Universities face tough choices about how to allocate tight budgets. A frequent question is whether a significant investment in research that is crucial for the university's position in rankings will make the university more popular and lead to higher revenues from tuition. This paper analyses how the ranking and popularity of universities are…

The purpose of this non-experimental study was to utilize a resource dependence theory (RDT) conceptual framework to examine differences between quality, affordability, and undergraduate enrollment based on private nonprofit four-year colleges and universities' (PCUs) institutional characteristics from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data…

A growing number of states are placing restrictions on whether public universities can increase tuition, and this trend is likely to continue in the future. Yet no research has examined whether tuition caps or freezes have induced more students--particularly from historically underrepresented groups--to enroll in public higher education. In this…

This study delves into the changing landscape of graduate enrollment in education programs post-COVID-19 and the "Great Resignation." Despite an overall increase in graduate enrollment, education programs experienced a decline. Using methodology merging institutional data with tuition benefits from other institutions, this research…

Tuition-dependent higher education institutions face myriad external and internal challenges, including waning public confidence, demographic shifts, systemic sluggishness, and reduced workforces. Research on higher education administration tends to focus on senior-level leaders, with the operational experience of rank-and-file administrators…

University rankings envision a level playing field between competing universities, particularly in higher education (HE) systems regulated along market lines. Drawing on social stratification theory, we argue that rankings exacerbate, rather than alleviate, resource inequalities between universities with historically consolidated reputations…

Based on the life and educational histories of sixteen high-achieving, working-class girls applying to high-tariff universities, this paper rekindles debates about the role of agency within the decision-making process of young people who might not otherwise be expected to apply to such institutions. It draws on Margaret Archer's theorising to…

The discrepancies in college enrollment based on a student's socioeconomic background challenges the upward mobility of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Jesuit colleges and universities, guided by Catholic Social Teaching and their own focus on social justice, are uniquely positioned to facilitate the social mobility of the…

As the number of traditional-aged college students has declined, competition has risen. Admission counselors, who are responsible for recruiting entering students, bear the brunt of this challenge. Nowhere is recruitment more important than at tuition dependent institutions, where revenue from student charges is the financial lifeblood. These…

Background/purpose: While the existing literature explores the internalization of higher education, a significant gap remains in comprehending the motivations behind international students choosing Portuguese higher education. This study aims to address this gap by examining the motivations of a specific group within Portuguese universities:…

Due to concerns about college affordability, in 2011, the Department of Education began producing two annual public lists of institutions with the highest change in tuition and fees and average net price within sector (top 5% and at least US$600 increase). This study investigates the effect of this low-stakes federal accountability tool on…

More than half of states have implemented tuition-free college policies aimed at reducing attendance costs and incentivizing enrollment. We review the academic literature on the design features and impacts of these tuition-free policies, and we analyze an initiative Virginia implemented in 2021 called Get a Skill, Get a Job, Get Ahead (G3), which…

Tuition discounting has been a long-standing practice among colleges and universities. Its roots can be traced to the beginnings of the 1970s, and its use has continued to increase and expand in the decades following. However, despite its widespread use, the research is inconclusive whether tuition discounting has been an effective strategy to…

As it becomes more difficult to predict enrollment outcomes and the decline in high school graduates' looms on the horizon, the ability of higher education leaders to understand what characteristics of the university brand are most compelling for prospective students is important to ensure enrollment objectives are met. This mixed-methods…

In 2016, WCET conducted a survey to better understand the relationship between the cost and price of distance education. The results of this survey were published in the 2017 study "Distance Education Price and Cost Report." That survey found that although 75% of respondents indicated that distance education and face-to-face students…