Trying to add a payment method? You can do this on the 
QuickTake:
Data presented at a University of Oregon Board of Trustees meeting on Monday show that while the UO admits a higher percentage of applicants than peer schools in the Big Ten, a far lower percentage end up enrolling. UO’s two-year retention rate and its graduation rates are also lower than its peers.
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees opened its fall meeting Monday, Sept. 15, at the school’s Portland campus with a presentation on the steep enrollment challenges that lie ahead for UO.
Vice President for Enrollment Management Derek Kindle, who began his role in late June, introduced what he called “sobering” enrollment data before the 15-member board on Monday morning. He said the imbalance between admittance and enrollment at UO puts it behind its peers, setting the stage for a tough recruitment cycle that’s complicated by intense regional competition and potential federal actions.
UO draws 37% fewer applicants than its Big Ten and legacy Pac-12 peers, according to the data. It admits between 11% and 33% more applicants than those peers. But it ends up enrolling about 10% fewer students than its peers, according to university data.
The university received about 40,000 applicants, admitted more than 35,000, and enrolled just over 5,000 students, according to the most recently available data. That makes for an admit rate of about 88%.
“That’s not necessarily a good thing,” Kindle said.
UO’s retention rate — the percentage of first-year students who return for a second year — is 86%, 8 percentage points lower than the average Big Ten peer. The university’s four-year graduation rate is 58%, 15 percentage points lower than average Big Ten peers.
UO’s 2024 strategic plan resembles a “silver lining” because it addresses graduation rates as its first goal, Kindle said.
Kindle said UO relies too much on students from California and the West Coast in general, which is problematic because California’s public university system is expanding its enrollment and the Big Ten already recruits heavily there.
Kindle added that competition among peer universities will grow due to budget pressures, and the shrinking “attention economy” limits how universities can attract potential applicants.
“You have no more than 10 to 15 seconds to catch someone’s attention before you scrolled on to the next thing,” Kindle said regarding UO’s marketing and branding.
Unprecedented federal actions toward higher education, uncertainty surrounding international student visas and reductions in federal student aid are also contributing to UO’s enrollment difficulties, Kindle said.
Before and during his second term, President Donald Trump has pressured universities to roll back efforts to increase diversity and otherwise conform to his administration’s ideology through funding cuts, executive orders, student visa cancellations and more.
In response to the concerns, the university is conducting an enrollment funnel deep dive, examining the experiences of prospective students to graduate students and metrics like GPA and rigor of coursework, Kindle said.
Officials are also working on making the university’s digital identity more social media-friendly, using quick information “bites.” They are also prioritizing building relationships with college student supporters, such as counselors, parents, alumni and community-based organizations.
“This recruitment cycle will be one of the toughest, at least in my 26 years,” Kindle said, but he added: “We have a talented team, and those talented team members are used to navigating choppy waters.”
Trustee Connie Seeley asked how changes at the federal level could impact the incoming class and UO’s recruitment strategies.
Kindle said he couldn’t say for certain, but he expects “increased scrutiny” across the institution that “strain resources and time,” including reporting on students by race, ethnicity and test scores and potential conflicts with federal interpretations of Supreme Court decisions.
The executive branch could attempt to reverse student loan repayments under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program if it believes UO has run afoul of the law, he said, as one example. Kindle said this will cause a “chilling effect” on enrollment in graduate programs, especially among applicants who need loans or other financial instruments.
Kindle said federal actions will also continue to affect discussions of free speech at UO. Campus protests don’t generally impact recruitment, but officials’ response to them can, Kindle said.
Trustee Tim Boyle asked how UO can improve recruitment from regional neighbors like California.
UO’s academic reputation and the university’s cost are the two primary factors that officials hear from students who were admitted but chose not to enroll, Kindle said. He said any schools with a recognizable brand ranked above UO will “outgun” the school.
UO is ranked No. 109 on the US News and World Report’s national list of universities.
Board Chair Steve Holwerda asked if the data funnel shows that applicants consider UO to be a “safe school” — a university with a high acceptance rate. In response, Kindle said “absolutely.”
College applicants typically group universities into “reach,” “target” and “safety” schools. Schools in the safety group are those which almost guarantee admission.
Earlier on Monday, trustees also voted to approve tuition rates for three new graduate programs: a microcredential in community podcasting; a microcredential in video production; and an education specialist in school psychology program.
The first two programs cost about $758 per credit hour. The third costs around $854 per credit hour.
These rates align with existing, similar programs in the School of Journalism and Communication and the College of Education, said Brian Fox, associate vice president for budget, financial analysis, and data analytics.
Trustees then voted to approve changes to tuition rate assignment procedures to more closely synchronize the process with trustee academic program approvals. The board has the sole authority to approve tuition rates for academic programs.
After the presentation, the board went into executive session to privately discuss an audit of the university’s identity and access management, collective bargaining and an annual review of the performance of UO President Karl Scholz.
Scholz’s review and budget talks were the focus of the rest of Monday’s public meeting.
