................................................................................................... xiv
1.
Introduction
...........................................................................................................................1
The 1979 Survey .....................................................................................................................1
The 1985 Survey .....................................................................................................................4
The 1992 Survey .....................................................................................................................5
The 2000 Survey .....................................................................................................................6
Analytical Approaches............................................................................................................8
Respondents ............................................................................................................................8
Racial/Ethnic Identification ..................................................................................................10
2.
Selectivity in Admissions
....................................................................................................13
General Admissions Practices...............................................................................................13
Admissions Standards Viewed Retrospectively ...................................................................16
Admissions Standards as Indicated by Acceptance Rates ....................................................18
Selectivity Categories ...........................................................................................................21
Application Rates..................................................................................................................24
3.
Admissions Policies, Practices, and Procedures at Two- and Four-Year
Institutions
...........................................................................................................................27
Locus of Responsibility for Admissions Guidelines and Policies ........................................27
Broad Guidelines ..................................................................................................................27
Specific Policies....................................................................................................................30
Organization, Administration, and Staffing of Admissions Offices.....................................30
Criteria for Certificate or Degree Candidacy at Two-Year Institutions ...............................34
New Approaches to Admissions...........................................................................................35
Information Provided to Prospective Students .....................................................................38
Institutional Research on the Admission Process .................................................................39
Policies on Out-of-District or Out-of-State Students............................................................39
Campus Support Services for Students Needing Assistance ...............................................43
Diagnostic and Placement Tests and Developmental Programs at Two-Year Colleges ......46
4.
Admissions Policies, Practices, and Procedures at Four-Year Institutions
...................53
High School Course Requirements .......................................................................................53
Minimum Standards for Admission......................................................................................58
Use of Admissions Test Scores.............................................................................................60
Exceptions to Formal Academic Requirements....................................................................63
Importance of Various Factors in Admissions Decisions.....................................................63
The Role of Personal Qualities in Admissions Decisions ....................................................71
Use of Multiple SAT and ACT Scores .................................................................................73
Trends in the Academic Qualifications of Students .............................................................73
vi
5.
Enrollment
...........................................................................................................................80
First-Time, First-Year Student Enrollment...........................................................................80
First-Time, First-Year Student Enrollment at Responding Institutions................................82
Trends in Application and Yield Rates .................................................................................86
6. Recruitment, Marketing, and Financial Aid
...................................................................92
Overview of Recruitment Practices ......................................................................................92
Direct Mail Services ...........................................................................................................100
Special Recruiting Activities ..............................................................................................100
Recruiting Practices at Two-Year Institutions....................................................................109
Transfer Policies and Practices at Two-Year Institutions...................................................111
Market Research .................................................................................................................111
Enrollment Planning Objectives and Trends at Four-Year Institutions..............................113
Relationships Between Financial Aid and Admissions Decisions .....................................115
Financial Aid Offered to Accepted Applicants...................................................................118
Influence of Cost on College Choice .................................................................................120
Changes Over Time in No-Need Awards ...........................................................................123
Financial Need of First-Time, First-Year Students.............................................................123
7.
Summary and Conclusions
..............................................................................................128
Enrollment...........................................................................................................................128
Recruitment.........................................................................................................................130
Market Research .................................................................................................................132
Financial Aid.......................................................................................................................132
Admissions Standards.........................................................................................................133
Admissions Policy and Practices ........................................................................................135
Admissions Factors .............................................................................................................136
Equity..................................................................................................................................138
The Future of College Admissions .....................................................................................140
References
................................................................................................................................142
Appendixes
..............................................................................................................................145
A.
Questionnaire for Two-Year Institutions - National Survey of Undergraduate
Admission Policies, Practices, and Procedures.............................................................145
B.
Questionnaire for Four-Year Institutions - National Survey of Undergraduate
Admission Policies, Practices, and Procedures.............................................................159
C. Survey Communications ...............................................................................................175
D. Technical Notes ............................................................................................................177
vii
Foreword
“Trends in College Admission 2000” is the fourth in a series of nationwide studies, beginning in
1979, examining the policies, practices, and procedures of two- and four-year postsecondary institutions.
Over the years, reports on our national surveys have analyzed how the college admission process reacts
to and reflects changes in the size and composition of the college-bound population. The latest study,
based on the 1999/2000 academic year, reinforces one important theme: that even as the number of
students change and recruitment efforts intensify, the integrity of the college admission process remains
intact.
Previous surveys in this series were conducted in 1979, 1985 and 1992. For admission purposes,
one statistic in particular can account for a significant variation in the results over this time horizon.
Since 1979, the U.S. Department of Education reports a 31% increase in enrollment at degree-granting
two- and four-year postsecondary institutions
The data analyzed in this report confirm what we have known for years—that college admission
decisions are made in an increasingly competitive landscape, where students and parents are becoming
more savvy and where institutions employ state-of-the-art marketing and research to attract high-
achieving students and a diverse population to their campuses. Institutions report significant increases
in the scope and complexity of their recruitment and research efforts. This change has likely been
precipitated by two other findings contained in the 2000 survey—a large increase in applications for
admission and a significant decline in the percentage of accepted students who enroll (i.e., “yield”) at
many public and private institutions. In contrast to speculation that competition over enrollments might
decrease standards for admission, this report indicates that standards have not been compromised.
Accompanying the increase in enrollment has been a more concerted policy focus on standards
in higher education. As two- and four-year degrees become vital in the increasingly complex economy,
and as more students move through institutions of higher education, the private and public sectors
increase their calls for maintaining high standards in postsecondary education. Indeed, this report
indicates one symptom of this movement—the shift in responsibilities for developing admission criteria
and standards from the admission office to states and other governing bodies. In addition, selectivity at
four-year institutions has increased. More is being required of students, who are meeting the challenge
in increasingly large numbers.
Information in this report can be an important tool in helping parents, students, educators,
administrators and policymakers learn more about and evaluate the college admission process. This
report is a collaborative effort of our five organizations, each committed to serving students, educators
and postsecondary educational institutions. We appreciate the efforts of our researchers and other staff
for their contributions to this effort. This report could not have been completed without the cooperation
of more than 1,600 admission officers and their staffs, who made it possible to assemble the data. We
owe them our special thanks, for without their fine spirit of cooperation this report would not have been
possible.
Richard L. Ferguson, President, ACT, Inc.
