Lee’s Summit, MO (Oct. 9, 2007) – The National Research Center for College & University Admissions (NRCCUA) ranked Bellarmine University’s admissions Web site as the best in the South and fifth among all 3,087 schools in the nation. The 9th annual Enrollment Power Index® (EPI), a research-based analysis, rates how well the functionality and design of college and university Web sites provide information to potential students to take them from prospect to applicant.
“We are certainly proud that our admissions Web site has earned this outstanding ranking,” said Bellarmine President Dr. Joseph J. McGowan. “This rating by students is especially gratifying because we recently redesigned the site to provide better service to our students and prospective students and all of the work was accomplished in-house, by three staff members in our Office of Communications and Public Affairs who are all Bellarmine graduates.”
Of the 3,087 postsecondary institutions whose sites were graded, less than 30% earned A or B grades. The top 10 rated schools were:
1. Lawrence University
2. Pennsylvania College of Technology
3. LeTourneau University
4. University of New England
5. Bellarmine University
6. Wayne State University
7. Gonzaga University
8. Saint Vincent College and Seminary
9. Lakeland College
10. Newberry College
“Today’s technically savvy generation of students has extremely high expectations when it comes to the amount and type of admissions information they find on university Web sites,” said Don Munce, President of NRCCUA. “Meeting these expectations with quality, up-to-date Web sites will help students better navigate the admissions process and ensure that colleges and universities are attracting students in the Internet generation.”
The highest rated school in the North region was Pennsylvania College of Technology, Lawrence University in the Midwest, Bellarmine University in the South, and LeTourneau University was the highest rated in the West.
“Overall, approval ratings of college and university Web sites have continued to decline over the last several years, indicating a level of dissatisfaction among today’s students,” said Munce. “To satisfy prospective students and encourage them to apply, college and university admissions offices need to continue updating and enhancing their Web sites to keep them dynamic.”
EPI measures the ability of a college or university admissions Web site to take students from a prospect to an applicant. It provides a detailed analysis of trends and clear indicators of what institutions can do to improve the effectiveness of their sites.
To identify the site features that have the most significant impact of a potential student’s perception of the site, an email survey was sent to more than 100,000 college-bound high school students asking them to rate two admissions Web sites. Next, over 3,000 sites were evaluated to identify functional features present on each site. Statistical tests were then used to identify the functional features that were important to students and their relative importance.
The study examined 34 different criteria that were divided into five main categories:
• Prominence of an admissions office link on the institution’s home page (10.61 possible points).
• Admissions Web page design and ease of navigation (23.25 possible points).
• Online access to admissions materials (13.42 possible points).
• Additional admissions information (38.97 possible points).
• Ability to contact the admissions office (13.75 possible points).
Trends on Features
Since the technology for admissions Web sites is constantly advancing and changing, so are the expectations of potential students on the type of information available to them. The EPI survey takes this into account as the research criteria are updated, on a yearly basis, to reflect changes in technology and the students’ expectations. Certain features, such as the Web site search feature, have become standard but not universal and now carry less weight in the rating system.
This year’s research revealed three items that have become more critical to admissions Web sites and are expected by potential students who use the sites:
• Interactive functions such as instant messaging and live online chat rooms for students to communicate with admissions officers as they explore their college options.
• The presence of information about the community/city where the college is located and an online campus visit date scheduler.
• The ability to apply online, as well as track the application status online.
“Our in-depth and comprehensive research tells us that innovative admissions Web sites are increasingly more important to students as they consider their college options,” said Ron Morris, NRCCUA director of admissions marketing research. “A small but growing number of institutions, for instance, are starting to incorporate text message reminders, current student blogs and interactive chat features into their admissions procedures.”
“We hope that the EPI research will give institutions a bench mark of what students expect in the college admissions process as well as ways to further develop and enhance their Web sites.” said Munce.