Executive summary
How to Increase Enrollment: Performance Marketing Strategies That Drive Applications
Executive Summary
- Direct answer: To increase enrollment, institutions need five core capabilities: intent-data targeting to find students actively researching programs, personalized multi-channel outreach, full-funnel nurture campaigns, real-time optimization, and ROI-focused measurement that connects marketing spend to enrolled students.
- Key insight: Fall 2024 data shows a 6.5% drop in higher education enrollment overall, yet nontraditional students (ages 21+) grew 16.7% to 19.7%, creating a massive opportunity for institutions that adapt their marketing approach.
- RC Strategies perspective: We treat enrollment marketing like performance marketing, applying the same accountability standards we deliver for federal recruiting campaigns where missing targets has real consequences.
- Actionable takeaway: Stop measuring impressions and clicks. Start measuring cost per enrolled student (CPE) and connect every marketing dollar to actual enrollment outcomes.
How to Increase Enrollment: Performance Marketing Strategies That Drive Applications
Why Traditional Enrollment Marketing Is Not Working
The numbers tell a stark story. According to Element451, higher education has experienced a 6.5% overall enrollment drop over the past few years, with community colleges hit hardest. This is not a temporary dip. It is a structural shift that demands a fundamentally different marketing approach.
The "Spray and Pray" Model Is Broken
Traditional enrollment marketing relied on broad awareness campaigns: print ads, college fairs, and billboard placements without meaningful performance tracking. That model worked when demand exceeded supply. Today, institutions compete for a shrinking pool of traditional-age students while overlooking the fastest-growing segment.
National Student Clearinghouse data reveals nontraditional undergraduate students (ages 21+) grew 16.7% to 19.7% in Fall 2024, with the largest gains among students ages 25 to 29. Meanwhile, traditional freshman enrollment declined 5%. The audience has shifted, but most institutions have not adjusted their targeting.
Gen Z and Nontraditional Students Require Different Approaches
These audiences research differently, communicate differently, and make decisions differently. Gen Z expects personalized, mobile-first experiences with immediate responses. Nontraditional students prioritize career outcomes, program flexibility, and financial aid transparency over campus life messaging.
ROI skepticism among prospective students demands proof of outcomes, not just branding. Students researching programs want salary data, job placement rates, and clear answers to whether the investment is worth it.
How to Find Students Already Looking for Your Programs
Marketing strategies to increase student enrollment start with finding students already interested, not convincing disinterested audiences to care. This is where intent-driven marketing changes everything.
Intent Data Fundamentals
Intent data tracks prospective student behavior signals: program searches, competitor institution visits, financial aid research, and content consumption patterns. Instead of targeting "18 to 24 year olds interested in STEM," you target students actively comparing engineering programs in your region.
First-party data matching allows institutions to identify individuals showing enrollment intent before they ever fill out a form. This addresses the "dark funnel" problem: students researching your institution through multiple channels without converting on initial visits.
Precision Targeting vs. Demographic Spray
The difference in efficiency is dramatic. We have built systems that identify high-intent prospects for federal workforce programs and apply that same infrastructure to enrollment. The result is finding students in-market for your specific programs before competitors reach them.
- Behavior signals to track: Program page visits, financial aid calculator usage, virtual tour completion, comparison guide downloads.
- First-party data activation: Match website visitors to CRM records for personalized follow-up sequences.
- Competitor intent: Identify students researching similar programs at competing institutions.
Our school marketing approach builds on intent-data infrastructure we have developed across federal and education clients. Identifying intent is step one. Converting that intent into applications requires personalized, multi-channel engagement.
5 Proven Strategies to Increase Enrollment Through Performance Marketing
These enrollment strategies work. But they only deliver results when executed as an integrated system, not isolated tactics.
1. Build Personalized Student Journeys Based on Behavior Signals
Move beyond treating "prospective student" as a monolith. Segment by program interest, engagement depth, and decision stage. Use behavior triggers to personalize outreach automatically.
When a prospective student visits your nursing program page three times, completes the financial aid calculator, and watches a virtual tour, they should receive different communication than someone who submitted a general inquiry form. Modern Campus research shows 98% open rates for SMS messages, making text messaging an essential channel for enrollment communication.
At University of Alaska Anchorage, personalized multi-channel campaigns based on program interest drove a 28% increase in applicants and helped save 9 at-risk programs.
2. Deploy Full-Funnel Nurture Campaigns That Move Students to Decision
Map content to enrollment funnel stages: awareness, consideration, application, enrollment, and retention. Multi-touch attribution reveals what actually drives applications, not just clicks.
Funnel StageContent FocusKey MetricsAwarenessProgram discovery, career pathwaysCost per inquiry (CPI)ConsiderationROI data, student outcomes, comparisonEngagement depth, return visitsApplicationDeadline reminders, application supportCost per application (CPA)EnrollmentFinancial aid, onboarding, yield nurturingYield rate, cost per enrolled (CPE)
Enrollment strategies that work connect every marketing dollar to enrolled students, not just inquiries. We have achieved a 52% decrease in cost-per-student acquisition through integrated funnel optimization.
3. Differentiate by Sector: Higher Ed, K-12, Private Schools
How to increase enrollment in higher education requires different tactics than strategies to increase enrollment in private schools. Audience, message, and compliance all differ.
Higher education focus areas:
- Address the 21+ student segment head-on. They are growing while traditional enrollment shrinks.