Dawn Geronimo Terkla, President, Association for Institutional Research
Gaston Caperton, President, The College Board
Kurt Landgraf, President, Educational Testing Service
Paul Pedersen, President, National Association for College Admission Counseling
viii
Acknowledgments
A survey of this magnitude requires the help of a number of people and institutions. The 2000
report would not have been possible without the foundation built by those who worked on the 1979,
1985, and 1992 surveys. Since 1979, members and staff from ACT, The College Board, ETS, NACAC,
and AACRAO, and AIR have collaborated to provide survey formulation, drafting, data collection,
interpretation, reporting drafting and proofing, and many other invaluable services to these efforts.
The sponsoring organizations owe a debt of thanks to the following individuals and institutions
for their contributions to the 2000 survey and report:
Gretchen Rigol of the College Board hosted the meeting that launched the 2000 survey and
analysis. Wayne Camara reviewed the survey questionnaires and provided general advice. Brad Quinn
reviewed the questionnaires, advised, and presented results of the survey at conferences. Renee
Gernand oversaw the data collection, and Jan Gams, Associate Director of Public Affairs, mined the
analysis for newsworthy information. The College Board also supplemented the data collection with
data from the Annual Survey of Colleges.
Jim Maxey and Tammie Cumming at ACT and Hunter Breland and Cathy Trapani at ETS
analyzed and interpreted the data and wrote the final report.
Tony Broh helped shape the survey instrument and advised on other aspects of the analysis; John
Milam of AIR provided the resources for posting the full report on the AIR website.
Mark Cannon and David Hawkins at NACAC reviewed the draft reports, contributed to survey
response and follow up, edited the final report, and disseminated the data.
Many thanks to all who helped make this report a success.
Survey Steering Committee
:
Association for Institutional Research: Anthony Broh, Director of Research, Consortium on
Financing Higher Education
ACT, Inc.: James Maxey, Assistant Vice President
The College Board: Renee Gernand, Senior Director, Guidance Services
Educational Testing Service: Hunter Breland, Senior Research Scientist
National Association for College Admission Counseling: Mark Cannon, Deputy Executive
Director
ix
Sponsoring Organizations
ACT, Inc.
, is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides more than a hundred
assessment, research, information, and program management services in the broad areas of
educational planning, career planning, and workforce development. Each year we serve
millions of people in high schools, colleges, professional associations, businesses, and
government agencies—nationally and internationally. Though designed to meet a wide array
of needs, all ACT programs and services have one guiding purpose—to help people achieve
education and career goals by providing information for life's transitions.
Association for Institutional Research
(AIR) is dedicated to professional growth of all who
participate in decision making related to higher education via management research, policy
analysis and planning. AIR members work in many different postsecondary areas--finance,
academic affairs, instruction, student services and institutional development--and in offices at
the international, state, system or campus levels. In bringing diverse membership together,
AIR provides a professional organization where members' view points, concerns and
differences are examined in an atmosphere of learning, mutual exchange and professional
development.
The College Board
is a national nonprofit membership association dedicated to preparing,
inspiring, and connecting students to college and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the
association is composed of more than 3,900 schools, colleges, universities, and other
educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves over three million students
and their parents, 22,000 high schools, and 3,500 colleges through major programs and
services in college admission, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching
and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT
®
, the PSAT/NMSQT
™
, the
Advanced Placement Program
®
(AP
®
), and Pacesetter
®
. The College Board is committed to
the principles of equity and excellence, and that commitment is embodied in all of its
programs, services, activities, and concerns. For further information, contact
www.collegeboard.com
.
Educational Testing Service
is the world's largest private educational testing and
measurement organization and a leader in educational research. A nonprofit company
dedicated to serving the needs of individuals, educational institutions and agencies, and
governmental bodies in 181 countries, ETS develops and annually administers more than 11
million tests worldwide.
The National Association for College Admission Counseling
supports the work of more
than 7,500 members at the secondary and college and university levels of education and in a
variety of organizations and agencies. Members become involved with issues and policies on
the state and national level and within the counseling profession that have an impact on the
lives of students making the transition from high school to college within the U.S. and in
many foreign countries. As a non-profit education organization, NACAC promotes the
highest standards for guidance and admission programs, provides continuing education
opportunities for members, and annually sponsors college fairs in more than 60 locations
across the country as well as online to enable students and parents to interact, at the same
time, with one of the largest gatherings of college representatives.
x
Highlights
Enrollment
•
Between 1979 and 1999, the annual number of high school graduates in the United States decreased
by over a quarter million students, but total and undergraduate enrollment in higher education
increased substantially.
•
Between 1979 and 1999, there were some declines in total first-time, first-year student enrollment,
but these declines were not uniform across institutional sectors. First-time, first-year student
enrollment at four-year public and private institutions and two-year private institutions was relatively
stable , while first time, first-year-freshmen enrollment at two-year public institutions decreased.
•
Between 1985 and 1999, the average number of applications per enrolled first time, first-year student
increased dramatically, and thus yield rates—the proportion of accepted applicants who enroll at any
given institution—decreased dramatically.
Recruitment
•
A very high percentage of admissions staff or high school relations staff continue to make very
frequent visits to high schools, and recruiting outside the local geographic service area has increased
for public institutions in the last few years.
•
Institutions in all four sectors have significantly increased their participation in college fairs that
charge for participation.
•
Over 80 percent of the institutions in all four sectors now use the World Wide Web for recruiting
purposes.
•
Much greater use is made of telephones for contacting prospective students than in 1985 among all
four sectors.
•
Four-year institutions make greater use of mailing services such as the Educational Opportunity
Service (EOS) and the Student Search Service (sponsored by the College Board).
•
Two-year institutions use mailing lists and search services to recruit students more often than in the
past.
•
Although still prevalent among all four sectors, recruiting activities aimed at special groups of
students has decreased since 1992, particularly racial/ethnic minorities, academically talented,
athletes, and adults seeking a career change.
•
Public institutions have increased their efforts to recruit out-of-district/out-of-state and international
students.
•
Two-year institutions have increased their efforts since 1992 to develop cooperative relationships
with business and industry.
xi
•
Institutions in all sectors are making greater use of marketing or public relations consultants than in
previous years.
•
Since 1985, the most common market research related to recruitment involves conducting studies to
project future enrollment, and to evaluate current recruiting activities. Such research is more
common among four-year institutions, but over half of the two-year colleges also conduct such
research.
