2023 Recruitment Report
College of Journalism and Mass Communications
As the summer ends and new student enrollment wraps up, we can see a clearer picture of our incoming first-year class for fall 2023. Official recruitment numbers won't be available until after the census date (the sixth day of classes), but current figures can give us a good idea of where we will land this year.
All figures in this report were pulled on Aug. 6, 2023, and are compared to numbers on Aug. 6, 2022.
Funnel Report
The college experienced increases across all stages of the recruitment process, unlike the university, which saw declines in several stages.
The most significant increase was in admitted students. Last year, the college admitted 407 students, compared to 476 this year, a 17% increase. However, our growth in gross enrollment deposits wasn't as significant at only 2.2%. This indicates that our efforts to build awareness of our programs and encourage students to apply are strong. But we could improve our efforts to encourage admitted students to pay their enrollment deposits.
The number of students of have completed their NSE advising appointment (which enrolls them for fall courses) grew by 5.4% over last year. The university is also up in NSE completion at 1.5%, but the increase isn't as large as the college.
|
College |
|||
|
Funnel Stage |
2023 |
2022 |
Percent Change |
|
Applications |
551 |
481 |
14.6% |
|
Admits |
476 |
407 |
17.0% |
|
Gross Enrollment Deposits |
185 |
181 |
2.2% |
|
Net Enrollment Deposits |
179 |
168 |
6.5% |
|
New Student Enrollment |
175 |
166 |
5.4% |
|
University |
|||
|
Funnel Stage |
2023 |
2022 |
Percent Change |
|
Applications |
18404 |
19116 |
-3.7% |
|
Admits |
15196 |
16063 |
-5.4% |
|
Gross Enrollment Deposits |
5118 |
5210 |
-1.8% |
|
Net Enrollment Deposits |
4771 |
4646 |
2.7% |
|
New Student Enrollment |
4503 |
4436 |
1.5% |
Residency
Our incoming class is on track to be 68.2% residents (122) and 31.8% (57) non-resident students. Students hail from 21 states. After Nebraska, the largest feeder states are Iowa (9), Minnesota (8), Colorado (6) and Texas (5). The university's incoming class has a greater proportion of resident students than the college at 73.7% and a smaller proportion of non-resident students at 26.3%.
Gender
The college's incoming class is 55.9% female and 44.1% male. This skews more heavily female than the university-wide class, which is on track to be 52.8% female, 47.2% male and .1% nonbinary.
First Generation Students
The college's incoming class is 22.9% first-generation students. This figure has trended upward slightly over the past two years, where first-generation students have grown from 22.2% in 2021 to 22.9% this year. The university's proportion of first-generation students has slightly decreased over the same period. However, the overall proportion at UNL remains higher than in the college.
Race and Ethnicity
The college improved in its efforts to recruit diverse students. The proportion of the incoming first-year class that is white fell from 83.3% last year to 74.9% this year. The most significant increases were seen in Hispanic and Latino students, which grew from 6.5% to 10.1% and multiracial students, which grew from 3.6% to 7.8%. Additionally, the proportion of minority freshmen enrolling in the college for fall is greater than the university-wide proportion, whose incoming class is on track to be 75.8% white.
ACT Scores
The university no longer requires submitting an ACT score as part of the application. However, a snapshot of those submitted scores can give insight into the academic preparation of our incoming students. Most of our incoming students' ACT scores fell between 20 and 25, while 17 students were admitted with a score of less than 20.
The average ACT score remained flat at 23.6 from last year, when the average score was 23.7. This average score is lower than the university average of 24.8 for the fall 2023 semester.
EFC Bands
An indicator of the socioeconomic status of our students is their Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as determined by their FAFSA. Students' EFC figures are grouped into bands, with one indicating the highest level of financial need and six indicating the lowest level. This year, the number of students in the neediest two EFC bands (band one and band two) grew.
Feeder High Schools
Feeder high schools have funneled the most students into the college over the past four years. The top 10 feeder high schools are all in Lincoln and Omaha.
