Trends for 2014: Five Factors Facing Private Higher Education

Trends for 2014: Five Factors Facing Private Higher Education

Download the complete 2014 Trends report (.pdf)

The Lawlor Group conducts extensive quantitative and qualitative research 
for independent college and university clients throughout the United States. Based on our recent findings, along with other primary and secondary research available to the general public, we’ve identified five trends in the higher education marketplace that we predict will have a significant impact on student recruitment and enrollment efforts during the coming year. We’ve also included several questions that college enrollment and marketing administrators should be asking about their institutions to test how well they are responding to these market trends.

TREND ONE: DEMOGRAPHY IS DESTINY

Because of some key demographic projections, the recruitment of traditional-age college students will not get easier anytime soon.

• College enrollments will grow more slowly. At private institutions, while undergraduate enrollment increased 38% over the past eight years, over the next eight years it will increase only 10% (NCES). [The black line shows average growth in the following chart.]      Read More . . . . . . . . .