College Choice Report: Class of 2015

College Choice Report 2015National ACT is an independent, nonprofit organization that provides assessment, research, information, and program management services in the broad areas of education and workforce development. Each year, we serve millions of people in high schools, colleges, professional associations, businesses, and government agencies, nationally and internationally. Though designed to meet a wide array of needs, all ACT programs and services have one guiding purpose—helping people achieve education and workplace success.A copy of this report can be found at www.act.org/collegechoice20155706The College Choice Report is an annual report that follows an ACT®-tested high school graduating class from high school to the first year of college. It focuses on student characteristics, preferences, and college search behaviors to assist enrollment managers, admissions personnel, and other college administrators with student recruitment, enrollment, and persistence. This College Choice Report is part of a report cycle that focuses on a particular ACT-tested high school graduating class. The other report in this cycle is The Condition of College & Career Readiness, which highlights the academic readiness of high school graduates to enter college or career training.© 2016 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved. 3College Choice ReportACT-Tested Class of 2015College Choices of 2015 GraduatesThe College Choice Report reflects college preference and fall 2015 enrollment patterns of 2015 US graduates who took the ACT® test. This group of students represents 59% of the 2015 national graduating class, which is up from 49% of the graduating class of 2011. The expansion of depth and breadth in the data pool across the past five years accentuates the importance of understanding student college preference and enrollment from a variety of perspectives. This College Choice Report, and its accompanying interactive online charts, permits investigation of many of these perspectives.Using This ReportNational data is included in the College Choice Report. Within this report, we investigate several key questions:• How do student interests translate into college enrollment?• Do enrollment patterns and achievement vary by race, gender, and highest parental education level?• Do enrollment patterns vary as a result of major in which interest is expressed?• What are some defining characteristics of students enrolled in public 4-year, private 4-year, and 2-year institutions?• What are some defining characteristics of students who did not enroll in fall of 2015?In addition to the national report, the associated interactive online charts permit users to further drill down into national data and to investigate points of interest at different geographic levels (www.act.org/collegechoice2015). They provide insights into prospective students that will inform discussion regarding desired characteristics, strategies for recruitment, and other relevant topics. Similarly, colleges that participate in the Educational Opportunity Service (EOS) will find this information helpful when establishing or refining selection criteria, thereby improving the efficiency of student searches. The wide range of information presented in the online system reflects recognition that US colleges are diverse in many ways, thereby giving rise to often unique needs and enrollment questions.Data SourcesStudent information provided in this report—such as students’ background characteristics, ACT scores, planned major, and participation in EOS—is collected when students register for and take the ACT. Scores and associated ACT College Readiness Benchmark attainment statuses are earned as part of the ACT testing experience. College enrollment for fall 2015 is determined by matching test records from the 2015 ACT graduating class to enrollment records that colleges provide to the National Student Clearinghouse®. Data from the National Student Clearinghouse account for over 96% of enrollments at Title IV degree-granting institutions in the nation.The ACT College Readiness Benchmarks are scores on the ACT subject area tests that represent the level of achievement required for students to have a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher or about a 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher in corresponding credit-bearing first-year college courses. The ACT College Readiness Benchmarks are:College CourseSubject Area TestACT College Readiness Benchmark English CompositionEnglish18Social SciencesReading22College AlgebraMathematics22BiologyScience23 4 COLLEGE CHOICE REPORT 2015 Key Findings and RecommendationsPercent of ACT-Tested Graduates Enrolling in Higher Education Graduating ClassPercent Change20112012201320142015Students Enrolled1,145,0291,172,6501,244,6411,275,4851,283,00912.10%Percent71%70%69%69%67%Students Not Enrolled478,083493,367554,602570,302641,42734.20%Percent29%30%31%31%33%Graduating Class N Count1,623,1121,666,0171,799,2431,845,7871,924,43618.60%The number of AC