What Does 'Future Students' Mean at a University?

Updated

"Future students" is the umbrella term universities use for people who are not yet enrolled but are considering, preparing for, or applying to the school. It covers prospective first-year applicants (often high school students), transfer students, and graduate or professional program applicants. If you are researching a university, comparing programs, or working on an application, you are a future student — even if you have not submitted anything yet.

Who counts as a future student

The label is about intent and stage, not age or background. Common groups include:

  • Prospective undergraduates — high school students exploring colleges, or anyone who has not yet applied for a bachelor's degree.
  • Transfer students — students currently at another college who plan to move to a new institution.
  • Graduate and professional applicants — people applying to master's, doctoral, or professional programs.
  • Returning or nontraditional students — adults considering a first degree or a return to school after time away.
  • Parents, family members, and counselors — often grouped with future students because they do the research alongside the applicant.

At the University of Utah, this audience sits alongside other campus identities in the site's navigation: students, faculty, staff, visitors, and alumni. Each label points to a different set of pages and services.

How it differs from other campus identities

Identity Who it refers to What they typically need
Future students Not yet enrolled; exploring or applying Admissions requirements, deadlines, costs, aid, visits, housing
Current students Enrolled and taking classes Registration, advising, billing, campus services
Faculty Instructors and researchers Teaching resources, research support, HR
Staff Non-faculty employees Employment, benefits, workplace systems
Alumni Graduates of the institution Transcripts, alumni networks, giving, events
Visitors Short-term guests Maps, parking, events, public attractions

The distinction matters because universities route information by identity. A page built for current students assumes you already have a student ID and a registration window; a future-student page assumes you have neither.

What future students usually need to find

Most university sites organize future-student information around the same core questions:

  1. Admissions requirements — what courses, tests, essays, or portfolios are expected.
  2. Deadlines — application dates, financial aid priority dates, and decision timelines.
  3. Cost and aid — tuition, fees, scholarships, grants, and work-study options.
  4. Campus visits and events — tours, information sessions, and open houses.
  5. Housing — on-campus options and application timing. The University of Utah, for example, states it guarantees housing for first-year students and reports 5,500+ students living on campus.
  6. Academic programs — majors, minors, and degree paths. The University of Utah offers over 100 undergraduate and more than 90 graduate degree programs.

A useful habit: when you land on a university homepage, look for the audience menu (often labeled "Future Students," "Prospective Students," or "Admissions") rather than searching the whole site. That menu filters out pages meant for people already enrolled.

Why the term is broader than "applicant"

"Applicant" describes someone who has already submitted or started an application. "Future student" is wider — it includes the earlier phase when you are still deciding whether a school fits. This is why future-student hubs tend to include exploratory content (campus life, rankings, outcomes) alongside practical steps.

The University of Utah's "Get to Know the U" section illustrates this mix: it pairs quick facts — 38,000+ enrolled students in fall 2025, Tier 1 research status, AAU membership, $67,000+ graduate median earnings — with admissions-facing links. That combination is aimed at people who have not committed yet.

One caveat before you rely on a definition

Universities define and label this group slightly differently. Some split "future students" into separate undergraduate, transfer, and graduate portals; others fold everything under "Admissions." Some include parents and counselors explicitly; others do not. Program-specific pages (for example, a single department's graduate program) may set their own requirements that differ from the central admissions office.

So treat any general definition — including this one — as a starting point. For deadlines, costs, and requirements that actually bind you, use the target school's official future-student or admissions pages.