- Lincoln East High School – 23
- Lincoln Southeast High School – 15
- Millard West High School – 15
- Lincoln Southwest High School – 14
- Lincoln North Star High School – 13
- Millard North High School – 12
- Burke High School – 9
- Elkhorn South High School – 9
- Millard South High School – 9
- Papillion Lavista Senior High School – 9
Competitor Schools
Competitor Schools are those colleges and universities where students admitted to the college for the fall of 2022 are ultimately enrolled. For the fall of 2022, the college admitted 194 students who enrolled at other universities. Fifty-three of those students were from Nebraska, while 141 were from out-of-state. Our top competitor schools were:
- University of Missouri – 13
- University of Nebraska Omaha – 13 (all Nebraska students)
- Kansas State University – 8
- University of Kansas – 8
- University of Alabama – 7
- University of Colorado Boulder – 5
- Indiana University – 4
- University of Iowa – 4
- Iowa State University – 4
- University of South Dakota – 4
- University of Oklahoma – 4
- University of Nebraska at Kearney – 4
Demographic snapshot by major:
|
Demographic Snapshot |
College |
ADPR |
BRDC |
JOUR |
SPMC |
|
EDS Paid |
179 |
39 |
26 |
30 |
83 |
|
Non-Residents |
32% |
13% |
19% |
30% |
45% |
|
Male |
44% |
13% |
54% |
27% |
62% |
|
First Gen Students |
23% |
26% |
27% |
27% |
19% |
|
Diverse |
25% |
34% |
15% |
20% |
27% |
|
Average ACT |
23.7 |
22.8 |
23.3 |
24.8 |
23.6 |
|
Low-Income* |
19% |
26% |
23% |
33% |
19% |
*Students in EFC Band 1 and 2 out of the total number who have paid their enrollment deposit
Advertising and Public Relations
Funnel Report
The 5.4% increase in enrollment deposits experienced in the college was not driven by enrollment deposits in ADPR, which remained flat in advertising and public relations. ADPR also experienced increased applications and admitted students but saw a decline in gross enrollment deposits paid. Additionally, two students who have paid their enrollment deposits have not completed their NSE advising appointment.
|
Advertising and Public Relations |
2023 |
2022 |
Percent Change |
|
Applications |
74 |
70 |
5.7% |
|
Admits |
64 |
63 |
1.6% |
|
Gross Deposits |
41 |
43 |
-4.7% |
|
Net Deposits |
39 |
39 |
0.0% |
|
New Student Enrollment |
37 |
38 |
-2.6% |
Residency
Eighty-Seven-point two percent of advertising and public relations majors who have paid their enrollment deposits are from Nebraska, while only 12.8% are from out-of-state. This proportion is far more significant than the college, where only 68.2% of incoming students are Nebraska residents. Incoming students hail from only four states: Nebraska (34), Iowa (2), Michigan (1) and Texas (2).
Gender
The proportion of ADPR students who identify as female has always been large and continues to grow this year. Last year, 82.1% of incoming students identified as female, which increased to 87.2% this year.
First Generation
The proportion of incoming students who identify as first-generation students has grown significantly over the past three years, from 7.1% in 2021 to 25.6% this year.
Race and Ethnicity
The proportion of incoming ADPR students who are white dramatically fell from 89.7% (35) in fall 2022 to 69.2% (27) in fall 2023. The most significant increases were seen in Hispanic and Latino students, which grew from 5.1% to 15.4%, multiracial students, which grew from 0% to 7.7% and African American students, which increased from 2.6% to 5.1%.
ACT Scores
The university no longer requires submitting an ACT score as part of the application. However, a snapshot of those submitted scores can give insight into the academic preparation of our incoming students. Most (11) of our incoming ADPR students' ACT scores fell between 20 and 25, while four students were admitted with a score of less than 20.
The average ACT score of incoming ADPR students fell from 24.3 in fall 2022 to 22.8 in fall 2023.
EFC Bands
An indicator of the socioeconomic status of our students is their Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as determined by their FAFSA. Students' EFC figures are grouped into bands, with 1 indicating the highest level of financial need and 6 indicating the lowest level.
Feeder High Schools
Feeder high schools have funneled the largest number of students into the college over the past four years. Like the college, the top feeder high schools for advertising and public relations are in Lincoln and Omaha.
- Lincoln East High School – 44
- Burke High School – 31
- Lincoln Southwest High School – 24
- Marian High School – 21
- Millard North High School – 21
- Lincoln Southeast High School – 20
- Millard West High School – 20
- Lincoln North Star High School – 17
- Lincoln High School – 16
Competitor Schools
Competitor Schools are those colleges and universities where students admitted to the college for the fall of 2022 ultimately enrolled. For the fall of 2022, the college admitted 16 ADPR students who enrolled at other universities. Six of those students were from Nebraska, while ten were from out-of-state. Our top competitor schools were:
- Iowa State University – 2
- University of Kansas – 2
- University of Nebraska at Omaha – 2
Broadcasting
Funnel Report
Broadcasting experienced significant increases across the recruitment funnel. The largest increase was in admitted students, which grew 30.6%, from 49 in fall 2022 to 64 in fall 2023. Additionally, all broadcasting students who have paid their enrollment deposits have completed their NSE advising appointment.
|
Broadcasting |
2023 |
2022 |
Percent Change |
|
Applications |
69 |
54 |
27.8% |
|
Admits |
64 |
49 |
30.6% |
|
Gross Deposits |
27 |
23 |
17.4% |
|
Net Deposits |
26 |
22 |
18.2% |
|
NSE |
26 |
22 |
18.2% |
Residency
A majority, 80.8% of incoming broadcasting students, are from Nebraska, while 19.2% are from out-of-state. Broadcasting students will hail from five states: Nebraska (21), Illinois (2), Kansas (1), Ohio (1) and Washington (1).
