The colleges and universities most successful in their student recruitment efforts are using popular culture references, social media platforms, and mobile technology to engage prospective students.
These student recruitment and enrollment efforts are adopted from practices from consumer marketing, according to a report by Royall & Company at the National Association for College Admission Counseling’s 72nd National Conference.
“Shrinking budgets and a flattening in the number of college-age students in many parts of the country make innovation essential for schools to achieve their enrollment goals,” said Peter Farrell, senior enrollment management consultant at Royall & Company. “But not all consumer marketing practices work in higher education—and the most successful institutions are using data to determine which techniques will work in the postsecondary space.”
(Next page: Four effective student recruitment strategies)
Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland's prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism. Latest posts by Laura Ascione (see all) - Weak tech could push students, faculty to other institutions - April 13, 2026
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- 5 essential dimensions of AI literacy - December 12, 2025