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Top-Ranked College and University Admissions Websites Revealed in Annual Enrollment Power Index

  • 11/05/14

LEE’S SUMMIT, MO — The top-ranked college and university websites in the 16th Annual Enrollment Power Index® (EPI) use social media and excellent interface functionality to engage their best prospects and boost enrollments. Congratulations to University of Kansas, who topped the list this year.

Key findings from this research-based analysis conducted by the National Research Center for College & University Admissions (NRCCUA) show that students prefer to engage with institutions whose sites meet their expectations for easy access to critical information and contact with admissions officers. The study also shows that students who find sites lacking in critical information or difficult to use will move on to others: website design and functionality can make or break a student’s engagement with a college or university.

The study grades institutions on a 100-point scale, including functionality, design and technology components. Of the post-secondary institutions whose sites were graded, fewer than 45 percent earned a score of A or B. The criteria for the study are reviewed and updated annually by internal experts as well as current high school students. A panel of college-bound high school students reviewed each institution. Since the technology for admissions websites is constantly changing, so changes the expectations of the prospective students who visit the websites looking for information.

Top 15 ‘A’ Ranked Websites
University of Kansas, KS
Coe College, Cedar Rapids, IA
Clayton State University, Morrow, GA
University of Northwestern–St. Paul, MN
Unity College, Unity, ME
Lycoming College, Williamsport, PA
Lesley University, Cambridge, MA
University of Illinois at Springfield, IL
University of Chicago, IL
Virginia Intermont College, Bristol, VA
Concordia University, St. Paul, MN
Marian University, Indianapolis, IN
State University of New York at Albany, NY
Lyon College, Batesville, AR
Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA

A breakdown of the top 15 overall institutions and top 10 institutions by region is available. For more information on the EPI study, please visit www.nrccua.org/epi-report.

MyCollegeOptions® , operated by NRCCUA, is the leading organization connecting young people and their families with colleges and universities across the country. For more information please visit www.nrccua.org.

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