Gender
Unlike the college, incoming broadcasting students are 53.8% male and 46.2% female. This is a dramatic change from last year's incoming broadcasting class, where only 31.8% were male, and 68.2% were female.
First Generation Students
The incoming broadcasting class is 26.9% first-generation students, greater than the college proportion of 22.9%. There has been fluctuation in broadcasting over the past few years, but the trend is upward.
Race and Ethnicity
While the diversity of the incoming broadcasting class increased slightly, from 13.6% to 15.4%, it remains behind the college at 25.1% and the university at 24.2%. Broadcasting saw increases in Asian students, 0 to 3.8% and multiracial students, 0 to 7.7%. Broadcasting declined in Hispanic and Latino students, dropping from 13.6% to 3.8%.
ACT Scores
The university no longer requires submitting an ACT score as part of the application. However, a snapshot of those submitted scores can give insight into the academic preparation of our incoming students. Most of our incoming students' ACT scores fell between 20 and 25, while one student was admitted with a score of less than 20.
The average ACT score for incoming broadcasting students fell to 23.3 from 24.8 in the fall of 2022.
EFC Bands
An indicator of the socioeconomic status of our students is their Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as determined by their FAFSA. Students' EFC figures are grouped into bands, with 1 indicating the highest level of financial need and 6 indicating the lowest level.
Feeder High Schools
Feeder high schools have funneled the largest number of students into the college over the past four years. Unlike the college, not all broadcasting feeder high schools are in Lincoln or Omaha. One feeder school is in Illinois.
- Lincoln Pius X High School – 14
- Malcolm High School – 12
- Northwest High School – 12
- Notre Dame College Prep (Niles, Illinois) – 12
- Lincoln East High School – 11
- Lexington Senior High School – 10
- Lincoln North High School – 10
- Sidney High School – 10
- Westside High School – 10
Competitor Schools
Competitor Schools are those colleges and universities where students admitted to the college for the fall of 2022 ultimately enrolled. For the fall of 2022, the college admitted 22 students who enrolled at other universities. Six of those students were from Nebraska, while 16 were from out-of-state. Our top competitor schools were:
- University of Missouri – 2
- University of Oklahoma – 2
Journalism
Funnel Report
While journalism saw increases in applications and admitted students, the major experienced significant declines in gross deposits, net deposits and the number of students who have completed their NSE advising appointment. At this point in the recruitment process, it is safe to assume that we will experience a decline in incoming journalism majors this fall.
|
Journalism |
2023 |
2022 |
Percent Change |
|
Applications |
139 |
134 |
3.7% |
|
Admits |
121 |
116 |
4.3% |
|
Gross Deposits |
30 |
40 |
-25.0% |
|
Net Deposits |
30 |
37 |
-18.9% |
|
NSE |
29 |
35 |
-17.1% |
Residency
Seventy percent of incoming journalism students are Nebraska residents, while 30% will be from out-of-state. Journalism students will hail from eight states: Nebraska (21), Iowa (2), Minnesota (2), Colorado (1), Texas (1), Idaho (1), Wisconsin (1) and West Virginia (1).
Gender
Most incoming journalism students are female at 73.3%, while only 26.7% are male. This is a significant shift from last year, where only 62.2% were female.
First Generation Students
The proportion of first-generation journalism students increased from 16.2% last year to 26.7% this year. However, the trend of first-generation journalism students has decreased over the past four years.
Race and Ethnicity
The proportion of incoming white journalism students grew from 73% in the fall of 2022 to 80% this year. Asian students increased from 2.7% to 3.3%. Hispanic and Latino students grew from 8.1% to 10%. African American students declined from 5.4% to 0%, and multiracial students declined from 10.8% to 6.7%.
ACT Scores
The university no longer requires submitting an ACT score as part of the application. However, a snapshot of those submitted scores can give insight into the academic preparation of our incoming students. Most of our incoming students' ACT scores fell between 20 and 25, while three students were admitted with a score of less than 20.
