Veera Korhonen
Research expert covering United States data for society
College choice in the United States - Statistics & Facts
Selecting a college is a major life decision that many high school seniors face every year. Prospective college students in the United States have no shortage of decisions; as of 2020, there were 3,931 higher education institutions across the country. Many factors influence a student's decision when choosing a college, some of which include cost of attendance, location, majors offered, and size. Furthermore, students must endure a rigorous admissions process, which includes standardized testing scores, grades, extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation. In 2022, colleges and universities that accepted less than 24 percent of applicants in the United States still received almost 2 million applications. After colleges send out admissions letters, students can then start the tough decision-making process to determine their college of choice.
Research and recruitment
Over the last decade, social media has begun to play a significant role in the college decision-making process. As of 2023, more than 70 percent of students used Instagram to view official university accounts, search for students at a university, and look for content that may not be provided by the colleges themselves. Around half also used YouTube and TikTok to aid their college research. However, a 2022 survey found that college-bound students were still influenced by direct communication from colleges, with 75 percent agreeing that emails from colleges were influential in their college decision-making process. In addition, prospective college students were most likely to cite advice from their school or college counselor and advice from friends and family as their preferred method of researching colleges in 2023, suggesting that old-school recruitment may still play an important part in the decision-making process.The cost of college
According to a 2023 survey, affordability, student outcomes, and flexibility were ranked as the top factors in deciding upon a specific college in the United States. Finances are an important factor behind one's choice of college, as university costs in the United States are exorbitantly high. In the 2021/22 academic year, the average cost to attend university totaled over 30,000 U.S. dollars. As a result, many students opt to attend a public university, as it is significantly more affordable when compared to private university tuition. In addition, online college selection has risen in popularity recently, as online colleges provide a more affordable and flexible option for many students in the United States.
