Nonresident Student Enrollment/Retention Workgroup – Finance, Operations, and Administration

Fall 2025 Recommendations

Overview

Background: As an outcome of the Your Ideas Matter process the campus launched in 2024, the Strategic Organizational Improvements subcommittee recommended a number of ideas to the Chancellor and CP/EVC. Nonresident Student Enrollment/Retention was one of those ideas supported by the Cabinet to move forward. In Spring 2025, the Nonresident Student Enrollment/Retention Workgroup (see Appendix A for membership) was established to increase the percentage of nonresident (domestic and international) undergraduate students on campus. The goal is to achieve the allowable limit of 18% of enrolled undergraduate students. This committee reported to the Chancellor and CP/EVC.

Initial findings in Spring 2025 indicated that resource investment, including funding and personnel, would likely be required to advance a number of recommendations. Additionally, any potential recommendations concerning academic programs and pathways ultimately fall under the purview of Academic Senate, and would require strong champions amongst campus leadership and faculty members in order to be successful.

Goals to advance this work throughout Summer and Fall 2025 included:

Analyze potential resource needs/costs and collaborators/owners for all recommendations.
Analyze detailed cost breakdowns for recommended investments in marketing and analytics tools, rankings, staff positions, and more.
Conduct ROI analyses where possible/appropriate.
Double down on what is most impactful – advance consolidated, high level Top 5-7 recommendations to leadership by Fall.
Develop an assessment framework to measure success.

After considering initial feedback received from the Chancellor and Interim CP/EVC in July 2025, as well as conducting initial research, the work group successfully identified 11 priority recommendations.

The work group undertook this process mindful of the Budget Advisory Committee’s counsel (emphasis added):

The committee notes also that the to-be-defined strategic initiatives won’t happen unless they have a clear leadership mandate; the relevant decisions, communication, consultation, and commencement of implementations are both begun timely; moderate amounts of one-time spending or temporary staffing are available for these implementations if needed, and that a high-level sponsor (i.e., Vice Provost, Vice Chancellor, or Dean) is assigned to each and is empowered to lead and will be held accountable for implementation.

Some modest investment is necessary in order to realize benefits that will ultimately provide a positive return on that investment.

Priorities

Advertising

Strategic Rationale

The NRST work group recommends developing a combined plan across UA/Communications & Marketing for overall campus brand awareness and UE/Undergraduate Admissions for recruitment and yield efforts. Placements will focus on digital, social media, print, outdoor and billboard/airport advertising related to domestic and international non-resident outreach, possibly impacting reputational rankings. The strategic objective is to layer a recruitment ad campaign to grow out-of-state (OOS) and international applications/enrollments on top of an overall brand awareness ad campaign focused on strengthening UCSC’s brand reputation globally.

For out-of-state advertising, focus should be on key feeder markets: Colorado, Texas, Florida, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, New York, Maryland/DC/Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Arizona. It is also important to align social media effectively through prioritizing the following channels: TikTok/META (awareness), Google Search (intent), YouTube (storytelling), Spotify/Oakland Airport/community screens (regional reinforcement).

For international advertising, focus should support the expanding UK market with a recruitment campaign that combines Google and Meta ads, and invests in brand awareness campaigns targeting Vietnam and Taiwan using Google, Meta, TikTok, and local channels.

Expected Outcomes with modest resource investment

Increase OOS and international application volume by 8–12% year-over-year
Improve cost-per-inquiry and cost-per-enrollment benchmarks
Enhance UCSC’s brand awareness in priority domestic and global markets
Achieve stronger yield rates through targeted “welcome,” “safe campus,” “undergrad research opportunities,” “job outcomes after college,” “location” messaging
Increase ease of UCSC’s visibility and searchability online

4 + 1 Degree Programs

Strategic Rationale

The NRST work group recommends increasing the number of state sponsored 4+1 academic Master’s pathways from 17 to 30 by 2030 and establishing a centralized resource to coordinate this effort. This includes enhanced collaboration between Undergraduate Education (UE) and Graduate Division (GD) admissions and data teams; identification of a lead staff member to oversee, promote, and manage pathway programs; and joint VPDUE-VPDGS planning, in consultation with VPAA, to guide new program development and incentivization for programs.

