Wow, what an exciting recruitment cycle this has been! We are so pleased that students from across the globe continue to see the value in a Purdue Engineering degree and want to become Boilermakers. With close to 20,000 applications, we welcomed 2,306 new First Year Engineers to our campus this fall. This was over 150 students more than our initial goal! We have also continued to improve the overall diversity and academic excellence of our student population this year, as seen on the charts near the bottom of this report.
We are proudly the largest engineering program among U.S. News & World Report's top 10 rankings. Our goal is to maintain these large freshman classes, but it will not be an easy endeavor given the following:
- The decline in high school graduates, as some predictions are as high as a 15% drop by 2025 nationwide. The Midwest will see some of the largest decreases, including Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio, where we enroll the majority of our students.
- Generation Z is different than the Millennials! How universities adjust to meet their needs in recruitment through graduation will be important to growing enrollment. Generation Z is very conscientious and practical when it comes to price point and value. They want to be able to customize their education and know a good job awaits them when they finish.
- Competition will become fiercer with fewer college age students, rapidly growing online opportunities, and a recent change in recruitment practices allowing universities to recruit students longer and provide incentives such as price breaks up to and even beyond the first day of classes.
So with all this you might think our team would be freaking out and plotting ways to get out of higher education! The thing is that the proof is in our Purdue Engineering students and alumni. We see their effort, creativity, and the difference they make in society every day. There is no doubt that Purdue Engineering is value added, and we just need to continue to share those stories on channels where they can be heard. We will continue to stick to our core values, knowing that platforms and messaging will change.
OFE's Core Values:
- Be authentic.
- Never lose sight of what is best for students and their families. Are we the right fit for them?
- Provide superior customer service for a large population.
- Communicate with students where they live, whether that is online via social media, pictures, videos, or physically in person.
I want to thank the OFE team for their passion and dedication to serving the prospective students and their families. It takes the entire community to attract and enroll students. We are truly grateful to all of our remarkable partners, including the Engineering professional schools, Office of Admissions, College of Engineering program offices, and so many more. Thanks so much for checking out our annual report!
Please reach out if you have any questions, feedback, suggestions, or collaborations you would like to discuss.
David Bowker
Director of the Office of Future Engineers
Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach