Managing the Rising Competition for Prospective Students in Higher Education

In 2008, the year the Great Recession began,

the number of incoming, credential-seeking

students grew to 2.7 million from 2.4 million

(a 12% increase), according to the National

Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

Now that we are ten years past the start of

the recession, public and private universities

and colleges are watching a different story

play out.

According to survey findings, student

enrollment is on the decline, which is greatly

impacting colleges and universities. Inside

Higher Ed found that only 34% of institutions

met enrollment goals in 2017 (declining

from 37% in 2016 and 42% in 2015); and The

Chronicle of Higher Education found that 44%

of public colleges and 55% of private colleges

missed their enrollment goals in 2017.

Among other challenges, this decrease

in enrollments informs an increase in

competition. Many colleges and universities,

especially those with little brand-name

recognition and low endowments, are

targeting a shrinking pool of qualified

students at a time when these students have

more educational choices than ever before.

Only

34%of institutions met enrollment goals

in 2017

Managing the Rising Competition for Prospective Students in Higher Education goranku.com

Student enrollment is on the decline.

1

Introduction

Managing the Rising Competition for Prospective Students in Higher Educationgoranku.com

This booklet features article excerpts from the

Enrollment Management Report, exploring

some of the reasons these enrollment

shifts are occurring. It also provides key

recommendations for college and university

enrollment teams to consider, so they

might better adapt and improve the overall

enrollment process – from a student’s first

search, to their experience on a university’s

website, to inquiry and application.

The Ranku team hopes this booklet sheds

light on less obvious factors impacting

student engagement within your institution,

and helps identify additional actions you

might take to stand out from the competition.

44%of public colleges and

55%of private colleges

missed their enrollment goals in

2017

2

Hidden Influences Impacting Where Prospective Students Inquire and Enroll

What factors ultimately drive prospective

students to inquire and enroll? A recent

national study conducted by Longmire and

Company Inc., sought to answer this

question by uncovering the hidden

influences in students’ enrollment decisions.

Using results from 18,000 respondents at

19 public and 18 private institutions, the

study helped reveal the more inconspicuous

factors impacting whether or not a student

chooses to inquire, apply, and enroll at one

university over another. Below are several of

their key findings.

Cost Isn’t Always the Deciding Factor

The study found that cost was a significant,

but not overriding, factor in institutional

selection. For public institutions, 60% of

respondents said cost was important but

was not the sole criterion for choosing the

institution. Similarly, 59% of respondents

said the same for private institutions. The

key takeaway was that a student’s genuine

excitement about the institution, along with

cost and quality, also plays a large role in

enrollment decisions.

Managing the Rising Competition for Prospective Students in Higher Education goranku.com3

The real reasons a prospective student chooses to inquire, apply, and enroll at one school over another often remain unknown. However, better knowledge of these reasons may help higher education enrollment teams communicate and design their websites differently.

Other Factors Impact Prospective Students’ Decisions

So given its importance in enrollment

decisions, what builds student excitement for

a particular institution? When asked to list

what stood out about the college they

ultimately enrolled in, students most often

mentioned the following words and phrases:

program, campus, cost, scholarship, small,

community, and students. This can be

understood as students showing the most

interest in schools that feel like home, like

a place where they’ll fit in culturally. The

study also found that students categorized

the institution’s people, students, and

campus into both positive and negative

experiences. This finding shows how much

influence perceptions about these particular

institutional aspects can have on a student’s

ultimate decision to attend an institution.

In addition, the study found that students

want information at their fingertips during

their search phase, which should come as no

surprise to any recruitment and enrollment

staff. Students today embrace the consumer

mindset and have an extremely high

expectation that anybody at the institution

should be able to answer their questions.

When admissions teams aren’t fully informed,

prospective students are likely to lose interest.

What Can Your Institution Do?

Keep your focus on the student. Often during

recruitment, institutions concentrate solely

on the features of the school, and students

feel like the focus isn’t on their experience.