UC Santa Cruz currently offers 17 state-supported 4+1 academic Master’s pathways that allow qualified undergraduates to complete a Master’s degree within five years. Expanding these programs to 30 by 2030 will advance three intersecting goals:

Graduate Growth and State Alignment – The campus remains well below its funded graduate FTE targets. Expanding academic 4+1 pathways increases state-supported master’s enrollment (weighted 1.0 under UC rebenching) without additional infrastructure or faculty lines.
Integrated Recruitment and Retention – 4+1 pathways strengthen both ends of the enrollment pipeline. They attract non-resident domestic and international undergraduates who view the accelerated degree as a distinctive, cost-efficient path to a UC graduate credential, while also retaining high-performing UCSC undergraduates who might otherwise leave the UC system for graduate study elsewhere.
Revenue Diversification – These pathways establish a sustainable revenue stream that integrates undergraduate and graduate tuition, non-resident supplemental tuition (NRST), and incremental state support.

1. The Two Pipelines

Student Type	Entry Point	Undergraduate Duration	4 + 1 Master’s Duration	Cumulative Years of Enrollment	Financial Impact
Transfer Nonresident	Enters UCSC as junior (Year 3)	2 years (UG)	1 year	3 years total	2 years of UG NRST + 1 year of MA/MS tuition, NRST, and state share
Frosh Nonresident	Enters UCSC as frosh (Year 1)	4 years (UG)	1 year	5 years total	4 years of UG NRST + 1 year of MA/MS tuition, NRST, and state share

Expected Outcomes with modest resource investment

Generate nearly $10 million in annual recurring revenue by FY 2034.
Build the campus’s state-funded graduate profile and utilize headroom under UC rebenching.
Enhance non-resident recruitment by offering a financially efficient pathway to a UC graduate degree.
Retain high-achieving undergraduates and align with UC and State goals to expand graduate education.

2+2 Dual Degree Programs

Strategic Rationale

Expanding sponsored student pipelines and visiting institutional agreements represents a significant enrollment and revenue opportunity for UCSC. These students are degree-seeking undergraduates who pay full nonresident tuition ($52,536 in 2024–25: $14,934 base tuition + $37,602 nonresident tuition supplement).

Over the past several years, Global Engagement (GE) has developed strong institutional relationships in regions such as Indonesia, Mexico, India, with multiple partnerships nearing formalization. Building on this momentum, the strategy extends UCSC’s reach into East Asia, Europe, Middle East and Latin America using existing staff capacity now but will need new staff investment to expand as proposed. The first three to five years focus on converting these relationships into signed agreements and active enrollment pipelines, yielding measurable revenue growth.

Strategy

Goal: Establish 19 partner agreements across 13 countries/regions by 2030–31.
Ramp-Up: Each agreement scales over three years—from 5–10 students in year one to 20 students per year by year 3–4.
Steady State: Approximately 378 sponsored/partner students generating ~$15M in annual net tuition revenue.

Expected Outcomes with modest resource investment

Strengthen UCSC’s international profile, diversify the undergraduate population, and create durable, renewable partnerships with foreign ministries and universities
Achieve a self-sustaining, mission-aligned enrollment stream that enhances global visibility and reinforces the university’s long-term fiscal stability.
Activities during Years 1–5 establish the institutional agreements and enrollment pipelines projected to generate approximately $9.6 million in net revenue by Year 5.
Realize steady, compounding gains—with minimal additional investment—reaching a steady-state annual net tuition of roughly $15.7 million by Year 9 (2034–35) and a net margin of about 79% on gross tuition.

Welcome Center

Strategic Rationale

A well-designed Welcome Center creates the first impression of a university’s culture, values, and community, serving as both a point of pride and a strategic tool for recruitment and retention. Research consistently shows that students who visit campus before enrolling are more likely to choose that institution they visit, and at UC Santa Cruz, the natural beauty of the campus, the redwoods, ocean views, and distinctive college system has long been a defining feature of our identity.

It is worth noting that Santa Cruz is the only UC without a dedicated presentation and welcome space for guests. Establishing a Welcome Center is an opportunity to tell UCSC’s story in a way that reflects its excellence, uniqueness, and commitment to student success.