•
Four-year institutions continue to raise their academic qualifications for new students. Nearly 60
percent had increased their academic qualifications for the entering class of 1999 compared to 1998.
•
A majority of four-year institutions (in 1999) had plans to increase the size of their entering class
and its racial diversity compared to 1998.
Financial Aid
•
As was true in 1992, over 80 percent of all institutions indicated that a student had to be admitted
before aid is offered, but that financial need had no influence on the admission decision.
•
The type of financial aid offered is related to academic ability in over half of the private four-year
institutions, and about one-fourth of the public four-year institutions. Academic ability is not
considered much in awarding aid in two-year institutions.
•
The trend in no-need awards declined slightly from 1992 but remains an important practice among
institutions in all sectors. Although not as common as in 1992, seventy-four percent of the public
two-year colleges reported that compared to five years ago, more students are electing to attend a
two-year institution rather than a four-year institution because of the total costs of education.
•
The average percentage of first-year students with demonstrated financial need that was fully met
has dropped in all sectors since 1992, except in two-year public institutions.
Admissions Policies, Practices, and Standards
•
The percentage of institutions reporting that they required admissions test scores remained
essentially constant at over 90 percent of institutions reporting over the period 1979 to 2000
•
High school GPA or rank was consistently the most important factor in admissions decisions
between 1979 and 2000, and admissions test scores were consistently second in importance.
•
Achievement test scores (i.e., SAT II or subject specific) were not viewed as highly important in
admissions decisions in any of the four surveys between 1979 and 2000.
•
Admissions officers at four-year private institutions perceived that standards were higher in 2000
than five years previously (i.e., 1995), and overall acceptance rates decreased. Four-year public
institutions indicated that standards had not changed in the last five years, and overall acceptance
rates did not change.
xii
•
Between 1979 and 2000, the proportion of four-year institutions reporting exceptions to formal
admissions policies for some groups of students decreased for practically all groups, including adult,
part-time, veteran, and minority students.
•
Over 80 percent of the two- and four-year institutions report information to prospective students
such as basis for admissions decisions, exceptions to the standard admissions policy, the percent of
minorities enrolled at the institution, equations/schedules to estimate the financial aid available, and
completion or retention rates.
•
Between 1979 and 2000 there has been a shift in responsibility for establishing broad admission
guidelines. The role of an admissions committee to establish broad guidelines has declined, with the
Board of Trustees, Governing Board, or state legislature playing a larger role in 2000.
•
Institutions in all four sectors (i.e., public and private and two and four-year institutions) tend to
conduct admissions research at about the same rate as in 1985, with four-year public institutions
making more use of research than other types of institutions.
Equity
•
Between 1985 and 1999, proportional representation in first time, first-year student enrollment in
four-year institutions increased for Asian, Hispanic, and American Indian students, and decreased
for Black and White students.
•
Between 1985 and 1999, the average number of applications per enrolled first-time, first-year
student in four-year public and private institutions increased for all racial/ethnic groups, with the
greatest increases occurring for Asian and Hispanic students.
•
Between 1985 and 1999, increasing application rates were accompanied by lower acceptance rates
for all groups except white students and students of unknown racial/ethnic identity.
•
The percentage of students choosing not to disclose racial/ethnic identity increased somewhat
between 1992 and 1999.
xiii
List of Figure
Figure 1
Numbers of High School Graduates and First-time, First-year College Students,
1979-2000 (Millions)
xiv
List of Tables
Table 1.1
Institutions Surveyed and Response Rates, 2000
Table 1.2
Numbers of Institutions Responding, 1979, 1985, 1992, and 2000
Table 1.3
Geographic Distribution of Institutions Responding, 1985, 1992, and 2000
Table 1.4
Subgroup Identification in 1985, 1992, and 2000
Table 2.1
General Admissions Practices, 1979, 1985, 1992, and 2000
Table 2.2
1992 and 2000 Admissions Standards Viewed Retrospectively for Five Years
Table 2.3
Applications and Acceptances at Responding Four-Year Institutions, by Sex and
Racial/Ethnic Group, 1985, 1992, and 1999
Table 2.4
Overall Acceptance Rates at Responding Four-Year Institutions
Table 2.5
A Distribution of Four-Year Institutions by Acceptance Rate, 1985, 1992, and 1999
Table 2.6
Distribution of Acceptance Rates at Four-Year Public and Private Institutions, 1992 and
1999
Table 2.
7
Average Number of Applications Received by Four-Year Public and Private Institutions
by Subgroup, 1985, 1992, and 1999
Table 3.1
Responsibility for Establishing Broad Admissions Guidelines: 1979, 1985, 1992, and
2000 (In Percent)
Table 3.2
Primary Responsibility for Setting Specific Admissions Policies: 1979, 1985, 1992, and
2000 (In Percent)
Table 3.3
Admissions Staff Members at Two- and Four-Year Public and Private Institutions: 1985,
1992, and 2000
Table 3.4
Criteria for Determining Eligibility for Certificate or Degree Candidacy at Two-Year
Institutions: 1985, 1992, and 2000
Table 3.5
Institutions Using New Approaches in Admissions: 1992 and 2000
Table 3.6
Information Provided to Prospective Students: 1992 and 2000
Table 3.7
Types of Admissions Research Conducted or Commissioned by Institutions: 1985, 1992,
and 2000
Table 3.8
Policies on Out-of-State or Out-of-District Students at Two- and Four-Year Institutions:
1979, 1985, 1992, and 2000
xv
Table 3.9
First-Time Degree-Seeking Students at Two-Year Institutions from Out-of-District or
Out-of-State: 1992 and 2000
Table 3.10
Numbers and Percentages of Two-Year Institutions Providing Campus Support Services
for Students Needing Additional Assistance: 1992 and 2000
Table 3.11
Diagnostic/Placement Tests at Two-Year Institutions: 1985, 1992, and 2000
Table 3.12
Developmental Programs for Inadequately Prepared Students at Two-Year Institutions:
1985, 1992, and 2000
Table 3.13
Percentages of First-Time Degree-Seeking Students at Two-Year Institutions Taking One