In fact, Longmire’s study found that 50% of

recruited students felt like colleges were

more focused on themselves than on student

needs during recruitment. Focusing on the

prospective student’s needs and questions in

your website copy and recruitment materials

will help ensure that you don’t lose them

during the enrollment process.

Read the full article from Enrollment

Management Report to learn more about

the study and the hidden influences of

prospective students during enrollment,

click here.

Hidden Influences Impacting Where Prospective Students Inquire and Enroll

Managing the Rising Competition for Prospective Students in Higher Educationgoranku.com4

The United States Will Likely Continue to Lose International Student Market Share

The United States has been losing its share of

the international student market. Some say the

decline is just a “blip”, others say it’s due to the

2016 election, but the reality is that it’s been a

trend for the last several years. For example,

in 2001, 28% of all international students were

enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities, but

by 2014, the percentage dropped to 22%,

according to estimates cited by ICEF Monitor.

International student enrollment in the United

States supplies $39 billion in revenue and

supports 400 jobs, meaning the stakes for

international market share are high and of

great concern. This is an important trend

for marketing, admissions, and enrollment

teams to recognize, as it will likely impact

their marketing and engagement strategies.

Here are five reasons why the U.S will likely

continue to lose international market share:

1 Infrastructure Changes in Asia Countries in Asia with growing economies

have invested heavily in education, resulting

in a political and economic infrastructure

that supports enrollments and a regional

education hub growth.

2 China’s Higher Education Initiatives One of China’s main higher education

initiatives is to become a major importer

of international students. Chinese colleges

and universities now enroll more students

from Africa than the United States and

Britain combined.

Managing the Rising Competition for Prospective Students in Higher Education goranku.com5

According to the Institute for International Education, the United States has historically enrolled a higher number of international students in its colleges and universities than any other singular country. However, there are several reasons this may be changing.

The United States Will Likely Continueto Lose International Student Market Share

3 Increasing Global Competition

Canadian enrollment of foreign students

soared in the 2017 fall term, a 22% increase

over the previous year. Similarly, Germany’s

international student enrollment increased

6% over the previous year, while Australia’s

increased 14%.

4 Increased National Enrollment TargetsChina plans to enroll 500,000 international

students by 2020, Canada 450,000 by 2022,

and Japan 300,000 by 2020. U.S. institutions

will be impacted by these global target

numbers.

5 Technology The internet has rendered geography in

education less relevant. The high cost

of studying in the U.S. and the initial

reluctance of several U.S. institutions to

offer online learning likely played a role

in the decline of the United States’ share

of the globally mobile student market.

However, this may change as online

education has become more ubiquitous.

6 Expanded Student Options

Notably, the likeliest factor impacting the

future of international student enrollment

in the U.S. is whether or not college and

university presidents, deans, and enrollment

managers realize and take seriously that

international student mobility is dominated

by the additional options and choices

students have.

Read the full article from Enrollment

Management Report for more about

the trends impacting the United States’

share of international enrollments, as

well as predictions for the future, click

here.

Managing the Rising Competition for Prospective Students in Higher Educationgoranku.com6

Personalizing Communicationsfor Increased Prospective Student Engagement

As the number of college-bound high school

graduates continues to shrink, the competition

for undergraduate and graduate students

has intensified. In addition, institutions

must also change some tactics to capture

the hearts and minds of a new generation

of prospective students who are more

digitally savvy and have higher “consumer”

expectations – Generation Z.

Despite these challenges, there are best

practices in communications channels,

content, timing, messaging, and other

important campaign elements that

institutions can implement quickly to stand

out to prospective students. Marketing,

admissions, and enrollment professionals

should consider these five strategies for both

digital and print communications to maximize

engagement with prospective students from

all generations.

