More than half of community college students considered abandoning their enrollment plans entirely due to frustrating admissions processes and inadequate support, according to a new survey that highlights critical gaps in how colleges onboard prospective students.
"Students are falling through the cracks during admissions and onboarding, despite the time and energy staff invest in recruiting them," the report states. "These missed connections can derail students from reaching their personal and career goals."
The findings come as community colleges face mounting enrollment pressures. Only 63% of recent high school graduates enrolled in college in 2024, down from 66% in 2019, while 58% of U.S. counties have seen declines in their under-five population since 2020, signaling future enrollment challenges.
The survey revealed significant disparities between student expectations and institutional capacity. While 73% of students expected responses to enrollment questions within 24 hours, only 21% actually received them that quickly. More than a quarter (27%) waited over a week for responses, and 7% never heard back at all.
Students are also requesting help through labor-intensive channels that strain already overextended staff. Among students who requested information before applying, 51% completed online interest forms, 45% emailed colleges directly, and 36% called. Only 28% used chatbot or live chat options, suggesting many colleges lack robust self-service tools.
Despite the digital age, students strongly value face-to-face interactions. Nearly three-quarters (73%) said personal interaction during enrollment was extremely or very important. Before applying, 27% toured campuses, 23% attended on-campus information sessions, and 21% attended high school information sessions.
The preference for human connection creates tension with staffing realities. The report notes that applicant-to-admissions staff ratios sometimes exceed 1,000:1, while voluntary turnover in higher education reached its highest level during the 2022-23 academic year.
The survey identified six key challenges: students wanting more personal interactions, reliance on labor-intensive help methods, expectation of faster responses, fragility of student commitment, uncertainty about major selection, and mismatched support levels during onboarding.
About one in five students felt they needed more support during key enrollment milestones like advising and placement testing, while another roughly 20% felt they received too much help with these tasks.
The report suggests AI-powered tools could help bridge the gap between student expectations and institutional capacity. EAB promotes its Navigate360 platform, which uses artificial intelligence to automate routine tasks like sending reminders and answering frequently asked questions, potentially freeing staff for more personal interactions.
Case studies in the report highlight success stories. Central Virginia Community College saw a 56% yield from inquiry to application and generated $8.8 million in tuition revenue after implementing such systems. Germanna Community College achieved a 14.5% increase in applicant-to-enrollee conversion.
The findings have particular significance for educational equity, as community colleges serve as crucial access points for first-generation students, working adults, and students from underrepresented backgrounds. The survey showed 51% of respondents were first-generation college students.
"Every step of the onboarding journey must be as simple, supportive, and responsive as possible," the report concludes. "If colleges want to keep students from slipping away, they must address these stress points with clear guidance, proactive outreach, and tools that make help feel immediate and personal."
The report, titled "Break Through the Enrollment Bottleneck," was published in 2025 as part of EAB's ongoing research on community college enrollment challenges.
