Colleges That Reach NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four Often See Application Bump

Student Loan Hero report finds that schools like Butler, Kentucky, Wichita State and Kansas have seen significant application spikes the year after making it to the Final Four

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The popular online student debt education platform, Student Loan Hero, a LendingTree company, today announced the findings of its latest report around increases in college applications at NCAA Final Four schools.

Student Loan Hero researchers dug into college application data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) dating to 2004 to see whether the extra air time and excitement around a college influences whether prospective students see it as a good place to take out student loans and pursue a higher education.

Key Findings

• Colleges that reach the NCAA men's basketball Final Four often see a combined increase in applications that outpaces the national rate. In 12 of 16 tournaments beginning with 2004, the four Final Four teams have combined for a year-over-year rise in applications the year after their appearances that's higher than the national increase. From 2005 to 2020, Final Four schools have seen an average year-over-year rise of 8.1%, versus 4.6% nationally.
• Nearly every school that made the Final Four from 2004 to 2019 has seen an increase in applications the following year. Of the 64 teams in the Final Four over this period, just eight have seen decreases the year after their tourney appearance.
• Butler University saw the biggest increase in applications after reaching the Final Four. The Indianapolis school lost to Duke University by two points in the 2010 national championship game. A year later in 2011, applications spiked 40.8% year over year.
• Only two schools saw double-digit decreases in applications after reaching the Final Four. The University of Illinois reached the championship in 2005 — losing to the University of North Carolina. A year later in 2006, applications dropped 13.6% year over year. The only other school that saw a double-digit decrease was Auburn University in 2020 after reaching the Final Four the previous year.

"The more time their school is highlighted on national TV, the more their brand is strengthened in the minds of students and families, particularly those who have an interest in sports or just being around the campus excitement," according to Student Loan Hero higher education expert Andrew Pentis. He adds, "Let's face it: Many Americans still think of the college experience as spending four years on a big campus brought together by major sporting events."

These are the year-over-year changes in applications for colleges and universities the year after reaching the men's basketball Final Four. This covers 33 different teams that reached the Final Four from 2004 to 2019. The former year is when the college reached the Final Four, while the latter helps show how applications changed.

To view the full report, visit: https://studentloanhero.com/featured/final-four-study/

Student Loan Hero researchers first compiled the list of colleges that reached the NCAA men's basketball Final Four every year from 2004 to 2019. Researchers then pulled the number of applications to schools that reached the Final Four every year in that period. (The 2020 tournament was canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic.)

Analysts then calculated the percentage change in the number of applications the year after the team reached the Final Four. (For example, the University of Connecticut won the national championship in 2004, so analysts looked at the year-over-year change in applications the following year in 2005.)

Researchers also ranked the 64 teams that made the Final Four in the 2004-to-2019 period to see where each school ranked in this period. To make comparisons, researchers analyzed the number of applications at all U.S. colleges with available data. Application data comes from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

Student Loan Hero, a subsidiary of LendingTree, combines easy-to-use tools with financial education to help the millions of Americans living with student loan debt manage and pay off their loans. The website provides information about repayment options, including refinancing, income-driven repayment, and deferment. Student Loan Hero has helped more than 250,000 borrowers manage and eliminate over $3.5 billion in student loan debt since 2012 and assists over 3.5 million people in becoming more financially healthy every year.

Founded in 2012 by CEO Andrew Josuweit, who himself had over $100,000 in student loans, Student Loan Hero operates on the belief that all loan help and recommendations should come with honesty and no hidden agenda.

For more information, visit https://studentloanhero.com.

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SOURCE Student Loan Hero