As the number of 18-year-old college applicants declines, many higher education institutions are loosening admission barriers, according to The Hechinger Report.
Through one-click applications, waived application fees, extended admission acceptance, and even “direct admission” — offering admission to students who never formally applied — colleges nationally now accept roughly six in 10 applicants, which is up from about five in 10 a decade ago, according to data from the American Enterprise Institute and shared by The Hechinger Report.
Minnesota’s direct admissions program
Minnesota’s Office of Higher Education direct admissions program notifies high-school seniors — at participating schools — that they have been pre-admitted to a set of Minnesota colleges and universities based on their academic record and expected graduation. Instead of waiting for students to apply and hope for acceptance, each fall the state sends personalized letters listing the institutions ready to admit them, and all application fees are waived. Students must still complete a free application to confirm their spot, though, so the model could create a false sense of guaranteed acceptance if students misunderstand that “pre-admission” still requires this step and meeting any extra college-specific requirements.
“This program will allow students to apply with confidence, knowing that the ‘will I get in?’ question has already been answered with a ‘YES!’” explains the department.
There are over 50 Minnesota colleges and universities — including two-year colleges, four-year universities, and private colleges and universities — and 245 Minnesota high schools participating in the 2025-26 direct admissions program. The Minnesota Legislature established the program in 2021.
Why this is happening
According to The Hechinger Report, the pool of potential college applicants has shrunk. The number of high-school seniors has dropped about 13 percent in the past 15 years, and a projected steeper 15-year decline is expected.
Under pressure to fill seats and maintain enrollment, colleges say they must make the application process easier and more appealing. As a result, they say, institutions can cast a wider net and attract applicants who might otherwise not apply.
“The reality is, the overwhelming majority of universities are struggling to put butts in seats. And they need to do everything that they can to make it easier for students and their families,” says Kevin Krebs, founder of the college admission consulting firm HelloCollege, in an interview with The Hechinger Report.
Caveats to this major shift in college admission remain, though, continues The Hechinger Report. Highly selective institutions (elite schools) remain competitive, according to their still-standing low admission rates.
Students don’t realize it — or don’t believe it, yet
Despite the changes, public perception lags. A Pew Research Center survey found that 45 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds think getting into college is harder now than for those in their parents’ generation. The Hechinger Report cites another survey by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) that found more than three-quarters of 18- to 29-year-olds say “the admissions process is complex, and more than half that it’s more stressful than anything else they’ve done during their time in elementary, middle or high school.”
Yet, the NACAC survey also found that while students who had already gone through the process reported difficulty, it was not to the same degree as those who hadn’t started.
Conclusion
As colleges race to shore up shrinking applicant pools, relaxing application requirements may reduce uncertainty and fees, but it also risks encouraging lowered academic standards, prioritization of enrollment numbers over fit, support, or outcomes, and nudging students toward choices that look convenient rather than strategic. Students, prospective applicants, and their families will need to remain vigilant, asking not only “Can I get in?” but “Should I go here?” and “Will this lead to real opportunity?”