As the school-age population shrinks and even the number of international students falls, U.S. colleges are streamlining admissions and lowering tuition.
According to a roundup of foreign media reports including the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 3rd (local time), hundreds of U.S. colleges now run a "direct admissions" system that evaluates students with only some materials such as high school transcripts and then offers admission.
Students fill out simple paperwork on a related platform, and they or their high schools submit transcripts. Colleges that match the criteria then offer acceptance. However, if grades in the final year of high school drop sharply, admission can be rescinded just like in the regular process.
Angel Pérez, CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), said, "Instead of students applying to colleges, colleges are applying to students," and noted it is "a way for students not to have to go through each complex step to get into college."
The number of colleges participating in direct admissions through the Common App, a U.S. college application platform, has more than tripled since the 2023–2024 academic year. About one-fifth of colleges partnered with the Common App now run direct admissions. More than 12 U.S. states have also adopted their own direct admissions systems.
The biggest reason colleges have lowered the admissions bar is that the population of 18-year-olds, the college-going age group, is declining. Colleges with lower name recognition or less competitive admissions are the first to struggle with freshman recruitment.
Kellogg Community College President Karolyn Crowley in Michigan said, "We can no longer wait for students to come find us," adding, "We have entered a new era."
A drop in international students is also straining college finances. According to a report by the Institute of International Education and others, newly enrolled international students at U.S. colleges last fall fell 17% from a year earlier. Because international students generally pay higher tuition than U.S. students, fewer international students can lead to reduced college revenue.
There are also concerns that foreign students may shy away from studying in the United States as the Trump administration tightens rules on student visas and internships. In particular, business schools (MBA), where foreign students make up a high share, have begun offering tuition discounts and scholarships to secure applicants.
Purdue Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business will cut fall tuition by 40% this year. The Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine also decided to discount tuition by up to 38% for programs teaching AI and new technologies. Washington University in St. Louis Olin Business School will award $10,000 in scholarships to students in its AI business master's program.
However, some say the discount race will be hard to sustain. Tim Westerbeck, co-president of higher education consulting firm Eduvantis, said, "Many colleges are already facing financial distress," adding that colleges are failing to find ways to continue discount policies that carry a large expense burden.