College Admission Headlines: February 2026

This February has brought a weird mix of stress and reassurance for students applying to college. Stress and uncertainty, because policies keep shifting. Reassurance, because according to official sources, this cycle might prove less chaotic than last year — and because you are still in control of your college prep.

But what’s a student to do about it all? 

To help you stay current, we’ll break down this month’s biggest college admission updates, with context and a clear plan of action. No more guessing. Let’s dive into the college admissions headlines for February!

College admissions in February 2026: what’s going on?

Here are the most influential headlines emerging this month:

• Enrollment trends: New post-affirmative action data is prompting significant questions about where and why students are choosing to enroll.
• Early Decision expansion: Despite controversy, the binding commitment of Early Decision continues to grow, with top schools now adopting it for Fall 2027 applicants.
• AI moves center stage: Artificial intelligence is transitioning from a general topic of interest to a declared major at an increasing number of campuses.
• Standardized testing’s return: Selective colleges are bringing back standardized testing requirements, and students are strategically adjusting to this renewed emphasis.

1. Post-affirmative action enrollment data: declines at elite schools, gains at flagships.

A new analysis from Class Action reviewed federal enrollment data and reported declines in Black and Hispanic first-year e nrollment at the most selective colleges, alongside increases at many public flagships. 

One major wrinkle: IPEDS (the source of data) counts students in one category, while some colleges report race and ethnicity differently (including multiracial reporting and “unknown” rates). Therefore, researchers urged caution about reading one year of data as a final verdict. Changes in non-reporting alone can move the headline numbers. 

Why it matters:

• If you are building a college list, you should know: “most selective” is not the same as “best outcomes for you.” Enrollment shifts reinforce a basic admissions truth: fit and opportunity vary across tiers.
• If you care about campus climate and peer experience, you should look past press releases and admit rates. Ask for the specifics: retention, advising access, research placement, and community support. These numbers will help you understand real campus support.

What families should do next:

1. Add one extra step to your research: check each college’s latest Common Data Set (if posted) and first-year profile page, then compare trends across two to three years, not one snapshot. 
2. When you visit or attend an info session, ask one direct question: “How has your first-year class profile changed since the 2023 Supreme Court decision, and what support expanded with it?”
3. Build a list that protects your outcomes: at least two financial safeties and two academic targets where your stats sit above the midpoint.

2. Early Decision keeps spreading, with USC going binding for Fall 2027.

This month, USC announced a new Early Decision option for Fall 2027 applicants, with a November 1, 2026 deadline and binding enrollment terms. This is one more name in an ever-growing list of schools prioritizing Early Decision. Don’t let the trend make you rush to submit, though — apply ED only if your academic profile is strong already. ED does not turn a long shot into a safe bet.

Why it matters:

• Early Decision reshapes your strategy. A binding round changes how you compare financial aid offers, since you commit before seeing side-by-side packages from other colleges.
• More colleges experimenting with binding rounds would raise the value of early planning, especially your affordability work and your “first-choice” clarity.

What families should do next:

1. Treat ED as a finance decision first. Before you choose it, run each school’s net price calculator and compare the results with your household budget range. Could you still enroll without great financial support?
2. Build an Early list with one “binding” option at most. Keep the rest flexible until you see real aid offers.
3. If you might need merit aid to make college affordable, lean away from binding rounds and toward schools known for merit scholarships.

3. AI moves from “skill” to “degree,” and new computing structures follow.

Ohio University kickstarted a wave by announcing AI Literacy standards. Since then, other universities have begun to announce new programs.

For instance: 

• UC San Diego rolled out a new undergraduate AI major, with tight access policies during the ramp-up phase for 2025–2026. 
• USC announced an undergraduate B.S. in Artificial Intelligence with the first cohort starting Fall 2026. 
• And most recently, UT Austin launched a new School of Computing that unites computer and data science, statistics, and information disciplines.

Why it matters:

• Program names will start signaling curriculum differences. “Computer Science” and “AI” are no longer interchangeable labels on every campus.
• Competition for direct-admit majors is rising at some schools. If internal switching is limited, your initial major choice matters more than it did five years ago. 

What families should do next:

1. When a college offers a direct-admit AI major, treat admissions like a specialized program. Read the major change policy before you apply. Some direct-admit AI and computing programs limit internal transfers.
2. On your activities list, show one concrete AI connection: a project, a course, a competition entry, a lab experience, or a community use case. Keep it specific and measurable.
3. Add one “human impact” proof point: ethics coursework, policy debate, or a writing sample that shows you think about consequences, not only tools.

4. Standardized testing keeps returning at selective colleges.

As popular writer Jeff Selingo summarizes, this month has seen more selective colleges have moved back toward requiring scores, and student testing behavior is shifting with it. 

Why that matters:

• If you delay testing and later decide you need scores, you lose time for retakes and score choice.
• A testing requirement also changes how colleges read your transcript and rigor. Scores become one more data point in a holistic file, not the whole story.

What families should do next:

1. Juniors: schedule one SAT or ACT date in spring, then decide after the score whether to retake. One data point beats guessing.
2. Seniors: if a college on your list requires a score, confirm the policy on the admissions site and verify the deadline for official score delivery.
3. Build a “two-track” plan: coursework and grades stay priority, then add targeted test prep in short blocks.

Concluding remarks:

Now you know. And you can use the next month to turn these headlines into progress.

In the next 30 days, aim to do the following.

• Audit your list: confirm testing policy, application plan, and major entry rules for every school on your shortlist. Ensure at least two of your choices fall in the likely-admit range.
• Pick one testing date (juniors) or confirm score delivery steps (seniors).
• Run net price calculators for your top three schools and write down your affordable range.
• Set a clear borrowing ceiling as a family before applications go out. A defined financial boundary protects long-term flexibility.
• Build one “proof artifact” for your application: a project link, a writing sample, a portfolio page, or a short research abstract.

Yes, the college admission landscape is undeniably changing, but the principles of success remain the same: clarity, research, and early planning. Use the insights from this month — the enrollment shifts, the rise of ED, the new AI majors, and the testing requirements — to refine your personal strategy, not to panic. The best response to change is always a prepared plan.