CollegeAPP Releases Intent Matters: Avoiding the Enrollment Cliff
Unprecedented findings inform strategies for higher ed to address the adult opportunity
[Los Angeles, CA, November 5, 2022]: CollegeAPP, the leading provider of predictive analytics to identify and recruit potential adult students, has found stark demographic and economic differences in the adults who have intent to enroll in education or training in the next two years. The findings, covering 150,000 completed surveys the company has conducted since December 2019, providse higher education marketers insight into college preference by various populations as well as detailed data on their interest in various degree and certificate programs.
“This is a significant research report, and we want to share it,” said Jack MacKenzie, CollegeAPP President. “As we surveyed adults state-by-state over the past three years, we knew we were building incomparable insight into the aspirations of adult learners. Now, we’re prepared to contribute this data to inform higher education and workforce development strategies.”
The report entitled Intent Matters: Avoiding the Enrollment Cliff has detailed insights into intent to enroll in education and preference for institution type and programs by myriad of factors including:
• Age
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Income
• Geography
• Previous education attainment
“The data shows that previous adult enrollment strategies, including so-called ‘best fit’ models based on previous enrollments and ‘hot zips’ are more than misguided,” MacKenzie said. “The data suggests they contribute to institutionalizing systemic biases of who could and should get more education.”
The report notes that the upcoming potential enrollment crisis, known as the demographic cliff, is a result of what was a high-water mark for higher education. “During the recession of 2007 to 2010, many institutions saw enrollment gains but at the same time birth rates were falling,” said Katie Zaback, of Zaback Solutions, the external research firm that prepared the report with CollegeAPP, thanks to support from Lumina Foundation.
“The recession was the start of a steady downturn in enrollment that will accelerate as we approach 2025. There are simply fewer traditional-aged students in the pipeline. However, the CollegeAPP data shows clearly that many adults plan to enroll in education or training. Unfortunately, few of them will unless we find ways to reach them and turn their intentions into action,” Zaback said.
The report is available: Here