or More Remedial Courses During Their First Semester or Year: 1985, 1992, and 2000
Table 4.1
Mean Years of High School Study Required at Four-Year Institutions in Six Subject
Areas, 1979, 1985, 1992, and 2000
Table 4.2
Mean Years of High School Study Required at Four-Year Public Institutions in Six
Subject Area, by Institutional Selectivity, 1985, 1992, and 2000
Table 4.3
Mean Years of High School Study Required at Four-Year Private Institutions in Six
Subject Area, by Institutional Selectivity, 1985, 1992, and 2000
Table 4.4
Number and Percentage of Four-Year Institutions Reporting Minimum Standards
for Admission and Mean for Each Measure, 1979, 1985, 1992, and 2000
Table 4.5
Use of Admissions Test Scores at Four-Year Institutions, 1979, 1985, 1992, and
2000
Table 4.6
Use of Admissions Test Scores at Four-Year Institutions, by Selectivity
Table 4.7
Percentages of Four-Year Institutions Reporting Exceptions to Formal Academic
Requirements for Certain Subgroups of Students, 1979, 1985, 1992, and 2000
Table 4.8
Average Importance of Various Factors in Admissions Decisions at Four-Year
Institutions, 1979, 1985, 1992, and 2000
Table 4.9
Importance of Various Factors in Admissions Decisions at Four-Year Public Institutions,
by Institutional Selectivity, 1985, 1992, and, 2000
Table 4.10
Importance of Various Factors in Admissions Decisions at Four-Year Private Institutions,
by Institutional Selectivity, 1985, 1992, and, 2000
Table 4.11
Importance of Various Factors in Admissions to Four-Year Institutions, 1979, 992, and
2000 (Percentages of Institutions Responding)
xvi
Table 4.12
Importance of Personal Qualities in Admissions Decisions by Percentage, 1979, 1985,
1992, and 2000
Table 4.13
Use of Multiple SAT Scores for the Same Student at Four-Year Institutions in 2000
(Percentages of Institutions)
Table 4.14
Use of Multiple ACT Scores for the Same Student at Four-Year Institutions in 2000
(Percentages of Institutions)
Table 4.15
Average Academic Qualifications of Applicants, Accepted Applicants, and Enrolled
First-Time, First-Year Students at Four-Year Institutions, 1985, 1992, and 1999
Table 5.1
First-Time, First-Year Fall Enrollment at Responding Four-Year Institutions, 1985,
1992, and 1999
Table 5.2
Average First-Time, First-Year Enrollment at Four-Year Institutions, 1985, 1992, and
1999
Table 5.3
Subgroup Representation among Enrolled First-Time, First-Year Students in Four-Year
Institutions, 1985, 1992, and 1999
Table 5.4
Enrollment Analyses for Four-Year Institutions, by Student Subgroup, 1985, 1992, and
1999
Table 5.5
Application, Acceptance, and Yield Rates for Four-Year Institutions, by Sex and
Racial/Ethnic Group, 1985, 1992, and 1999
Table 5.6
Trends in Application and Yield Rates at Four-Year Institutions from 1982 to 1998
Table 6.1
Institutions Reporting “Very Frequent” Visits to High Schools by Institutional
Representatives: 1979, 1985, 1992, and 2000 (In Percents)
Table 6.2
Institutions Reporting “Very Frequent” Use of Various Recruiting Practices: 1985, 1992,
and 2000
Table 6.3
Use of Various Direct Mail Services: 1985, 1992, and 2000
Table 6.4
Special Recruiting Activities Targeting Various Subgroups of Students: 1992 and 2000
(Percentages)
Table 6.5
Trends in Special Recruiting Activities Over Past Five Years
Table 6.6
Practices to Expand the Pool of Potential Degree-Seeking Students at Two-Year
Institutions: 1985, 1992, and 2000
Table 6.7
Transfer Policies and Practices at Two-Year Institutions: 2000
Table 6.8
Market Research Activities: 1985, 1992, and 2000
xvii
Table 6.9
Enrollment Planning Objectives at Four-Year Institutions for First-Time, First-Year
Students Classes Entering in Fall 1985, 1992, and 1999 Compared to Previous Year’s
First-Time, First-Year Students Classes
Table 6.10
Comparison of the First-Time, First-Year Students Class in Fall 1999 with the First-
Time, First-Year Students Class of Five Years Ago (Fall 1995)
Table 6.11
Relationships Between Financial Aid and Admissions Decisions: 1992 and 200
0
Table 6.12
Financial Aid Offered to Accepted Applicants in Two-Year Institutions: 1979, 1985,
1992, and 2000
Table 6.13
Financial Aid Offered to Accepted Applicants in Four-Year Institutions: 1979, 1985,
1992, and 2000
Table 6.14
Change Over Five Years Ago in Students’ Decisions to Attend Two- Versus Four-Year
Institutions Based on Total Cost for Education: 1992 and 2000
Table 6.15
Changes Over Time in Dollar Amount of No-Need Awards: 1995 to 2000
Table 6.16
Financial Needs of First-Time, First-Year Students: 1992 and 2000
1
1.
Introduction
This report describes policies, procedures, and practices in undergraduate college
admissions from 1979 through 2000. It is based on a series of four national surveys. The first
survey was conducted in 1979 by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and
Admissions Officers (AACRAO) and The College Board (College Board, 1980). The second
survey (Breland, Wilder, and Robertson, 1986) was conducted in 1985 by AACRAO, American
College Testing (ACT), The College Board, Educational Testing Service (ETS), and the National
Association of College Admission Counselors (NACAC). The third survey, in 1992, was also
conducted by AACRAO, ACT, The College Board, ETS, and NACAC (Breland, Maxey,
McLure, Valiga, Boatwright, Ganley, and Jenkins, 1995). The fourth survey, reported here, was
conducted by the Association for Institutional Research (AIR), ACT, The College Board, ETS,
and NACAC.
The 1979 Survey
The initial survey was conducted at a time when postsecondary institutions were
concerned about a projected decline in the population of high school graduates. For several
years the population of high school graduates had been at an all-time high of about three million
students per year. But a decline was projected beginning in about 1980 and continuing until the
early 1990s. This projected decline would reduce the population of high school graduates from
over three million to about two and one-half million. Factors other than the population of high
school graduates that could affect enrollments in postsecondary institutions were also considered
(for example, military recruiting, the national economy, and societal factors), and a number of
projections were made. Some of the projections were bleaker than others, but the consensus
among educational leaders at the time was that something needed to be done. One of the
2
emphases in this initial survey, therefore, was on what activities postsecondary institutions were
planning in the areas of marketing, recruiting, and financial aid. Nevertheless, it was decided to
survey other policies, practices, and procedures as well to produce a broad picture of what was
happening in college admissions.