- Career outcomes messaging that answers "is this degree worth it?"
- Graduate program targeting using ABM-style approaches. We have delivered a 30% graduate enrollment increase through precise audience targeting.
Private K-12 focus areas:
- Parent-focused messaging addressing investment concerns.
- Scholarship and financial accessibility communication.
- Competitive differentiation in local markets.
Public and charter school focus areas:
- Open enrollment marketing campaigns.
- Magnet and specialty program promotion.
- Community engagement integration.
We understand compliance. From DoD recruiting regulations to FERPA requirements, we build campaigns that perform within guardrails.
Stop measuring impressions and clicks. Start measuring cost per enrolled student and connect every marketing dollar to actual enrollment outcomes.
4. Showcase ROI and Career Outcomes (Not Just Campus Life)
Address "is college worth it?" skepticism head-on. Students researching "nursing programs near me" compare career outcomes, not just facilities. Surface that data throughout the enrollment journey.
Data-driven content marketing includes:
- Program ROI calculators: Show expected salary versus program cost.
- Career placement rates: Document job outcomes by program and timeframe.
- Student success stories: Feature alumni with specific outcomes, not generic testimonials.
- Salary data: Present transparent earning expectations by field and credential.
Modern Campus research confirms that ROI documentation drives enrollment decisions, particularly for nontraditional students balancing work and education investments.
5. Measure What Matters: Enrollment KPIs That Drive Budget Decisions
Move beyond vanity metrics like impressions and reach. Performance metrics include cost per enrolled student (CPE), application yield rate, and enrollment velocity from first touch to deposited student.
MetricWhat It MeasuresWhy It MattersCost Per Inquiry (CPI)Marketing spend per lead generatedTop-of-funnel efficiencyCost Per Application (CPA)Spend per completed applicationMid-funnel conversionCost Per Enrolled (CPE)Total spend per enrolled studentTrue marketing ROIYield RateAdmitted students who enrollNurture campaign effectiveness
We report on enrolled students, not clicks. That is what our government clients demand, and it is what enrollment leaders need to justify marketing investment. At EU Business School, our approach delivered 2,843 enrolled students through performance-focused campaigns.
Building Your Enrollment Performance Marketing System
Execution is everything. Here is how to move from tactics to operational reality.
Audit Your Current State
Start with honest assessment. Where are leads coming from? What is your actual cost per enrolled student by program and channel? Most institutions cannot answer these questions because tracking infrastructure does not exist.
Build the Right Infrastructure
Performance marketing requires:
- CRM integration: Connect marketing touchpoints to enrollment outcomes.
- Attribution tracking: Multi-touch models that credit the full journey.
- Marketing automation: Behavior-triggered sequences at scale.
- Real-time dashboards: KPIs visible to marketing and enrollment teams.
Set Realistic Timelines
Expect a 90-day pilot to establish baselines, followed by full-funnel implementation over 6 to 12 months. Quick wins come from high-intent audience targeting. Sustained improvement comes from infrastructure investment.
Know When to Partner
Internal teams often lack bandwidth for performance marketing execution while managing day-to-day enrollment operations. Specialized partners bring infrastructure, expertise, and accountability that accelerates results. We do not just advise. We build the systems, run the campaigns, and optimize based on enrollment outcomes.
Tips for Success
Leverage Intent Data for Targeted Outreach
Identify prospective students actively researching your programs using intent data, such as program page visits and financial aid tool usage. Match these signals to CRM records and personalize multi-channel follow-ups to convert high-intent prospects before competitors reach them.
Showcase ROI and Career Outcomes Early
Address enrollment skepticism by providing transparent ROI calculators, salary data, and real career placement outcomes throughout the student journey. Highlight specific alumni success stories to demonstrate value, especially to nontraditional and outcome-focused audiences.
Enrollment Marketing by Institution Type
Higher Education: Universities, Colleges, and Community Colleges
How to increase enrollment in higher education requires addressing the 21+ student segment head-on. They are growing while traditional enrollment shrinks. Community college recovery strategies must focus on career pathway clarity and transfer articulation.
Graduate program marketing benefits from ABM-style targeting, identifying prospective students based on career stage, employer, and credential gaps. We have delivered 36% lower acquisition costs through precision graduate targeting.
Private Schools (K-12)
Strategies to increase enrollment in private schools must speak to parents' investment concerns, not just students' experience. Competitive differentiation in local markets requires clear positioning on outcomes, values, and community.
Scholarship and financial accessibility messaging addresses the perception barrier that prevents middle-income families from considering private education. Make aid information prominent, not buried in admissions materials.
Public and Charter Schools
How to increase school enrollment in public systems combines family outreach with community partnership activation. Open enrollment marketing requires geographic and demographic targeting at the household level.
Magnet and specialty program promotion should highlight unique offerings with clear enrollment pathways. Community engagement builds referral networks that reduce acquisition costs over time.
Key Takeaways
Enrollment is not a marketing problem. It is a performance problem with marketing solutions. The institutions growing enrollment in 2024 are not spending more. They are spending smarter, tracking harder, and optimizing faster.
We run enrollment marketing for institutions that need results, not reports. If you are ready to connect marketing investment to enrolled students, not just applications, start with a free enrollment marketing audit to identify your biggest opportunity gaps.
We have built performance marketing systems for the Navy, National Guard, and federal agencies where every lead matters. We bring that same rigor to enrollment marketing because your enrollment targets matter just as much as theirs.
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