After years of pandemic, lockdowns, remote learning, and anxiety, it is no surprise that high school students are feeling stressed. But how does that stress affect them as they search for colleges? To answer that, RNL and ZeeMee went straight to the source and polled high school seniors about the stress, anxiety, and worry they felt. The…

This report provides insights into the challenges and factors affecting first-year students' motivation and success as they enter college, including the significant mental toll from the pandemic and economic uncertainty. The findings in this report are taken from data collected in 2022 from nearly 80,000 student records of first- and second-year…

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…

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…

How involved are parents of current university students? Are they satisfied with the college experience of their students? Eager to hear from your institution? Worried about how they will pay for college? These are some of the many findings in the "2023 University Family Engagement Report," a survey of more than 21,000 families of…

Data in this report reflect responses from 86 four-year private institutions that collectively enroll approximately 261,189 undergraduate students (according to data reported to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)). Respondents participated in the Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) national electronic poll of "Effective…

Data in this report reflect responses from 64 four-year public institutions that collectively enroll approximately 718,149 undergraduate students (according to data reported to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)). Respondents participated in the Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) national electronic poll of "Effective Practices…

How has the cost of recruiting a student changed during the pandemic years? How many staff members do admission offices have per student? What are the budget priorities for colleges and universities? These are just a few of the 14 findings in the "2022 Cost of Recruiting an Undergraduate Student Report." This report--based on a survey of…

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…

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…

High school counselors play a vital role in helping students prepare for attending college. They are the link between students and families and institutions, providing counseling, information, and motivation to help students make it through their enrollment journeys. Along the way, they have to help students cope with a wide variety of challenges:…

This report is organized around 10 challenges (and associated solutions) based on data from a survey of 1,609 survey respondents, each of whom was screened to ensure that they had firm plans to enroll in a fully online program in the next year (online course takers in otherwise hybrid or classroom programs were not eligible). They also had to be…

Find insights into college student persistence, progression, and retention with this benchmark report, taken from a survey of college and university officials. These benchmarks can help your institution compare your outcomes for first-time-in-college (FTIC) students as well as transfer students. This report features 12 key benchmarks in three…

In fall 2021, Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) published its first "Graduate Student Recruitment Report" (ED618011), a survey of 1,500 prospective graduate students that explored their program demands and preferences, search processes, enrollment decision making priorities, and key expectations of the institutions to which they inquire, apply,…

For more than 25 years, thousands of colleges and universities have used the Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) Satisfaction-Priorities Surveys to assess their students, strengthen the student experience, increase student success and completion, and prioritize campus planning initiatives. The surveys are valued so highly because they reveal where…