The questionnaire was mailed during the first week of 1979 to 2,623 directors of
admissions at all regionally accredited, undergraduate degree-granting institutions of higher
education listed in the Education Director: Colleges and Universities, 1976-77, published by the
National Center for Education Statistics (U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare,
1977). Responses were received from 1,463 institutions enrolling approximately 1.3 million
first-time, first-year students in the fall of 1978.
The results of the 1979 survey showed that, despite the ominous projections, those
responding to it were optimistic. Many institutions were already heavily using direct mail,
college nights, high school visits, financial incentives, and other enrollment maintenance
activities. This initial survey also indicated that admissions standards were not being
compromised in order to maintain enrollments.
Figure 1 shows the actual number of high school graduates from 1979 to 2000, the total
number of first-time, first-year students (through 1999), and small-sample estimates of the
number of first-time, first-year students who enrolled by October of the year in which they
graduated from high school (through 1999). The number of high school graduates were
obtained from the U. S. Department of Education (2000), from the Western Interstate
Commission for Higher Education (1998), and from preliminary estimates from U. S.
Department of Education (2001). Total first-time first-time, first-year students were obtained
from the U. S. Department of Education (2000) and the small-sample estimates of high school
3
Sources: U.S. Department of Education (2000), Western Interstate Commission on Higher
Education, American College Testing Program (2000), and preliminary information
from U.S. Department of Education (indicated by dashed line).
Figure 1
Numbers of High School Graduates and First-Time,
First-Year College Students, 1979-2000 (Millions)
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
2.2
2.4
2.6
2.8
3
3.2
3.4
79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 0
High School Graduates
First-time, First-year Students (same-year high school graduates)
Total First-time, First-year Students
4
graduates going directly on to college were obtained from American College Testing Program
(2000). Note, that first-time, first-year college students also include students who did not go
directly on to college. Note also that the small-sample estimates of first-time, first-year students
who graduated from high school in the same year are relatively unstable. Figure 1 shows that the
projections which had been made back in 1979 were fairly accurate, but it also shows that first-
time, first-year students did not decline as much as did high school graduates. One reason that
the number of first-time, first-year students did not decline as much as high school graduates is
that the proportion of high school graduates going directly on to college increased somewhat
during this period. Note that the number of high school graduates going directly on to college
was relatively stable until about 1993, when it actually began to increase. In 1979, the
proportion of high school graduates going directly on to college was about 50 percent. In 1999,
it was over 60 percent. It of course cannot be demonstrated that increased recruiting by colleges
caused this increase in college enrollment, but it was probably one factor. Another reason for an
increase in college enrollment by high school graduates was the increasing participation of
women and minorities in higher education.
The 1985 Survey
The second survey, conducted in 1985, asked questions similar to those of the first
survey, and a number of questions were identical. Questionnaires were mailed in November of
1985 to the directors of admissions of a total universe of 2,996 institutions who met the survey
criteria. These criteria required that institutions be identified by the United States Department of
Education Division of Eligibility and Agency Evaluation as eligible for inclusion in the
Education Directory: Colleges and Universities published by the National Center for Education
5
Statistics, that they offer associate or bachelor’s degree programs, and that they enroll first-time,
first-year students.
This survey showed that colleges were recruiting heavily and developing marketing
expertise. The proportion of high school graduates going directly on to college increased from
49 to 58 percent during this period. Older students were also being recruited, and their
enrollment helped reduce the decline resulting from the decrease in the number of high school
graduates. The 1985 survey report projected, however, a continued decline in the number of
high school graduates through 1992, and suggested that even more effective recruiting efforts
might be required until the demographic situation improved. The report emphasized, as had the
report of the initial survey, that admissions standards were not being lowered to maintain
enrollments. The report also urged a special focus on minority recruiting because of
dramatically increasing minority populations as well as a need to better serve those populations.
The 1992 Survey
Between 1985 and 1991, the number of high school graduates decreased by almost
200,000 making the total decline since 1979 almost 700,000. But first-time first-time, first-year
college enrollment decreased by only 14,000 between 1985 and 1991. Obviously, something
was happening to maintain enrollments despite an enormous decline in the numbers of high
school graduates. The 1992 survey was conducted with a special interest in how enrollments
were being maintained, as well as to obtain an overall picture of college admissions policies,
practices, and procedures. The 1992 survey instruments were designed to be as similar as
possible to those used in the 1985 survey, and as in 1985 a number of identical questions were
asked.
6
The questionnaire was mailed on October 30, 1992 to 3,092 institutions. Like the 1985
survey, the mailing was addressed to the directors of admissions at institutions that met the
survey criteria. These criteria required that institutions be identified by the U. S. Department of
Education, Division of Eligibility and Agency Evaluation, as eligible for inclusion in the
Education Directory: Colleges and Universities, 1991-92, published by the National Center for
Education Statistics (U. S. Department of Education, 1992). Institutions in Puerto Rico and U. S.
territories and possessions and institutions that admit only students who have completed the first-
time, first-year students and sophomore years elsewhere (upper-division institutions) were not
surveyed.
The 1992 survey results indicated that recruiting efforts of institutions were continuing,
with special emphases on racial/ethnic minorities, academically talented students, athletes,
adults, and students with special talents. Institutions also reported that recruiting budgets had
increased between 1985 and 1990, but not as much as they had increased during the previous
five-year period. Perhaps as a result of recruiting, the proportion of high school graduates going
directly on to college increased from 58 to 60 percent. Other information from the National
Center for Educational Statistics, however, indicated that much of the college enrollment gap
was being closed by increasing proportions of women and minorities attending college. In
summary, increased proportions of high school graduates going on to college and increased
proportions of women and minority students enrolling in college helped to minimize the decline
in first-time, first-year college enrollment during this period.
The 2000 Survey
Since the time of the 1992 survey, the number of high school graduates initially
decreased, reaching a minimum in 1994, and then began to increase in 1995. Total first-time,
7
first-year students also reached a minimum in 1994 and began to increase in 1995 but not at the
same rate as high school graduates. Preliminary estimates from the U. S. Department of
Education (for 1999) indicate that total first-time, first-year students increased somewhat
between 1998 and 1999, but the 1999 estimate may be high because it is only preliminary. The
numbers of high school graduates going directly on to college, which had increased substantially
between 1991 and 1997, began to level off in 1997.
