Lenexa, Kansas — EducationDynamics, a leading enrollment management agency specializing in higher education, released the latest trends in higher education in the “Marketing and Enrollment Management Benchmarks 2024” report. The comprehensive report reveals key insights for helping colleges and universities better engage and serve the modern student. The report also highlights the importance of a student-centered approach when interacting with prospective students.

“As the education landscape undergoes significant shifts, EducationDynamics aims to equip institutions with the knowledge to better understand, engage, and serve the evolving needs of today’s students,” said EducationDynamics CEO Bruce Douglas. “The findings in this year’s Benchmarks Report underscore the shifting dynamics in student engagement, prompting higher education institutions to adapt and innovate in response to evolving preferences and behaviors. This report serves as a resource for institutions seeking to improve and succeed in an environment where accessible and valuable information are paramount.”

The data-rich report compiles information from publicly available data sources as well as EducationDynamics’ proprietary data. The report informs and educates colleges and institutions with recommendations and strategies to nurture prospective students through a student-centered multi-channel approach to marketing and enrollment management.

The report offered three important factors that continue to impact enrollment, including:

Students Have Become More Selective

Students are applying to fewer schools and tend to gravitate toward those that nurture them through every stage of the enrollment journey. In other words, they focus on schools that best communicate their value, most closely align with their needs, and provide multiple ways to communicate.

Students Seek Concise and Valuable Information to Simplify the Decision-Making Process

Value-focused information such as tuition cost and fees, scholarships, course listings, and career outcomes take precedence over campus life videos and student testimonials.

Streaming Services Is Where It’s At

The popularity of ad-supported services has increased by 17%, and this trend is expected to continue. Connected TV and Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) provide a valuable opportunity to expand reach and optimize marketing outcomes.

In addition, student nurture campaigns directly impact the possibility that students will enroll. This highlights the direct correlation between enrollment management and marketing strategies and emphasizes the importance of a seamless collaboration between the two. In fact, studies show that 25% of students stay engaged with nurturing campaigns, resulting in an increase in enrollments. Furthermore, high-quality engagement still occur on websites, making it the go-to source for prospective students seeking information and affirming the importance of a well-designed website.

Data for the “Marketing and Enrollment Management Benchmarks 2024: Trends in Higher Education Marketing and Student Engagement Higher Ed Landscape Report” was sourced from EducationDynamics Online College Students Survey 2023, EducationDynamics Proprietary Data, Vivvix fna Kantar Media Intelligence, and ComScore 2023 State of Streaming. The report is available for free download on the EducationDynamics website.