College Applications Are Up Significantly For Next Fall
Michael T. Nietzel Senior Contributor
Michael Nietzel, former college president, writes on higher education
Compared to 2019-20, the number of applicants to four-year colleges this year has increased by more than 285,000, a 28% gain. getty
The number of college applicants through March 1, 2024, has increased by 6% over the same time last year, according to the latest update from the Common Application. The data cover applications for fall 2024 admissions to four-year institutions.
Through March 1, 1,313,763 distinct first-year applicants had applied to 834 institutions using the Common App, an increase of more than 70,000 applicants compared to the prior year.
The total number of applications through March 1 rose 7% from 7,041,256 last year to 7,541,148 this year. Applicants were applying to slightly more members in the 2023-24 cycle than in 2022-23 (up 1% from 5.66 to 5.74 applications per applicant).
This year’s increase also sustains the upward trend in applications compared to the 2019-20 cycle, the last admissions year not affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Compared to 2019-20, the number of applicants to four-year colleges this year has increased by more than 285,000, a 28% gain.
Applicant Characteristics
This is the first admission cycle since the U.S. Supreme Court decision banning race-conscious admissions so there is particular interest in any demographic trends in applicant behavior.
Underrepresented minority applicants (defined by the Common App as Black or African American, Latinx, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander) increased by 10%, five times the rate of non-URM applicants.