The 2000 survey used instruments very similar to those used in 1985 and 1992, and a
number of questions were identical. Some questions use were also identical to those used in
1979. An objective was to obtain responses to the same questions asked over a 20-year period,
while at the same time describing admissions as it was being conducted in 2000. Questionnaires
were sent in August of 2000 to admissions offices nationally both by regular mail and by E-mail.
Respondents were encouraged to respond by E-mail, if at all possible, but responses could also
be made by regular mail or by FAX. While the technology was very efficient, response rates
indicated that technology may have limited responses from institutions with less technological
sophistication.
The institutions surveyed in 2000 were 3,411 accredited and degree-granting institutions
from the universe surveyed by the Annual Survey of Colleges (ASC) of the College Board
(College Board, 2000). The ASC universe includes all institutions accredited at the institutional
(i.e., not program) level by an accrediting body or recognized by the United States Department of
Education. In addition, the institution was required to offer at least an associate degree. We did
not survey upper division institutions or colleges in Puerto Rico. Institutional accreditation is
offered by the six regional accrediting bodies and the Accrediting Council for Independent
Colleges and Schools Accrediting Commission for Career Schools/Colleges of Technology, the
8
Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges, the Association of Advanced Rabbinical and
Talmudic Schools, the Association of Technological Schools in the United States and Canada,
the Distance Education and Training Council, and the New York Board of Regents.
Analytical Approaches
A principal objective in the last three surveys was to obtain information that would be
useful in describing trends in college admissions policies, practices, and procedures. This was
made possible by repeating some questions over the years and by asking retrospective questions.
There are difficulties with both approaches. Even though the questions may have been the same,
the responding institutions were not identical and the meaning of questions could have changed.
Retrospective questions rely on memories, which may be imperfect, and the individual
responding may have not been at the institution for the entire time period in question. Finally,
response rates differed over the four surveys, and the geographic distribution of responding
institutions of responding institutions changed slightly. Appendix D, Technical Notes, contains
information for readers wishing to examinee the statistical significance of figures in report tables.
Respondents
Tables 1.1 gives the number of institutions surveyd and responding in 2000, and Table
1.2 compare the number of institutions responding in each of the four surveys. Table 1.2 shows
that 1,463 institutions responded in 1979, 2,203 in 1985, 2,024 in 1992, and 1,644 in 2000. The
2000 response rate was lower for three reasons: (1) a relatively large number of the surveyed
institutions were relatively new two-year private institutions; (2) it was the first time that
technology had been employed extensively, and many institutions who attempted to respond had
technical difficulties or, in some cases, believed that they had responded although no response
was ever received; and (3) the follow-up period was more limited than it had been in 1985 and
9
TABLE 1.1
Institutions Surveyed and Response Rates, 2000
Two-year Institutions
Four-year Institutions
Public
Private
Public
Private
Surveyed
1,015
628
550
1,278
Responding
505
177
305
657
Response Rate
50%
28%
56%
51%
TABLE 1.2
Numbers of Institutions Responding, 1979, 1985, 1992, and 2000
Year
Two-year Institutions
Four-year Institutions
Total
Public
Private
Public
Private
1979
401
81
333
648
1,463
1985
745
218
413
827
2,203
1992
705
169
366
784
2,204
2000
505
177
305
657
1,644
10
1992 surveys so that reporting could be more timely that had not been surveyed previously, and
the response rates for these institutions was especially low. Overall, the response rate for two-
year private institutions was only 28%. It is also possible that the more competitive
envirionment in 2000 made colleges less willing to respond to potentially sensitive question.
Table 1.3 shows that the geographic distribution of respondents in the three surveya was
quite similar, generally, although the proportion two-year private respondents from New England
was lower in 2000 and the proportion of respondents from the Middle States region were higher
than in previous years. These differences from two-year privates are probably a result of the low
response rate from those institutions in 2000. Geographic distributions of respondents were not
surveyed in 1979.
Racial/Ethnic Identification
Since the initial survey was conducted in 1979, there have been a number of changes in
the way different groups are described in surveys. Table 1.4 indicates the descriptions used for
racial/ethnic identification in 1985, 1992, and 2000. Some of these descriptions are lengthy, so
abbreviated descriptions were used for the current report as indicated.
11
TABLE 1.3
Geographic Distribution of Institutions Responding, 1985, 1992, and 2000
Percentage by Institutional Type and Year
Region
Two-year
Two-year
Four-year
Four-year
Public
Private
Public
Private
1985
1992
2000
1985
1992
2000
1985
1992
2000
1985
1992
2000
New England
5
4
4
12
12
6
7
9
9
11
10
10
Middle States
10
9
11
25
22
34
16
12
14
22
20
20
South
25
25
25
23
21
15
23
25
23
18
18
20
Midwest
28
31
31
24
28
26
26
26
29
30
34
33
Southwest
11
11
10
3
4
7
11
11
11
6
5
5
West
21
20
20
12
13
13
17
17
14
12
13
12
Total
100
100
101
99
100
101
100
100
100
99
100
100
12
TABLE 1.4
Subgroup Identification in 1985, 1992, and 2000
Questionnaire Description
Subgroup
Abbreviation
(2000)
1985
1992
2000
American Indian
American Indian
or Alaskan Native
American Indian
or Alaskan Native
American Indian
or Alaskan Native
Asian American
Asian
Asian American
Or Pacific Islander
Asian or Pacific
Islander
Black
Black
Black American or
African American
(non-Hispanic)
Black, non-Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic, Puerto
Rican, Cuban,
Mexican American,
Or Latino
Hispanic
White
White
White American,
Caucasian American
(non-Hispanic)
White, non-Hispanic
Alien
(not included)
International/Foreign
Non-resident Alien
Unknown
Other
Other
Race/ethnicity
unknown
13
2.
Selectivity in Admissions
Institutions of higher education vary considerably in the degree to which they are
selective as well as in the procedures they use to decide which applicants will be accepted and
which rejected. This variety in selectivity and procedures is perhaps one reason that admissions
practices are not generally well understood by either applicants or their parents. Although only a
fraction of institutions accept less than 50 percent of their applicants, it is the admissions
practices of this small group of institutions that the public perceives as the norm (Ciompi, 1993).