The Cowell Provost House has been identified as a potential short-term location for the UCSC Welcome Center. This site holds deep historical significance for the university and offers ocean views that capture the unique beauty that defines the UCSC experience. Its central location makes it ideal for welcoming guests while showcasing both the redwoods and the Monterey Bay vista, and it has strong history and ties to the college model at UCSC. Longer term, the establishment of a permanent Welcome Center, designed for scalability and visibility, will be an essential component of the campus’s enrollment and outreach infrastructure.

Expected Outcomes with modest resource investment

Develop a shared space for outreach and engagement including tours, information sessions, and family visits, while CHES could use the site as event space accessible to the UCSC community.
Achieve higher enrollment yields via effective in-person engagement with students and families. National data suggests that campuses with robust, intentional visit programs see enrollment yield rates increase by 15–25% compared to virtual-only engagement models. At UCSC, even a modest 5% increase in enrollment yield, equivalent to approximately 200 additional students, could generate $7–8 million in annual tuition and housing revenue, particularly when including non-resident tuition.
Create a strong first impression, which research shows can foster emotional connection and belonging, both key predictors of retention and long-term alumni engagement and giving.

Career Outcomes

Strategic Rationale

Research shows that career outcomes after attending an institution of higher education are particularly important for international students to ensure financial return on a significant investment and to assess their post-graduation prospects. Lightcast Alumni Pathways is a data-driven platform that provides visibility into alumni career pathways, labor market trends, and employer engagement. This tool would allow UCSC to better understand, support, and leverage the long-term success of our graduates.

Lightcast aggregates data from over 150 million professional profiles, providing a comprehensive view of where alumni go after graduation, including their jobs, industries, locations, career progression, estimated salaries, and more. This data is crucial for institutions aiming to align educational outcomes with labor market needs and to tell a compelling story about the value of their degrees.

Expected Outcomes with modest resource investment

Position UCSC as a data-informed institution that prioritizes student outcomes, drives continuous improvement, and delivers on the promise of career success.
Empower multiple departments—including Admissions, Academic Affairs, Advising, Career Success, and Alumni Engagement—with actionable insights that can help boost enrollment and improve student success, retention, program development, and alumni engagement.

Rankings

Strategic Rationale

Research shows that numerous domestic and international non-resident student populations find value in reviewing professional university rankings from top publications such as US News & World Report, and QS. UCSC has experienced a notable decline in rankings over the last several years. For example, 10 years ago UCSC was in the top 300 of QS rankings. We now find ourselves at 458.

Through the efforts of the Rankings work group for a number of years, the data has been evaluated closely and the campus has a good sense of what the various inputs and impacts are that feed our rankings. NRST work group’s research indicates that if UCSC wants to perform more strongly in this area, leadership may need to seriously consider developing a relationship with specific ranking entities through a working contract. Specifically with QS, used widely by international students and families and governments around the world sponsoring students, and THE, used by domestic students.

Expected Outcomes with modest resource investment

There are numerous opportunities to work towards increasing UCSC’s rankings, including:

Ensuring that the rankings publishers have accurate data and increase UCSC’s visibility.
Career-related student outcomes: historically we have not been able to provide career outcomes data, and this indicator for QS is weighted 5% of the overall ranking It is noteworthy that through the 2025 College Choice Survey with over 7,000 respondents, both students who chose to attend UCSC (Statement of Intent to Register or SIR) and those who chose to attend other universities (Non-SIR) identified the “success of graduates in finding jobs” as the most important factor for them in choosing a college to attend this fall.
Student retention: improving the campus’ performance in this area would have a measurable impact on rankings.
Drop in citations: The recent reduction in frequency of faculty citations in publications impacts rankings
- For QS, our overall score for Citations per Faculty was at a high at 89.1 in the 2022 rankings; it has declined each year since and in the 2026 rankings our score was 62.4. Citations per Faculty make up 20% of the overall ranking.
Academic Reputation: This is an area where we can fairly quickly increase this score by having a methodical and consistent approach to the academic reputation survey, by leveraging faculty connections abroad/ partnerships abroad/ visiting scholars and doing outreach ahead of the survey.

