Leading higher education firm combines student attitudinal data, multichannel marketing, and unparalleled enrollment management expertise to evolve recruitment for these student populations.
July 25, 2018—With growth in traditional college student enrollment projected to slow in the coming decade, the adult and online learner market will become even more vital for colleges and universities to secure sustainable enrollments. At the same time, there is enormous potential for institutions to grow in these markets. According to NCES data, there are 36,000,000 adult learners who have some college but no degree—prime candidates to be recruited back to college, and many who will take courses online.
Graduate enrollment has also swelled to 3 million, and the global pool of international students is expected to rise to 7 million by 2025 according to data from the Open Doors research project—adding additional enrollment streams for institutions to harness.
At many institutions, however, enrollment management for these student populations does not match the same level of strategy development, data-driven decision making, and prospective student outreach that traditional undergraduate enrollment does—all critical capabilities RNL intends to provide.
“Colleges and universities have trusted RNL with their on-campus undergraduate enrollment for decades,” said Sumit Nijhawan, president and CEO of Ruffalo Noel Levitz. “Our approach represents a strategic evolution in applying our pioneering work in college student recruitment to the nontraditional, graduate, and international markets that will become increasingly important for enrollment sustainability.”
The firm’s solution extends to four key markets:
- Adult learners aged 25 and older who are taking undergraduate coursework, both for degree purposes and for continuing education.
- Online learners taking distance learning courses, both part- and full-time.
- Graduate students pursuing master’s and professional degrees.
- International students looking to study in the United States.
RNL’s solution for this area brings three key components that have been lacking from nontraditional student enrollment:
- Student attitudinal data to drive responsive engagement, so that campuses can personalize every key touchpoint based on what the student has revealed about their preferences and expectations.
- Multichannel marketing deployed across every viable channel—digital, social media, email, print, and phone—at a strategic and creative level not usually seen with nontraditional students. For the international market, this includes multilingual phone outreach to increase student engagement.
- Optimized lead generation precisely blending digital lead generation with high-touch, list-based opportunities.
“Our work in the entire student lifecycle also provides added insight for nontraditional enrollment,” said Brett Frazier, RNL’s chief customer officer. “For instance, we have vast data and experience with student success and alumni affinity, two areas that can be applied directly to excite and engage adult and online learner as well as graduate students.”
For more information, visit RuffaloNL.com.
About Ruffalo Noel Levitz
Ruffalo Noel Levitz is the leading provider of higher education enrollment, student success, and fundraising solutions. The firm serves more than 1,900 colleges and universities through data-driven solutions focused on the entire lifecycle of enrollment and fundraising, assuring students find the right program, graduate on time, secure their first job in their chosen field, and give back to support the next generation. With a deep knowledge of the industry, Ruffalo Noel Levitz provides institutions the ability to scale their efforts by tapping into a community of support and resources.