The Enrollment Cliff from a Gen Zer's Perspective

Higher education has been through the wringer these past few years, with little signs of those challenges letting up. And now, what colleges have been anticipating for years is just around the corner: the 2025 enrollment cliff. 

With colleges closing nearly every week, the pressure is on to keep enrollment and yield high.

While I’m not an enrollment marketer or college admissions expert, I’ve walked the path of deciding to go to college, discovering colleges, applying, and ultimately attending.

Here’s a college grad and Gen Zer's take on the enrollment cliff and how colleges can stand out to today's teens.

I’ll cover:

• The Enrollment Cliff: How We Got Here
• Things That I Think Make a 4-Year Degree Worthwhile For Gen Zers Like Me
• How Scoir Can Help

The Enrollment Cliff: How We Got Here

The enrollment cliff of 2025 is a culmination of different factors, including but not limited to:

• Demographic shifts
• Changes in higher education sentiment among students and parents/guardians
• The FAFSA delay and the search cliff

Let’s explore what led to today’s college admissions landscape.

The Great Recession

With the stress and turmoil of the 2008 Great Recession came fewer people having children. The average live births per 1,000 women continued to decrease from 2008 through 2019–a solid decade of decreasing birth rates.

Now, nearly 17 years after the Great Recession, colleges are starting to feel the impact of a smaller generation of teens.

This is exacerbated by an increasing emphasis on non-collegiate pathways, and other Gen-Z behavioral trends.

Gen-Z behavioral trends at play

COVID-19 led to a shift in the thinking of many students and families. With more virtual and alternative higher education options, plus the fact that it’s harder than ever to live in financial independence with the increased cost of living, getting a certificate or going straight into a career has become more appealing options for many students.

I know fellow Gen-Zers who were essentially forced to get a 4-year degree by their parents. There were no other options for them in their household growing up. I’ve heard so many young adults say they wish they had the option to take their own post-secondary education path.

Gen Z wants options. They want to create their own, creative path for themselves. 

Some of us wonder if we’ll ever be able to buy a house because of student debt and the ever-increasing cost of living.

Gen Zers have their minds open. We are hard workers and dreamers and advocates, and we’re ready to find our own way in an increasingly isolated and technology-centered world.

Gen X and Millennial parents/guardians are encouraging their students to explore paths other than a 4-year degree as well, especially when their teen is fresh out of high school.

Yet, colleges have an opportunity to stand out to Gen Z despite these shifts. More on that later!

College admissions factors

An immense amount of pressure has been placed on college admissions and enrollment marketing teams. To name a few factors, COVID-19 budget support is running out, the delayed FAFSA, and the search cliff and recent Supreme Court decision.

Colleges are spread thin and burning out.

Yet, there’s an opportunity here. One for positive change. Colleges have an opportunity to attract and help students in new ways. 

Jeff Salingo’s recent LinkedIn post includes some interesting tidbits on this.

Things That I Think Make a 4-Year Degree Worthwhile For Gen Zers Like Me

While I was in college, and into the first few years of my career, a few things have remained pillars of my college experience…things that stick with me daily and helped me personally and professionally.

These are the things that I looked for in a college and that I find the most value in, even today.

I think colleges that focus on these factors will stand out, even through the 2025 enrollment cliff, and give many Gen Zers what they’re looking for.

1. Career Readiness Support and Networking

Career readiness was easily one of the most important aspects of college for me. 

As a business school student (full disclosure!), there was a lot of emphasis on career readiness. But I think everyone should have access to top-notch career readiness support, regardless of whether or not their major requires a Master’s or a more advanced degree.

Career readiness is invaluable, especially since Gen Z must contend with an ever-changing tech landscape and the need for years of experience for an entry-level job.

Ultimately, most students are going to college so they can start or advance a career. Of course, learning how to think more critically and gain academic knowledge is extremely important as well. But at the end of the day, most students (and their families) are paying for college so they can have the career they want.

Huge career readiness benefits for me at college were:

• Access to professors who could mentor me and expand my network
• Roleplaying real-life career situations (like selling myself in a job interview)
• Connections to nearby businesses and experts, and access to an alumni network of professionals
• Classes that weren’t taught from a textbook, and focused on the professor sharing and providing real-world experiences (Although this likely applies better to business classes than the sciences, for instance!)
• Connections to paid internships

Colleges that promoted these things when I was searching for colleges were at the top of my college list.

2. More Online and Hybrid Learning Options

I attended virtual high school (before COVID-19) for health reasons, and it changed my life for the better. I remember being so worried I wouldn’t be able to get into the colleges at the top of my list because I was enrolled in a virtual school. Who knew that the world would go virtual in 2020!

I am so thankful for that experience because it allowed me to get my education even when I couldn’t go to a physical school, and prepared me for my remote career.

Now, virtual learning is a must, and for some folks, the standard. It’s more accessible for many students, and many people learn better that way. 

So many students live online. Colleges need to meet students where they’re at.

Leaning into virtual options benefits colleges, too. They can start expanding access beyond their geographical boundaries, making it more feasible to reach enrollment goals.

3. Student Support Services and Community Elements

So many Gen Zers are facing mental and emotional struggles. 

Personalized support services and strong community elements can make a huge difference in students’ well-being, and even provide a safe haven.

College can be a time of healing and tremendous growth for students. 

Access to on-campus therapists, disability support services, and rich clubs and organizations can change lives. I know it changed mine!

4. Study Abroad, Research, and Internship Opportunities

Studying abroad was huge for me. My study abroad experience was my first time traveling internationally. The confidence, expanded worldview, and experiences I gained abroad were key to my transition from a kid to an adult. 

Like studying abroad, research and internship opportunities can be life-changing for Gen Z. They can mean the difference between a solid career start and a rocky 20s. Colleges that emphasize research and internship opportunities can help more students connect the dots between academia and real-world work skills.

The true value of college for me was the opportunities it opened. Whether that’s to more higher education or a career, that’s what I think college is all about: opportunity! 

How Scoir Can Help

With fewer students pursuing higher education in 2025 and beyond, it will be even harder to find students interested in your institution. With Scoir, we get your content in front of students who have already expressed interest in institutions like yours, saving you time and money. We also help you move these students through the entire marketing funnel.

Request a consultation with Scoir to learn how we can support your institution.