Over the past few years, college administrators have experienced a harder-than-average routine when it comes to maintaining enrollment numbers. A unique combination of cultural shifts, current events in the higher education space, and student preferences have contributed to declining enrollment numbers at large and small institutions alike.

But if you’re a college enrollment leader, you know that it’s not enough to simply settle for low admissions targets and lackluster marketing strategies. You need reliable plans and a strategic vision to help increase student enrollment and set your campus up for a new wave of growth.

In this article, we’ll introduce several creative methods to increase college enrollment numbers. You’ll find practical solutions to help build your enrollment strategy on a foundation of success.

Why are student enrollment strategies necessary?

The college experience, particularly the admissions and enrollment process, has drastically changed in recent years. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated issues with enrollment that may have already been brewing below the surface long before remote and virtual learning took charge.

To increase college enrollment, colleges need innovative enrollment strategies to emerge into the next stage with a greater number of prospective students and higher levels of engagement. A new plan of action is also essential to combat undergraduate enrollment trends such as:

• Declining enrollment and attendance at community colleges
• Decreased ability to attend higher education institutions for minority or low-income students
• Availability of immediate vocational openings that potential students choose over school
• 6.5% drop overall in higher education enrollment in the past two to three years

To get back on track and create more success stories, the higher education landscape needs a fresh wave of marketing strategies that capture student interest and increase college enrollment. 

Outdated student enrollment strategies are officially out

Establishing positive relationships with current students requires a research-backed perspective and strong interpersonal connections. Many colleges that use "old school" ideas and strategies will find that they no longer resonate with high school students who may already have doubts about going through the application process.

Today’s prospective students are also highly connected for their age group, tech-savvy, and even skeptical about making costly decisions. Outdated strategies that lack personality, authenticity, or transparency can hinder higher ed enrollment efforts.

8 Ideas for Increasing Student Enrollment at Your Institution

To bridge the gap and lose fewer students to an ineffective enrollment strategy, college admissions recruitment personnel must think outside the box. Get creative, and experiment to find out what works best for the potential students in your target audience.

To help you increase enrollment, we’ve rounded up eight methods that you can test at your higher education institution.

Idea 1: Make the enrollment journey a personal experience

Prospective college students don’t want to feel like a number in line. Instead, they want to know what it's like to be a priority. Specific messages that are designed uniquely for them stand out from run-of-the-mill digital marketing tactics.

When you send out communications and touchpoints, make them highly personal. 

You can accomplish this by assigning potential students to a specific counselor or advisor, providing customizable materials that are tailored to their questions or experiences, and even incentivizing steps in the admissions process (like offering gifts or small scholarships for completing admissions steps).

Depending on your school’s available resources, you may also try a prospective student portal or specialized college website where future students can gain access to exclusive and helpful content that makes the enrollment decision easier.

Idea 2: Leverage SMS to send valuable reminders

Students enrolled in today's college programs are inundated with digital ads and messages on mobile devices. While you don’t want to add stress, you can leverage technology and communicate with them using the tools that they have at their fingertips.

SMS notifications and reminders are one way to accomplish this mission. Send targeted reminders to students about important deadlines, new programs, and courses, or to inform them about what’s next in their personal admissions journey.

The best way to do this is to use your school’s admissions software or CRM platform. This way, you can ensure that you have the most updated contact information throughout the whole process. Plus, staff members can clearly see which students have received certain reminders.

Idea 3: Use a story-based approach to marketing materials

Why should undergraduate students care about attending your particular school? If you can create or write a story that matters, it’s far easier for students to visualize what would happen if they were to attend and complete a degree program.

Storytelling is a powerful education marketing tactic because it encourages students to picture themselves in a “before and after” state. This means that they should be able to clearly communicate who they are before they enroll and who they are after they’ve completed the academic program of their dreams.

You can incorporate success stories and student testimonials to add even more weight to this powerful strategy.

Idea 4: Invest in search engine optimization (SEO)

If colleges and universities aren't already engaging in industry best practices, it’s time to change that. One of the most proven ways to market your message and increase enrollment is by investing in search engine optimization (SEO) and other forms of organic search. 

Optimizing your school’s admissions information makes it easily searchable when prospective students perform research on a school or program that aligns with your offering. By using SEO strategies, you can ensure that your school’s website performs better in search results on popular engines like Google.

If your student population is mostly local, it may be best to focus on local or regional SEO strategies. This is a more targeted approach that helps your content perform better for searchers who live in a set proximity to your school. For example, if your community college ranks higher than similar schools in the region, more web traffic could indirectly increase student enrollment.

Idea 5: Attract students through relevant social media platforms 

If you want to truly reach potential students, you must be willing to connect with more students where they spend a decent amount of time. In addition to offering direct access to many students, social media platforms also allow higher education institutions the opportunity to build a modern and relatable brand.

To have success in this arena, find out where your ideal students are spending the majority of their time. You might check out options such as:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• TikTok
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Pinterest

To capitalize on the benefits that social media offers, try to use as many features as possible to drive home your school’s marketing messages. Take advantage of live video, landing pages, feed posts, and even paid advertisements on each separate platform.

Idea 6: Honor admitted students with special perks and services

One of the most significant ways that you can build excitement with the incoming class (usually high school graduates) at your college or university is to celebrate their decision with special perks, messaging, and access. Some particularly creative colleges even develop new student websites or portals that deliver a unique experience to the incoming class.

When you make the interim time between application and acceptance feel special, you increase the level of excitement that students feel about attending. If any are on the fence, a memorable experience can shift the tide and convince them that they are significant and valued.

If you build a new student portal, add relevant pieces of content that serve a purpose and provide help to students, parents, and families. This might include:

• Helpful financial aid documents
• Communication with academic advisors
• Campus tour and event reminders
• Task sheets or next steps checklists
• Blogs or stories that describe student life

Idea 7: Celebrate campus diversity and inclusion

Modern students may be more likely to choose an educational institution based on diversity initiatives within the campus community. Before they enroll, students are focusing on schools that are fair to all parties, active in social justice causes, and known for exposure to many different cultural scenarios.

Maryville University speaks to the importance of including diversity in your college mission statement:

"Today’s most challenging problems require divergent thinking and an ability to work with people across cultures. Students who differ in terms of race, gender, class, ability, sexual orientation, and so forth challenge one another to perceive the world differently — which can help make the world more hospitable and equitable for all."

There are many ways to incorporate this at your higher education institution. From building an enrollment strategy specifically for minority or international students, to hosting an array of cultural events to boost exposure, aim high when it comes to creating a more inclusive enrollment process. 

Idea 8: Take advantage of specific enrollment tools within your CRM

The right admissions CRM tool can expand your enrollment toolkit with new features, better student data, and smart automations. Each of these options reduces stress and hassle from your enrollment process, which creates more room for creativity and connection.

With Element451, your campus enrollment team can benefit from features like:

• Personalized marketing messages
• Quick, stress-free application steps
• Virtual and physical event signup processes
• Admitted sites for enrolled students
• Detailed analytics and reports

By eliminating stress throughout the enrollment process, you can equip your staff members with digital tools that deliver results. In turn, admissions officers can spend more time making meaningful connections with future students. 

>>Join the Admissions revolution with Element451.<<

Element451 makes increasing enrollment easier than ever

For increasing student enrollment this year, a powerful admissions platform is the missing piece to delivering a truly personalized journey. Turn the tide from declining enrollment, and transform admissions numbers with a new approach that builds connections and fosters student growth.

Stay on top of creative new college enrollment trends. Book your Element451 demo today to design an innovative enrollment process that helps you conquer new enrollment benchmarks.