For the past 19 years, Tim Fuller, now serving as as one of Credo's Vice Presidents and Owners, has conducted an annual study on the cost to recruit a traditional undergraduate student including admission budgets, staffing, salaries and funnel ratios. The study focuses on member institutions in the North American Coalition for Christian Admission Personnel (NACCAP), breaking down key ratios and comparisons by region, enrollment size and institutional type. The most recent study analyzes these important categories for fall 2011. Some study highlights include:
- The cost to recruit a student continues to climb, averaging $2,623 for the 89 participating institutions
- Administrative overhead positions, representing those working at the VP/dean/director or other levels without direct recruitment responsibilities, average 2.63 FTE
- The average recruitment FTE produces 51 new students, continuing a downward trend of the last several years.
In general, the study results reinforce the continuing challenges of recruiting traditional undergraduates in a competitive, cluttered, expensive market.
Summary Document: 2011 NACCAP Admission Benchmarking Study - Summary Report - Final.
Questions about the study can be directed to Tim Fuller at tfuller@credohighered.com or 336.585.1044.