1 Rise above the “noise” with personalized media. Make your content personalized and

relevant to the specific interests of your

target student to increase engagement. To

deliver highly personalized content that

speaks to the needs and questions of your

prospective students at the right time, try

the following strategies:

a. Personalized URLs (PURLS): these provide an instant, relevant resource for students with custom information on their field of study, extracurricular interests, and next steps.

b. On-Demand Print: this provides another customized and relevant experience for students while reinforcing your campaign messaging at a time when other channels, such as email, may be extremely crowded.

Managing the Rising Competition for Prospective Students in Higher Education goranku.com7

Higher education enrollment teams are targeting a shrinking pool of prospective students. Successful institutions will leverage multi-channel marketing and recruiting practices that focus on personalization to stand out.

Personalizing Communicationsfor Increased Prospective Student Engagement

2 Consider both digital and print communication to drive leads. Don’t underestimate the power of print.

Campaigns that include both digital and

print are four times more likely to yield

an application than those campaigns that

rely solely on digital channels. The most

effective print pieces are personalized,

visual brochures that are strategically

timed to engage student action. However,

consider your audiences and their needs

carefully before committing significant

resources to print.

3 Pay attention to email subject lines, and streamline content. Remember, prospective students are

bombarded with emails from many different

institutions vying for their attention. Give

your school the chance to stand out by

sending at least one plain-text email that

comes from either a specific person or

an admissions officer. Although identity-

branded, image-heavy email headers can

yield higher application rates, it’s still

important to keep things simple for an email

or two, as they can seem more personal and

directed to the individual student.

In addition, be sure to keep the content

of your emails streamlined and focused

for best results. Keep links to a minimum

and be explicit about applying to generate

better click-through and conversion rates.

Always ask yourself: would I read this?

As an admissions professional in higher

education, engagement with prospective

students should always be your number

one priority. Cut through the noise of your

competition, who are likely targeting the

same pool of students, by focusing on

media personalization and multi-channel

approaches for different generations of students.

Read the full article from Enrollment

Management Report for strategies to

personalize your institution’s communications

and increase engagement with prospective

students, click here.

Managing the Rising Competition for Prospective Students in Higher Educationgoranku.com8

Recruiting Strategiesto Differentiate Your Institution

According to numbers released by the National

Student Clearinghouse, enrollment fell

by more than 270,000 students for fall 2016

compared to 2015. This decrease in enrollments

informs an increase in competition. To help

generate more interest in your programs, drive

prospective students to learn more and apply

on your website, and to help meet your

institution’s enrollment goals, consider

implementing the following marketing and

recruitment strategies:

1 Guide your communications plan with predictive analytics: Predictive analytics use data collected over

many years to determine the likelihood

that prospective students in the current

applicant pool will apply. This data can be

applied to every step of the funnel, creating

a predictive model to guide your marketing

and recruiting strategies. Besides helping

admissions teams, the analytics help

institutions budget marketing dollars more

efficiently and better determine which

prospective students will persist through

graduation.

2 Set yourself apart by leveraging strengths: Stand out to prospective applicants with

website copy by emphasizing what your

institution does especially well in relation to

their top questions and needs. To determine

your most marketable strengths, consider

developing target personas based on past

students who came to your institution to

prepare for specific careers. Alumni can

also be an important part of marketing

efforts to authentically illustrate what a

Managing the Rising Competition for Prospective Students in Higher Education goranku.com9

Standing out in a highly competitive market is no easy task. However, there are a few key marketing and recruiting strategies that are currently helping several institutions successfully attract their target student audience.

Recruiting Strategiesto Differentiate Your Institution

degree from your institution can mean

career-wise. Remember, don’t try to be

something you’re not.

3 Be flexible in your strategies: Due to the dynamic and competitive

landscape of higher education, institutions

must constantly evaluate and adjust their

strategies to ensure maximum impact.

Whether it takes the form of adjusting

website copy and design, creative

advertising, increased social media

outreach, or another tactic, make sure

your marketing strategy is tailored to what

is currently resonating in the market.