Core Needs & Progress Highlights

Core need: Majors in high demands with international students

Admissions staff report that there are certain courses of study common on many campuses and in high demand from domestic and international prospective students, chief among them being a Business major. While UCSC currently has programs including Business Management Economics, Technology and Information Management, and the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Certificate, the perception that we lack a Business program/major is seen as a reason some prospective students choose not to apply to study at our campus. Other majors, such as Mechanical Engineering and, now, Artificial Intelligence, were also mentioned as courses of study prospective students ask about.

Given that UCSC currently has programs that relate to or include elements of a business course of study, the incremental work to develop a program akin to a traditional business major would be moderate (e.g., as compared to establishing a mechanical engineering major, which may require much more curriculum development and new staffing needs).

There are of course many stakeholders that would need to be on board with and involved with establishing any new majors, including Deans, Department Chairs, Professors, and various Senate committees. Given the complexity, the committee recommends the iCP/EVC initiate discussions with key stakeholders to start the process towards the development of a business major on campus. The primary requirement for a business major is an engaged group of faculty that will develop and promote the curriculum, and determine the curricular gaps that may need to be filled with adjunct or lecturer staffing.

The cost and timeline are unknown at this time, and would have to be developed by the relevant division(s)/department(s) should the process advance. While enrollment outcomes are also not quantified at this time, the existence of demand seems clear, and would very likely attract non-resident applicants that would not otherwise apply.

As an initial step, updating/enhancing the Business Programs website would provide a useful interim tool for Admissions staff. This work should be doable without additional resources. There may be other areas, such as AI, that would benefit from a similar effort to create a place on our website where all relevant courses and research could be housed, even in the absence of the availability of a major course of study.

Additionally, while it may not be practical for us to start a mechanical engineering program at this time, we do have a robotics major – which is highly successful and would be attractive to many students who would otherwise consider mechanical engineering. Admissions has a website on Robotics Engineering. We should also market BE’s Slug Works through a high quality video linked from BE and from Admissions.

Progress highlight: AVC Enrollment Management

Enrollment generally, including that which relates to non-resident students, is a critical driver of the campus’s growth, budget, and future. The campus will be challenged to meet enrollment goals without a leader responsible for developing comprehensive and creative enrollment plans across all four quarters that establish short and long-term strategies for success, ensuring robust recruitment, yield, financial aid, and student success activities in alignment with the campus goals. It is therefore a strategically important function that should be led by a position that is focused exclusively on managing enrollment in alignment with campus goals.

If we cannot develop and implement strategies to meet if not exceed our enrollment goals – particularly as they relate to non-resident students – we will experience significant adverse revenue impacts. A leader singularly focused on that work, including reversing recent negative trends, will render the likelihood of success much greater. Since the AVC position is an existing budgeted position, there is no budget impact per se (in fact, there should be salary savings available due to the position’s current vacancy).

The committee therefore supports the campus decision to appoint an AVC for Enrollment Management and empower the person in that role to develop and implement strategies, in consultation with campus leadership, CAFA, and other key stakeholders, to proactively, creatively, resourcefully, and strategically manage enrollment for our campus.

Progress highlight: Working towards a 2-year housing priority

National and UC system data consistently demonstrate that students who live on campus for two years are significantly more likely to persist to graduation, by as much as 9–15%, compared to those who move off campus after their first year. Access to stable, campus-based housing during this critical stage in student development supports academic engagement, social connection, and a sense of belonging, all of which contribute to student success and institutional retention. This benefit extends across populations, including both domestic and international non-resident students, who often face greater challenges acclimating to university life and the local community.

Providing a second year of on-campus housing also aligns UCSC with best practices across peer institutions. Such an approach strengthens student persistence, supports wellbeing, and advances UCSC’s broader goals of equity, inclusion, and student success. At UC Santa Cruz, housing guarantee is currently provided to incoming first-year and transfer students, with continuing students participating in a randomized housing lottery. UCSC continues to house a larger share of its student population than many UC campuses, however the planned expansion of new housing projects presents an opportunity to reevaluate the housing assignment model to better support second year students.

Imminent new housing projects will expand capacity to meet increased second-year demand. Prioritizing second-year housing will foster stability, continuity, and deeper student engagement during a critical developmental phase. This model could also help “lock in” non-resident students for a second year, enhancing their connection to UCSC and increasing their likelihood of graduation.

A CHES Housing Strategy working group has been formed, and we anticipate that a report will be completed by November 2025 in time for Fall 2026 decision making.

