This year’s NACAC took place during an unprecedented time in higher ed. We wanted to capture the mood at this momentous conference by having a few MARKETview experts share their biggest takeaways and the hottest topics they heard among the industry professionals in attendance.
Forecasting a Challenging Year Ahead
To no surprise, the main thing on everyone’s mind was the degree of turbulence in the marketplace. Ben Plache, Ph.D., Senior Director of Client Success at MARKETview, observed an acknowledgement of how these obstacles are only increasing year by year.
“The key thing in the atmosphere at NACAC was the challenges of the past year, and institutions are recognizing how the landscape has shifted, making meeting your goals and enrolling your class more and more difficult,” Plache said.
MARKETview’s Anna Swanson, Managing Director of Data and Analytics, spent the majority of her time at NACAC talking to the enrollment leaders on the front lines of these shifts. She shared the throughline she heard during all of her discussions.
“People think this is going to be a really aggressive year that they’ll have to stay ahead of,” Swanson said. “[Enrollment leaders] are wondering what they can do to enroll the classes they need, knowing all the things that they’re up against.”
Pressures on Private Institutions
A common issue among attendees, especially those from private institutions, was about their ability to recruit students who were able and willing to pay full tuition price. Families are becoming increasingly price conscious, and public universities are offering discount rates and amenities that private institutions can’t compete with. Plache elaborated on the situation many in higher ed are facing.
“Private institutions are concerned about public institutions,” Plache said. “We’ve seen movement out of the private market and to the public market with all types of students. Part of that is driven by student choice, but another part is driven by aggressiveness from public institutions.”
As a result, institutions that rely on students paying full price came into this year’s NACAC looking for new and innovative ways to keep up with these changes. Swanson described the strategic solutions she discussed with several enrollment leaders.
“Many private schools are considering investing more heavily than before in merit aid to attract families that have migrated to the public sector,” Swanson said. “For our MARKETview Financial Aid partners, we can demonstrate market shifts through our comparative financial aid data and manage the conversations around revenue goals with other members of their teams, be it cabinets or boards. The comparative context is a game changer in these conversations, whether they are with public or private partners.”
Federal Influence in Higher Ed
The political pressures on higher ed were also a top-of-mind issue at NACAC. Crackdowns on diversity related admissions policies and the cancellation of federal grants were commonplace conversation topics in Columbus. Additionally, Plache noted a renewed sense of apprehension about application rates for international students this year.
“[Institutions] are seeing that yes, enrollment is down, but perhaps not quite as much as we feared at first,” Plache said. “Last year’s disruptions happened post-application for international students. Are those students even going to apply this year because of all the obstacles aimed at that group?”
Staying Mission-Focused During Difficult Times
While there was an air of anxiety among the conferencegoers, there was also a sense of resilience. The theme of NACAC 2025, United We Rise, put a focus on uplifting each other during a time where enrollment leadership is more challenging than ever before. The keynote speakers focused on how to be a leader amid the turmoil, encouraging attendees to stay focused on the mission of connecting students with higher education opportunities.
Joanne Berger-Sweeny, Ph.D., punctuated the conference with a message of optimism for the future during a main-stage panel of former college presidents.
“What gives me hope is always looking toward the future,” said Berger Sweeney. “I’m a neuroscientist by training. I will tell you; there’s incredible research going on today. There’s incredible art being created today. Some of those people making those amazing discoveries were admitted into colleges and universities by you. How could I not have hope?”
Chat with our team to see how MARKETview’s real-time data can keep you in the know throughout the enrollment cycle on the student populations that matter most to your goals.