A Word with Alumni

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It is not news to most of you that college enrollments have been declining nationally for nearly a decade. The number of college undergraduates nationwide is now down 9.4% compared to two years ago—a loss of almost 1.4 million students. Experts believe declines will continue because of a dramatic drop in birth rates during the “Great Recession” that began in 2008.

I invite you to support Wheaton College in our efforts to recruit students.

Wheaton’s “customer reviews” from alumni make a huge difference to prospective students. My marketing communications colleagues tell me that about half of our admitted students and their parents first become interested through a Wheaton graduate. We alumni are Wheaton’s best ambassadors because we know the value of a Wheaton education.

A 2020 survey ranked Wheaton College #13 on the list of the “Top 25 universities according to alumni ratings.” Wheaton College was one of only two faith-based schools on a list that included Princeton, Yale, MIT, Duke, Harvard, and Stanford. The survey—published in the Journal of Consumer Affairs based on data collected from the Strada-Gallup Education Consumer Survey—indexed alumni ratings based on how strongly they agreed to statements about education quality, likeliness to recommend, preparation for life and career, and value for the cost.

If you are one of the thousands of alumni who believe in the value of your Wheaton education and that “For Christ and His Kingdom” is much more than just a slogan, I encourage you to send prospective students our way. Do you know a high school student who might be a good fit for Wheaton, someone who won’t have to choose between top-tier academics and powerful Christian formation? Tell them about your alma mater and encourage them to apply. Or send us names of potential students at wheaton.edu/refer, and we’ll take it from there.