The predicted success of academic programs is often based on a combination of projected labor demand and historic student demand. The underlying assumption is that students gravitate toward programs that offer positive employment prospects.
Now, maybe more than ever, personalization of outreach is key to engaging a college-bound student population that is shrinking in terms of both size and attention span. Personalization, however, is easier said than done.
“Who is your main competitor?” asked an Encoura colleague during a recent campus visit at a regional state university. The answer—Target—was surprising but relatable. With declining enrollments, primarily at community colleges (-7.8% decrease in spring 2022 alone) and public four-year colleges (-3.4%) and a strong labor market, it is easy to see why underserved student populations, a key student segment for these schools, might choose unskilled labor over education.
As the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, pandemic burnout lingers. Enrollment Prospects were not spared this feeling either. In the fall of 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health. Anecdotally, we have...
In 2019, 61% of prospective students in our Student Sentiment Research™ told us they remembered a particular college or university whose communications really grabbed their attention. In 2022, this number had increased to 71%.
Where are all the men? This question is currently on the minds of many enrollment officers. While male enrollment in higher education has trailed female enrollment for decades now, the pandemic widened the gender gap dramatically. The National Student Clearinghouse reported that undergraduate enrollment among male students dropped by 5.5% between spring 2020 and spring 2021, compared to a more moderate 2% decline among women.