Applicants to a particular institution are to a large degree self-selected. Students’ decisions to
apply to a given institution depend on a number of factors, including: perceived ability and
judgments about the abilities of other students applying to that institution; the institution’s
recruiting activities, reputation, and major course offerings in relation to students’ interests,
aspirations, etc. Each of the four surveys asked a number of questions about general admissions
policies, accessibility, and selectivity.
General Admissions Practices
The 1979, 1985, 1992, and 2000 surveys all asked institutions to describe their general
admissions practices by selecting one of these four options:
1.
Any individual wishing to attend will be admitted without review of conventional
academic qualifications.
2.
Any high school graduate (or person with equivalent credentials) will be admitted.
3.
The majority of individuals who meet some specified level of academic achievement
or other qualifications above and beyond high school graduation are admitted.
14
4.
Among those individuals who meet some specified level of academic achievement or
other qualifications above and beyond high school graduation, only a limited number
will be admitted.
To be consistent with the 1979, 1985, and 1992 surveys, those institutions selecting either
of the first two options were classified as “open-door”; those selecting the third option as
“selective”; and those selecting the fourth option as “competitive.”
Table 2.1 shows two- and four-year public and private institutions by degree of
selectivity, and indicates that practically all of the two-year public institutions were classified as
open-door (89 to 91 percent) in all four surveys. Only a few of the two-year public institutions
were classified as selective (8 to 10 percent). The two-year private institutions were more
selective than the two-year publics, with about a third to a half describing themselves as open-
door and with about a half being classified as selective. Very few of the two-year private
institutions were classified as competitive. The four-year institutions were predominantly
selective (70 to 78 percent). In 2000, slightly more four-year private (20 percent) than four-year
public (13 percent) institutions were classified as competitive. In previous years, there was less
difference in the percentage of publics and privates classified as competitive.
Some trends in selectivity are indicated in Table 2.1, but caution must be exercised in
interpreting differences because the institutions responding in different years were not identical
and because small differences are not statistically significant. The two-year public institutions
were quite consistent over the four surveys, while the two-year private institutions were not.
There are some apparent trends in the four-year institutions. In 1999, 20 percent of four-year
public institutions reported that they were open-door while only 9 percent did so in 2000. And
the percentage of four-year public institutions reporting that they were selective increased from
15
TABLE 2.1
General Admissions Practices, 1979, 1985, 1992, and 2000
Institutional
Number of
Percentage of Institutions
Type and Year
Institutions
Open-door
Selective
Competitive
Two-year
Public
1979
401
89
9
1
1985
75
90
9
0
1992
705
89
10
0
2000
494
91
8
<1
Private
1979
81
35
60
5
1985
218
47
48
3
1992
169
39
55
6
2000
169
46
50
2
Four-year
Public
1979
333
20
70
10
1985
413
15
72
12
1992
366
11
75
13
2000
305
9
78
13
Private
1979
648
8
77
13
1985
827
10
74
15
1992
784
9
76
15
2000
652
7
72
20
Notes: 2000 summary data for this table were obtained from responses to question 4 of both the two-
and four-year questionnaires.
16
70 in 1979 to 78 in 2000. These are gradual and statistically significant changes. Table 2.1 also
shows a significant change in the percentage of four-year private institutions describing
themselves as selective and competitive. The percentage of selective four-year privates declined
from 77 in 1979 to 72 in 2000. And the percentage of four-year privates reporting that they were
competitive increased from 13 in 1979 to 20 in 2000.
Admissions Standards Viewed Retrospectively
Another approach to the examination of trends in admissions practices is to ask
retrospective questions. Such questions have the advantage that the same institutions are being
considered over time, but they have the disadvantage that respondents may not remember well or
may not have been at the institution long enough to make such judgments accurately. A
retrospective question was asked in both 1992 and 2000 in which four types of standards were
compared with five years ago. The four standards were the general level of selectivity, high
school coursework requirements, high school grade-point average (GPA) /class rank, and
admissions test scores. Table 2.2 shows the results obtained for the two different years. Most
two-year public institutions indicated, for both 1992 and 2000, that standards were about the
same (71 to 88 percent) as they had been five years previously. The two-year privates were quite
consistent over the two surveys and indicated that most respondents believed that standards had
not changed, although a substantial minority (20 to 46 percent) reported rising standards.
Responses for four-year institutions are varied, depending on what year the question was
asked, what kind of standard was involved, and whether the institution was public or private.
Respondents in four-year public institutions indicated, in both 1992 and 2000, that general
selectivity and test scores were higher than five years previously. The four-year privates
indicated quite clearly that, in 2000, the general level of selectivity and test scores were higher
17
TABLE 2.2
1992 and 2000 Admissions Standards Viewed Retrospectively for Five Years
Percentage of Institutions
Standards for
Response
Two-year Institutions
Four-year Institutions
Admissions
Public
Private
Public
Private
1992
2000
1992
2000
1992
2000
1992
2000
General Level of
Lower
1
1
5
3
4
1
3
1
Selectivity
Same
80
88
48
52
36
44
46
37
Higher
18
8
46
41
59
55
51
61
Don’t know
1
3
1
4
1
1
0
1
Course Work
Lower
0
1
2
1
0
0
1
0
Same
81
85
73
73
42
53
66
60
Higher
15
10
24
20
57
46
32
37
Don’t know
3
4
1
6
1
1
1
2
High School
GPA/Class Rank
Lower
1
1
5
1
4
1
2
1
Same
82
82
64
65
46
49
48
39
Higher
10
7
25
21
48
48
48
56
Don’t know
7
10
7
13
1
2
2
3
Test Scores
Lower
3
3
4
4
5
1
5
1
Same
71
76
50
55
42
45
44
33
Higher
21
14
39
32
50
50
48
60
Don’t know
5
8
7
10
3
2
3
4
Number of Institutions
680
481
169
168
360
304
776
651
Notes: 2000 summary data for this table were obtained from responses to question 5 of both the two- and four-
year questionnaires. Percentages are based on the number of institutions responding to these questions.
18
than they had been five years previously. In 1992, the four-year privates seemed clearly less
certain that standards were higher then than they had been five years previously.