Progress highlight: Living Learning Communities

Living Learning Communities (LLCs) have long been recognized as a best practice within higher education and academia, to support student learning and to deepen belonging for residential students. LLCs are seen as collaborative environments in which living and learning meet outside of the classroom. Strengthening the out of classroom experience can also have significant impact on rankings opportunities, particularly in “experience” areas that are influential to out of state students.

Research shows that a living learning cohort experience supports retention and success. Traditionally, LLCs include a strong curricular connection to the classroom, and there are numerous opportunities at UCSC to make meaningful connections in this area. In addition to a better experience for students while they are on campus residents, there is evidence that this model also helps build alumni connections and alumni giving after graduation.

At UCSC, there are many students who live together around a core theme, however LLCs have additional eligibility requirements to live in the community, with strong academic and co-curricular components. Some LLCs offer classes, and others have co-curricular experiences built into the residential experience. Additionally, LLCs have a sustainable collaborative structure shared between a department/college, CHES and the Division for Student Affairs and Success.

The overall outcome of offering more LLCs at UCSC is a strengthening of our housing offerings and our residential program. This model has enormous potential for students to experience an increased sense of belonging and mattering, which will lead to increased retention and persistence to graduation.

Currently, CHES is actively working towards intentionally enhancing the numerous existing theme communities with the proper curriculum and programming to more meaningfully support student retention, with plans for scaled up LLCs to come online in Fall 2026. Our initial work includes reviewing housing options and determining which communities should continue with additional support and strengthening, and which communities may be needed to strengthen the holistic student experience.

Progress highlight: Strengthen & promote international student internship support

Career Success and Admissions have been actively exploring opportunities to increase support for international students. Research has demonstrated that Interstride is an effective tool that should be considered. The potential of bringing Interstride to campus offers a powerful opportunity to enhance the experience and success of international students throughout their academic journey. As a centralized, student-friendly platform, Interstride provides tailored resources that support international students from the moment they consider applying through graduation and beyond.

In admissions, Interstride helps institutions attract and convert more international applicants by offering a transparent, comprehensive portal that addresses key concerns such as visa guidance, job prospects, and student life. This clarity helps students make informed decisions and increases their likelihood of choosing the institution. The platform also helps reduce “melt” by keeping admitted students engaged with relevant information and peer experiences before they arrive.

In career services, Interstride equips international students with tools and insights to navigate the unique challenges of finding employment during and after their studies and includes access to a job board featuring visa-friendly employers. This helps international students better understand and pursue career opportunities, enhancing their post-graduation outcomes and the institution’s reputation for supporting student success.

This tool demonstrates potential promise to support key efforts at UCSC. Further vetting between Career Success, Admissions, and International Student Services & Programming will be forthcoming to explore this potential option.

Appendix A: Work Group Membership

ED REISKIN (chair)
Vice Chancellor and CFO, Finance, Operations, and Administration (FOA)
ELIDA ERICKSON (staff support)
AVC FOA Strategic Initiatives & Sustainability
LAURA ARROYO
Associate Vice Chancellor, CHES
BEATRICE ATKINSON-MYERS
Associate Director of Global Recruitment, Admissions
PETER BIEHL
Vice Provost and Dean, Graduate Studies
ANDREA BIRSKOVICH
Associate Director of Marketing and Communications, Admissions
AMBER BLAKESLEE
Associate Vice Chancellor, Budget and Planning
GUIDO BORDIGNON
Senate NRST Representative, CIE; Professor, MCD Biology
LUCA DE ALFARO
Professor, Computer Science & Engineering
BECKY GEORGE
Assistant Vice Provost and Senior International Officer, Global Engagement
TIMETRA HAMPTON
Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Admissions
RICHARD HUGHEY
Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education and Global Engagement
JEREMY HOURIGAN
CPB Representative; Professor, Earth & Planetary Sciences
KAYLA ISENBERG
Senior Digital Engagement Manager, University Advancement
DARD NEUMAN
Assistance Vice Provost, iCP/EVC Office and Graduate Division
ANN PHAM
Assistant Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff, CP/EVC Office
LORENA LARA RODRIGUEZ
Director of Financial Aid
SHIRLEY TRUONG
Interim Director, IRAPS
JIM WHITEHEAD
Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Experience, Baskin School of Engineering