You work in admissions at a local college, but the numbers aren’t looking good. Why are application and enrollment numbers dropping?
Traditional colleges now need to compete with online schools, making it harder than ever to attract bright, motivated students each year. Since schools depend on tuition fees to pay the bills and hire staff, this is a big problem.
However, if you’re struggling with student enrollment, there are a few things you can do to help. To learn more, keep reading to find five key ways that schools can increase higher education enrollment.
1. Update Your Marketing Strategy
If you have an enrollment problem, it could be because prospective students aren’t finding your school. In this case, think about updating your marketing strategy.
Traditional college days at high schools are no longer the only way for students to find you. So, really work on building up your digital marketing strategy to reach more students.
This can include Google Ads, an easy-to-navigate website, and email marketing campaigns.
2. Jump Into Social Media
Over 90 percent of teens aged 13-17 are on social media, with 50 percent visiting a social media site at least daily.
This means that if you want to reach students, you need to be where they are. This includes platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Your enrollment marketing strategy should include active social media accounts and advertising. Videos from current students work well on social media, as they can highlight to prospective students how great the school is.
Aim to post daily and always interact with your followers, answering questions that potential students might ask.
3. Streamline the Application Process
If your application process is tedious, confusing, or not optimized for mobile, then you’re likely going to lose out on students. Why should they struggle for hours when other schools make applications much simpler?
You might want to invest in school recruitment tools to make the process easier.
4. Offer Scholarships
If you can, offering and advertising scholarships can really boost enrollment. This attracts a new group of students who wouldn’t be able to pay the full tuition price, so considering investing in this if possible.
5. Analyze the Demographics of Current Students
One more tip—look at the data of your current students. Who are they, where are they from, and what are their interests?
This information can be very helpful for targeting marketing campaigns, helping you focus on students more likely to have an interest in your school.
Improve Your Student Enrollment With These Tips
If your student enrollment numbers aren’t looking great, then think about implementing some of the ideas above. It takes time to see change, but if you focus on boosting enrollment this year, you should start to see results in the next school year.
It’s worth the time and investment since your school can’t survive without high student numbers! Get started today and help your school thrive for years to come.
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