Admissions Standards as Indicated by Acceptance Rates
Still another way to look at admissions standards is to ask institutions for the numbers of
applications they received for a given year together with the number of students who were
actually accepted for admission. The data received from all responding institutions can then be
aggregated as shown in Table 2.3 for the years of 1985, 1992, and 1999. From these data,
overall acceptance rates can be estimated as shown in Table 2.4. The acceptance rates of Table
2.4 would suggest that admissions standards in four-year public institutions were relatively stable
over these three years, with perhaps a slight decrease in overall acceptance rates between 1985
and 1999 (from .72 to .68) but no change between 1992 and 1999. In contrast, for the four-year
privates, there appears to have been an increase in overall acceptance rate between 1985 and
1992 (from .62 to .68) and a decrease between 1992 and 1999 (from .68 to .60). The lower
overall acceptance rate in 1999 is indicative of higher admissions standards and is consistent
with the higher standards reported retrospectively in Table 2.2 and the changes in general
admissions practices reported in Table 2.1 for privates. For the four-year public institutions,
however, the lack of any change in overall acceptance rate between 1992 and 1999 is
inconsistent with the changing standards reported in Tables 2.1 and 2.2.
Acceptance rates for different subgroups of applicants were generally consistent with
those for the total group, but there were some differences. Female applicants tended to be
accepted at a higher rate than male applicants in both publics and privates. In four-year public
institutions, American Indian applicants appear to have been accepted at a lower rate in 1999
than in 1985, as was the case of Asian, Black, and Hispanic applicants. In four-year private
19
TABLE 2.3
Applications and Acceptances at Responding Four-Year Institutions,
by Sex and Racial/Ethnic Group, 1985, 1992, and 1999
Group
Four-year Public
Four-year Private
1985
1992
1999
1985
1992
1999
Total
Applications
1,298,270
1,606,919
1,501,088
964,565
1,004,840
1,027,125
Acceptances
932,982
1,096,853
1,015,417
594,422
679,587
616,450
Male
Applications
529,327
522,896
406,481
408,843
Acceptances
344,148
342,989
261,988
228,894
Female
Applications
553,215
558,234
424,284
501,195
Acceptances
387,595
404,257
294,495
307,311
American Indian
Applications
3,520
6,520
7,225
1,482
2,117
2,584
Acceptances
2,690
4,513
4,889
941
1,389
1,527
Asian American
Applications
34,202
88,055
113,871
25,268
47,651
58,195
Acceptances
22,553
56,760
64,558
12,187
26,839
26,781
Black
Applications
71,626
119,561
117,145
34,858
38,340
42,485
Acceptances
46,450
68,805
54,850
21,335
23,967
21,119
Hispanic
Applications
29,085
65,259
66,823
14,865
27,661
34,104
Acceptances
20,116
41,977
38,114
8,721
18,034
17,595
White
Applications
624,528
718,430
608,886
473,442
376,048
359,413
Acceptances
450,588
493,223
424,876
286,410
257,074
226,215
Alien
Applications
22,181
17,867
36,577
28,472
Acceptances
10,628
8,413
15,453
8,606
Unknown
Applications
52,249
37,751
Acceptances
39,063
20,331
Notes: 1999 summary data for this table were obtained from responses to question 24 of the four-year
questionnaire.
20
TABLE 2.4
Overall Acceptance Rates at Responding Four-Year Institutions
Group
Four-year Public
Four-year Private
1985
1992
1999
1985
1992
1999
Total
.72
.68
.68
.62
.68
.60
Male
.65
.66
.64
.56
Female
.70
.72
.69
.61
American Indian
.76
.69
.68
.63
.66
.59
Asian
.66
.64
.57
.48
.56
.46
Black
.65
.58
.47
.61
.63
.50
Hispanic
.69
.64
.57
.59
.65
.52
White
.72
.69
.70
.60
.68
.63
Alien
.53
.47
.42
.30
Unknown
.75
.54
Notes: Overall acceptance rates were computed as the ratio of total acceptances to
total applications. Thus large institutions receive more weight than small
institutions.
21
institutions, all subgroups appear to have had a higher acceptance rate in 1992 than in the other
two years, as was true for the total group.
Selectivity Categories
Trends in admissions standards can also be examined by classifying institutions into
categories by degree of selectivity and then observing trends in the proportion of institutions in
the different categories. Table 2.5 groups institutions into four categories by acceptance rate: 50
percent or less of applicants accepted, 50 to 80 percent accepted, 80 to 95 percent accepted, and
over 95 percent accepted. The most interesting changes indicated in Table 2.5 are those for four-
year private institutions. The percentage of these institutions in the most selective category
(accepted less than 50%) increased from 9 percent in 1985 to 11 percent in 1999, and the
percentage in the next most selective category (accepted 50% - 80%) increased from 40 to 43
percent. Additionally, the percentage of four-year privates in the least selective category
(accepted more than 95%) decreased by one-half (from 12 to 6 percent). These changes in
selectivity categories are consistent with other survey information suggesting higher admissions
standards in four-year private institutions in more recent years.
There was also some change in the selectivity categories for four-year public
institutions. Those reporting that they accepted 50 to 80 percent of applicants increased from 43
to 49 percent, while there was no change in the percentage of institutions in the most selective
category. There was also a decline in the percentage of reporting four-year public institutions
that they accepted over 95 percent of applicants. Thus, there is some indication in Table 2.5 that
four-year publics have also increased their admissions standards in recent years.
Table 2.6 gives a more detailed description of acceptance rates at four-year public and
private institutions for 1992 and 1999. Table 2.6 shows the percentage of institutions classified
22
TABLE 2.5
Distribution of Four-Year Institutions
by Acceptance Rate, 1985, 1992, and 1999
Acceptance
Distribution of Four-year Institutions
Rate
Public
Private
1985
1992
1999
1985
1992
1999
50% or less
8%
9%
8%
9%
8%
11%
50% - 80%
43%
53%
49%
40%
46%
43%
80% - 95%
32%
28%
34%
39%
38%
40%
more than 95%
17%
10%
10%
12%
8%
6%
Number of
Institutions
328
325
281
688
687
585
Notes: 1999 summary data for this table were obtained from responses to question 24 of the
four-year questionnaire, supplemented with data from the College Board Annual Survey of
Colleges. For interpretation of differences in percentages, see Technical Notes, Appendix D.
23
TABLE 2.6
Distribution of Acceptance Rates at Four-Year
Public and Private Institutions, 1992 and 1999
Acceptance
Public
Private
Rate
1992*
1999
1992*
1999
0 - 10%
0
0
0
0
10 - 20%
1.5%
1.1%
0.5%
1.2%
20 - 30%
1.3%
1.1%
0.5%
1.4%
30 -
