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Watch the Webcast Recording of the 11th Edition Knocking at the College Door Release
For many years, demographers have warned that the number of high school graduates would peak then decline, adding new pressure to postsecondary enrollments facing the proverbial “cliff.” As predicted, the United States next year will reach its highest peak ever for high school graduates and then enter a period of slow and steady decline, according to the 11th edition of Knocking at the College Door, which was released December 11, 2024. Read the press release.
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Media Mentions
Featured Media Mention | November 02, 2026
As courting students gets tougher, colleges vie to make the admissions process friendlier
An article from The Hechinger Report explores how colleges and universities are making their admissions processes more welcoming and accessible as competition for prospective students increases. The article cites WICHE projections that the number of high school graduates nationwide...
College Enrollment Cliff: A Survival Plan for Private Schools
This article from Skolbot discusses the decline in high school graduates across the country and how it will affect different institution types. Data from Knocking at the College Door: Projections of High School Graduates is cited. View original source.
July 31, 2026
The Number of High School Grads in Colorado is Shrinking. Can Colleges Weather Enrollment Drops?
An article from The Colorado Sun discusses what strategies Colorado insitutions are utilizing while facing a declining student pool. WICHE Commissioner JB Holston (CO) and Director of Evidence and Strategic Initiatives, Policy Analysis and Research, Colleen Falkenstern, are quoted....
July 27, 2026
The Great Sorting of American Universities Has Begun
An article by Real Clear Education argues that American higher education is entering a period of significant restructuring as declining numbers of high school graduates, financial pressures, changing student demographics, and intensified competition for research funding force institutions to redefine their...
July 21, 2026