Insights from latest Eduventures research
It likely isn’t a surprise that online learning continues to grow. As student demographics are shifting and colleges are trying to further their reach while being strategic in their budget spend, the competition for online students, and particularly online graduate students, is building. Colleges are creating strategy around expanding their online programs and adding graduate degrees to meet these demands.
According to Eduventures’ latest research of data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), there’s been an increase of over 40% in new online graduate degrees offered over the measured six year period. Competition is increasing and these learners have more options to choose from. So what is the research from Eduventures telling us? Here’s our top insights.
Online vs On-Campus
As classes and entire degrees move to an online format, so too should student information sessions and webinars. Adult learners need content delivered in a way that is flexible and engaging and that does not require them to find child care or take off work to learn more.
Budget-conscious enrollment teams know the cost in dollars and time it takes to coordinate and execute an on-campus event.
- Parking and signage
- Meals (including dietary needs)
- Weather unpredictability
- Event space availability and usage costs
- Tour guides or student panel pay
- Staff, faculty, and student coordination
- Print materials and visit swag
The challenges and costs add up quickly. On-campus events are limited only to the audience who has the flexibility, proximity, and schedule to attend. Hosted online webinars remove those barriers in much the same way that online degrees do. Online chat, scheduled webinars and on-demand content can make the difference between reaching an interested online learner or missing them as they drift to another school’s website.
Communicating Value
How do enrollment leaders help their programs stand out and convert leads into matriculating students? Online graduate enrollment numbers are on the rise, especially in career-specialized programs. Colleges who want to grow their online enrollments should be focused on sharing their brand message. What makes their degree a solid investment in the pursuit of knowledge and increased opportunities for career-minded students? As more schools add online graduate degrees, building value and clearly communicating that becomes even more vital in attracting and retaining students.
Leveraging Online Engagement to Maximize Outcomes
Online engagement should have two main objectives when it comes to supporting graduate and online student enrollment outcomes; Lead Generation and Enrollment Conversion.
Conduit allows colleges and universities to build targeted and branded environments for students to learn more about the information they want when they want it. Webinars can be live, or prerecorded (Simulive) and played along with chat to best utilize the time of staff and faculty representatives. If you don’t connect through meaningful live chat, scheduled upcoming events, and content on demand, you run the risk of another school beating you to it. This creates an “always on” experience while also enabling live interaction at strategic times throughout the recruitment process while maximizing the impact of lead generation and enrollment conversion campaigns.
Understanding that time is not unlimited, PlatformQ Education’s marketing services offer expert insights and best practices while executing campaigns and reporting to take the heavy lifting off of the institution’s enrollment / marketing/ IT offices.
Ready to get started?
Contact us to see how you can utilize webinar presentations and leverage live chat data with the Conduit platform to maximize student engagement and yield today.