4 Collaborate with other departments on campus: Collaborating with other on-campus offices

can help enrollment managers meet their

goals. This cross-functional work can result

in diversified collateral that speaks to

specific student groups. For example,

enrollment managers can leverage the

expertise and mathematical acumen to

work on business projects involving data

and business intelligence, such as financial

aid leveraging models.

Read the full article from Enrollment

Management Report to learn more about

additional strategies your institution can

utilize to stand out in a tough market,

click here.

Managing the Rising Competition for Prospective Students in Higher Educationgoranku.com10

Tailoring Communicationsto Different Population Needs

If your institution is not tailoring its

communication styles and messages to

current and prospective students from

different generations, you’re missing out

on a huge opportunity to speak directly to

their interests and needs. To create tailored

communications plans that speak to both

your adult and traditional-aged students

and prospects, consider the following:

1 Take stock of your institution’s current marketing efforts: There are two specific learners you want to

catch in your admissions pipeline funnel:

adult learners and traditional-aged students.

To do this effectively, you need to know

which marketing tactics and avenues will

provide the greatest returns with each

population. Remember, the most recent

group of traditional-aged students is the

first generation to be completely integrated

with technology from birth, which presents

a unique challenge from a communications

perspective.

Managing the Rising Competition for Prospective Students in Higher Education goranku.com11

Institutions today are attempting to attract prospective students from many different generations. To be successful, enrollment teams must consider the different needs and communication styles of each generation and incorporate them into their recruitment strategies.

Tailoring Communicationsto Different Population Needs

2 Understand the differences between different generations of learners: As an example, millennial adult learners

and Generation Z learners are often lumped

together as the same. This is a mistake.

Typical millennial adult learners are now

around 30 years old and in your “sweet spot”

looking for a second career choice. Know

each population’s general characteristics

and needs to better tailor your marketing

communications and appeal to their unique

emotional preferences.

3 Build separate communications plans for your different populations: Most institutions do not have a separate

communications plan for their adult learners,

but they need one. Take the following steps to

build a communications plan directly geared

toward your adult learners:

a. Recruit faculty members to reach out to adult learners – this goes a long way towards establishing an emotional connection with your school.

b. Use email to communicate most effectively.

c. Build a script around job rates and career placement, and discuss support services your campus has to offer to emphasize the ways your institution will benefit adult millennial students.

Read the full article from Enrollment

Management Report for more about the

characteristics and preferences of different

generations, including Generation Z and

millennial adult learners, as well as strategies

for creating individual communications

plans for both populations, click here.

Managing the Rising Competition for Prospective Students in Higher Educationgoranku.com12

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Higher education is experiencing a large-scale shift: more programs have created a competitive market,

prospective students are spending more time on online

research, and they’re narrowing their list of potential

schools before requesting more information. The

trends and strategies outlined in this booklet show that

strategic support for the prospective student journey is

essential for higher education institutions to meet their

inquiry, application, and ultimately enrollment goals.

The rise in competition, combined with sharper student

consumer mindsets and generational differences, means

that admissions and enrollment teams must focus

on personalized communication and engagement

strategies that deliver the right information to

prospective students at the right time. Without this

focus, institutions will watch their target students

continue their program search elsewhere.

Ranku is an online platform that boosts the visibility of your programs and makes it easy for prospective students to find the one that best suits their needs, delivering qualified inquiries to your doorstep. One of the many services available through

Wiley Education Services, Ranku offers a proven solution that provides university systems, institutions, and community colleges with the opportunity to attract and engage potential students quickly, effectively, and easily.

Ranku’s platform aggregates all of your program offerings into one searchable location that aligns with your institution’s brand, style, and tone, ensuring a consistent experience. It’s easy to upload and edit content, and you’ll be able to view data analytics for real-time insights into visitors’ behavior.

Learn more about how Ranku works and its benefits to prospective students and institutions here.