Rise | Boldly Elon | Elon University

Positioning the University for the Future

BOLDLY ELON will sharply define the university’s value, market position and distinction nationally and internationally by:

Expanding Elon’s admissions footprint
Significantly increasing need- and merit-based scholarships
Increasing graduation and retention rates
Adding academic programs and securing Elon’s position as the global leader in engaged learning.

Objectives and Progress

Last updated: October 2024

Objectives

Expand and diversify admissions recruitment, attracting students from a wider range of racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and religious backgrounds and developing pathways for enrollment from non-traditional students.
Double the financial aid budget, increasing support for Fellows programs and advancing toward 400 Odyssey scholars.
More than double the endowment to $625 million with 80 percent committed to scholarships.
Complete the $250 million comprehensive Elon LEADS Campaign.
Reach graduation rates of 85 percent in four years and 90 percent in six years.
Advance the Student Professional Development Center as the national leader in employment and graduate school placement.
Continue to expand alumni engagement and philanthropy, and grow alumni annual giving to 35 percent, matching generous parent and grandparent participation.

Progress Report

The Office of Admissions and the Division of Inclusive Excellence are enhancing recruitment efforts for underrepresented and international students, including the following:
- Updated the Black Advance and ¡Viva Elon! Hispanic/Latinx recruitment initiatives as part of Black and Hispanic student recruitment plans.
- In Spring 2021, donors supported Elon in reaching the goal of creating 200 Odyssey Scholarships, which assist outstanding students with high financial need, including first-generation college students.
- The Elon Black Alumni Network has set a goal to triple the endowment of the Black Alumni Scholarship fund and expand internship support by at least $1 million by 2025.
- Elon is signing agreements with international recruitment agents University Study and Global Education Institute, hiring a new assistant director of international recruitment and finalizing the international recruitment strategic plan.
The Office of Admissions and Financial Aid partnered with Maguire Associates for a comprehensive analysis of Elon’s financial aid methodology.
The Office of Admissions partnered with ADV Market Research & Consulting on a markets analysis to identify domestic locations that present enrollment growth potential. As a result, Elon created regional admissions positions with staff living in San Diego, Denver, Chicago, Long Island and Charleston, SC. Since the beginning of Boldly Elon, west coast enrollment has grown 70%. Applications from other regional territories have increased 9% and enrollment is up 6% in just four years. Additional regional admissions counselors are being added in Washington and Texas based on key demographics in the markets analysis.
Elon Engagement scholarships were increased to $5,000 (from $4,500), Presidential scholarships to $7,500 (from $6,000), and Fellows scholarships to $7,500 (from $5,500) for all Fellows programs other than Honors. Elon has also created an Innovation Scholars program and Phoenix Band Scholarships with awards of $5,000/annually.
Elon has added two Fellows programs to support enrollment growth in Engineering and Nursing. In fall 2023, the university budgeted for 235 Fellows in a first-year class. Recognizing the opportunity to impact Boldly Elon retention and graduation goals, and because of strong demand for Honors-like academic cohorts, Elon increased the number of Fellows to 335 in an entering class. The additional financial investment reflects Elon’s commitment to increasing merit-based aid. Additionally, the university continues to add Scholars programs, which are special-interest cohorts for high achieving students. Opportunities for high achieving students with demonstrated financial need have also increased. In 2024, 66 Odyssey scholarships were awarded.
The Elon LEADS campaign was successfully completed on Dec. 31, 2022. With support from 34,000 donors, the campaign raised $260 million to surpass the goal of $250 million. The campaign raised $155 million for 287 new endowed scholarships, $86 million for eight new facilities, $11 million for 60 new endowed engagaged learning scholarship funds and $8 million for three new endowed professorships.
Elon’s endowment has increased from $259 million in spring 2020 to $367 million in fall 2024. The Board of Trustees Investment and Advancement committees are reviewing a model to further increase the endowment toward the Boldly Elon’s ambitious goal of $625 million.
A student retention working group has been working since Spring 2021, collecting, reviewing and analyzing institutional data that impact retention. Six pilot programs have been implemented:
– Student Success Dashboard Pilot:  A pilot group of about 65 faculty and staff are using a new Student Success Dashboard in Slate with their advisees and other groups.
– Expanded Elon 1010 Coaching as Advising Pilot:  We have expanded the existing Elon 1010 pilot from 2 to 7 sections and have included students with multiple retention risk factors (i.e. students with no one else from their high school, undecided students, high unmet financial need, etc.).
– First Year Check In: All first-year students completed a new First Year check survey the last week of September, providing invaluable data on a range of topics, including retention.
– Student Success Coaching Pilot: Using the Koenigsberger Learning Center’s existing advising fellow model, 60 students are receiving success coaching based on specific retention factors.
– Elon Recovery Class for First-Year Students: A continuation of a spring 2024 pilot, this class was added to the schedules of students on continued probation and/or with a cumulative GPA less than 1.0.  The course focuses on establishing strong academic and personal goals for the semester, group and individual accountability, and developmental support.
Elon’s Student Professional Development Center is ranked #20 nationally in the 2024 Princeton Review rankings, and the university is recognized in the top-10 for internships in the 2025 U.S. News and World Report rankings.

Metrics

Bar chart showing matriculants by region

Bar chart showing the financial aid budget

Bar chart showing the number of Odyssey Scholarships

Elon LEADS Campaign totals shown as of December 31, 2022

Bar chart showing the percentage of graduates who accepted jobs

Of graduates who responded to the 9 months post-graduation survey.

Bar chart showing the percentage of jobs related to career goals

Of graduates who responded to the 9 months post-graduation survey.