The average ACT score of incoming journalism students grew from 24.6 in fall 2022 to 24.8 in fall 2023.
EFC Bands
An indicator of the socioeconomic status of our students is their Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as determined by their FAFSA. Students' EFC figures are grouped into bands, with 1 indicating the highest level of financial need and 6 indicating the lowest level.
Feeder High Schools
Feeder high schools have funneled the largest number of students into the college over the past four years. All but one of the top feeder schools in journalism are in Lincoln or Omaha.
- Lincoln Southwest High School – 7
- Central High School – 6
- Millard West High School – 6
- Lincoln North Star High School – 5
- Bellevue West Senior High School – 3
- Lincoln East High School – 3
- Papillion-Lavista Senior High School – 3
- Seward High School – 3
- Westside High School – 3
- Elkhorn South High School – 3
Competitor Schools
Competitor Schools are those colleges and universities where students admitted to the college for the fall of 2022 ultimately enrolled. For the fall of 2022, the college admitted 67 students who enrolled at other universities. Twenty-five of those students were from Nebraska, while 42 were from out-of-state. Our top competitor schools were:
- University of Missouri – 7
- University of Nebraska at Omaha – 7
- Kansas State University – 5
- University of Colorado Boulder – 3
- University of Kansas – 3
- University of Alabama – 3
Sports Media and Communication
Funnel Report
Sports media and communication continued to see significant increases across the recruitment funnel. The most significant increase was in admitted students, which grew from 178 in 2022 to 227 this year.
|
Sports Media and Communication |
2023 |
2022 |
Percent Change |
|
Applications |
268 |
222 |
20.7% |
|
Admits |
227 |
178 |
27.5% |
|
Gross Deposits |
87 |
74 |
17.6% |
|
Net Deposits |
84 |
69 |
21.7% |
|
NSE |
83 |
70 |
18.6% |
Residency
Sports media continues to attract many out-of-state students, with only 54.7% of net enrollment deposits from Nebraska residents. Students will hail from 15 states: Nebraska (46), Minnesota (6), Colorado (5), Iowa (5), Missouri (4), Kansas (3), Illinois (2), South Dakota (2), Texas (2), Arizona (2), Maryland (1), Utah (1), Wisconsin (1) and Wyoming (1).
Gender
Although sports media remains overwhelmingly male, the major attracted more female students this year, growing from 26.1% of the incoming class in fall 2022 to 38.1% this year.
First-Generation Students
The proportion of first-generation students fell from 29% in fall 2022 to 19% this year. Sports media has seen first-generation students fluctuate over the past four years, but the trend remains slightly up.
Race and Ethnicity
Sports media saw an increase in diversity, with a decline in white students from 85.5% in fall 2022 to 72.6% this year. The program increases in all other racial and ethnic groups. African Americans increased from 4.3% to 34.8%. American Indians increased from 0 to 1.2%. Asian increased from 1.4% to 2.4%. Hispanic and Latino increased from 4.3% to 9.5% and multiracial increased from 2.9% to 8.3%.
ACT Scores
The university no longer requires submitting an ACT score as part of the application. However, a snapshot of those submitted scores can give insight into the academic preparation of our incoming students. Most of our incoming students' ACT scores fell between 20 and 25, while nine students were admitted with a score of less than 20.
The average ACT score in sports media grew from 22 in the fall of 2022 to 23.6 this year.
EFC Bands
An indicator of the socioeconomic status of our students is their Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as determined by their FAFSA. Students' EFC figures are grouped into bands, with 1 indicating the highest level of financial need and 6 indicating the lowest level.
Feeder High Schools
Feeder high schools are those that have funneled the largest number of students into the college over the past four years. All but one of the sports media and communication feeder high schools are in the Lincoln or Omaha area.
- Lincoln Southeast High School – 9
- Lincoln East High School – 9
- Millard South High School – 7
- Creighton Prep High School – 5
- Lincoln Northeast High School – 5
- Millard Northeast High School – 5
- Chanhassen High School – 4 (Chanhassen, Minnesota)
- Bellevue West High School – 3
- Elkhorn High School – 3
- Norris High School – 3
- Papillion Lavista Senior High School – 3
- Waverly High School – 3
- Westside High School – 3
Competitor Schools
Competitor Schools are those colleges and universities where students admitted to the college for the fall of 2022 ultimately enrolled. For the fall of 2022, the college admitted 89 students who enrolled at other universities. Sixteen of those students were from Nebraska, while 73 were from out-of-state. Our top competitor schools were:
- University of Missouri - 4
- University of Alabama - 3
- University of South Dakota - 3
- University of Nebraska at Omaha – 3