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Marketing to Adult Students A Profile of Demand Among Classroom and Online Students OCHEA 2010 Annual Conference Carol Aslanian Senior Vice President, Market Research and Advisory Services. Overview. Higher Education Enrollment Adults as Students – 2009 Snapshot
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Marketing to Adult StudentsA Profile of Demand Among Classroom and Online StudentsOCHEA 2010 Annual ConferenceCarol AslanianSenior Vice President, Market Research and Advisory Services
Overview Higher Education Enrollment Adults as Students – 2009 Snapshot Issues and Opportunities in Serving Adult Students
Higher Education Enrollment (Undergraduate and Graduate) 2008 18.3 m Fall Unduplicated Headcount (NCES) 2006 17.7 m 2004 17.3 m 2002 16.6 m For-Profit Sector Share: 9% 2000 15.3 m
…and more to come 2016 20.4 m Fall Enrollment Projections (NCES) 2014 20.0 m 2012 19.4 m 2010 18.8 m For-Profit Sector Share???
For-Profit Postsecondary Sector(degree-granting and nondegree-granting institutions) 2007 1.5 m. students (8% share) Within 5 years 10% + Growing at faster rate than other sectors
Undergraduate Enrollment in millions (NCES – Fall Enrollment)
Graduate Enrollment in millions (NCES – Fall Enrollment)
Growth by Age Group 2008 2015 24 yrs and under: 11% 25 yrs and over: 18%
H.S. Graduates Versus Undergrad College Enrollments in millions (NCES)
Adult College Students (undergrad/grad: 25+ years of age) in millions (NCES)
Future High School Graduates In 2020+ minority students will out number white students on college campuses One-third of high school graduates will be of Hispanic backgrounds Will seek convenience and flexibility like adults Most will have enrolled in online courses in high school
Something to Consider: 27% of all undergraduates today are “traditional” students (18-24, living on campus, attending full-time, etc) 73% of all Undergraduates today are “nontraditional” (working, parents, financially independent, often first-generation, etc)
Higher Education Enrollment Adult Learners: The Big Picture Reaching 50% of higher education credit enrollments Tripling in the past three decades Continuous growth at a faster rate predicted Millions more in noncredit & continuing professional development Millions more in workforce development – “their place not your’s”. (Employers spend $130 b. annually)
Adult College Students Adult = 25 yrs+
Personal Characteristics Majority are female Getting older – late 30’s-early 40’s Majority are non-minority More returning to undergrad and grad school with advanced credentials Majority are employed and juggle home, work and study Most often finance their own study Adults as Students: 2009
General Learning Patterns • Seek degrees, but also certificates, licenses and courses • Study in career fields • Most often: Business, Education, Health Professions • Prefer shorter/fast-track courses: 8-weeks or less • 1/3 study full-time (degree seekers) • Day AND evening study • Prefer multiple learning options – class/hybrid/online
Education level at time of enrollment?
Education-Level Aslanian Group, 2008
What credentials do they seek?
Do they study full-time or part-time?
Actual/Preferred Format of Study Undergraduate ActualPreferred
Actual/Preferred Format of Study Graduate ActualPreferred
2008 1.9 m. students took all courses online (10.5 % share of all enrollment) 2014 Expect 19% share of enrollment 2008 4 m. students took one or more courses online (Online enrollment in high school is growing faster than at college level) Online Higher Education
Preferred Course Length (Weeks) Median: 10 Weeks Median: 9 Weeks
How do they become aware of your college during their search?
Internet As Initial Resource in College Search What do others use?
College Characteristics That Led Respondents to Apply Scale of 5
Increasing competition/steady expansion of for-profit sector Increasing acquisition costs/limited marketing budgets Retention/stop-outs Electronic marketing and recruitment Adult college students are “consumers” Issues
Mixed Formats: classroom/hybrid/online Customer Service/ 24-7 Operations Seeing the “light at the end of the tunnel” – time to completion Providers looking more and more alike (positioning and differentiation are key) Issues
Keeping up with market demand - continuous market research Tracking and follow-up of inquiries and applicants Local/ground presence for online “One college” strategy Issues
Men are under-represented as adult college students Aging society: “Age 60 is the new age 40 and it has become prime time” Workforce needs for more college graduates Issues
Opportunities Younger students acting as adults: Age no longer predicts how we learn Graduate market growth Partnerships/consortia with other institutions Non-degree credentials Hybrid/blended learning
Opportunities 85% of Americans earn a high school diploma – only 30% earn a college degree Adults with some college but no degree Growth of non-credit career/professional development market Demand for college study growing abroad – fastest in Africa and Asia