According to recent data from the National Association for College Admission Counseling, the average per-student recruiting expenditure for four-year colleges and universities was just under $714, making the cost to recruit just 3,000 students each year over $2 million. However, as colleges and universities are facing more difficult financial times, recruitment budgets continue to shrink. While colleges and universities across the country are looking for ways to cut costs, more and more administrators are realizing just how much saving potential lies in retention.