Office of Admissions Staffing: The State of Staffing, Skills Gaps, and Succession Planning | Results of the October 2025 60-Second Survey

Admissions
Research
Special Topics
Staffing and Operations
60 Second Survey
Admissions
admissions and recruitment
Admissions Offices
Staff development/training
Staffing

In October 2025, AACRAO created and distributed a 60-second survey to higher education admissions professionals and asked them to share information about their admissions staffing structures, responsibilities, current challenges, and future concerns.

In October 2025, AACRAO created and distributed a 60-second survey to admissions professionals at higher education institutions in the United States. The survey asked these professionals to share information about their admissions staffing structures, responsibilities, current challenges, and future concerns. It received 270 institutional responses, 158 of which serve undergraduate learners, 20 serve graduate or professional learners, and 92 serve both types of learners.

Key Data

Offices may manage a dozen or more processes with teams averaging 18 full-time staff members
65% reported a limited budget for competitive salaries
56% reported a lack of career laddering or promotion opportunities
45% reported concerns about high turnover rates
And more.

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Unless otherwise noted in a specific report, the AACRAO member institution size, type and control categories are based on the following definitions and sources:

The enrollment value used to delineate the institution's size category is defined as full-time enrollment plus 1/3 of part-time enrollment and is based on the enrollment reported by the institution to the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).