Trends
Data-driven stories on college admissions, application volumes, and higher education statistics.
International Students Make Up More Than 10% of Undergraduates at Half of Leading Colleges
30 of 58 schools reported double-digit international enrollment in 2024–25; long-term trends split in both directions
30 of 58 schools in the 2024–25 comparison reported international undergraduates at 10% or more. Across 40 schools with endpoint data, 24 gained share and 13 declined.
Computer Science Interest Turns Down Across Every Level, 2024–2026
AP exams, the UC system, elite privates, and national counts all reversed together
After two decades as the fastest-growing field in American education, CS interest turned down everywhere at once: AP CS A down 17% from its 2024 peak, UC majors down 9%, and national enrollment posting the steepest drop of any field — right as GenAI coding tools arrived.
2026 Application Season: Five Fault Lines
Record totals mask growing divides in who's applying, and where
1.4 million applicants, 9.2 million applications — but the aggregate surge hides five sharp divergences: a first-gen boom, a 9% international cliff, the return of test scores, and why the most selective schools are the slowest-growing.
UC Applications in 2026: Santa Cruz Surges, System Stays Flat
Campus-level divergence hidden beneath a near-flat system total
System-wide UC first-year applications barely moved (+0.1%), but Santa Cruz jumped 19% and Merced transfers spiked 73% — a story of uneven growth across campuses.