Rider University
Using data and smarter media investments to boost enrollment.
The decline in college and university enrollment in recent years can be attributed to COVID, demographic shifts, economic uncertainties, and the growing popularity of alternative career paths. Factors such as a declining birth rate, demographic aging, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to a smaller pool of prospective students. As a strategic partner of one of New Jersey’s forward-thinking private universities, we viewed this as an opportunity to overcome barriers and drive success.
Rider University
Higher Education
“This season set a Rider record for Open House attendees. Well done, we could not have achieved this goal without your help.”
INSIGHT
We analyzed five key enrollment data points to start our foundational media thesis and applied historical knowledge gained from working with other universities to uncover immediate target audience opportunities. This analysis was then fed into our AI-powered, complex data ingestion engine to identify the key correlations between certain data factors, recruitment events, and successful enrollment. The result was a highly customized target audience propensity model.
SOLUTION
This new audience propensity model informed all aspects of our digital and traditional media investments. Especially one key initiative: driving to Open House. We knew that if we could get them on campus, our success rate would increase exponentially.
RESULTS
This audience-first approach led to immediate impact. Record Open House attendance lead to a 7% increase in enrollment. And we laid down a foundation for success in the following recruitment year. To date, applications are up 17% year-over-year, and 25% year-over two years.
We also drove paid search Cost Per Inquiry down 80% within 7 months.
