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MARKET OVERVIEW
The Higher Education Market
Traditional Colleges & Universities
Career Education Market
General Info on Career &
Vocational Schools
The Higher Education Market – Recruiting Online
While print advertising has been a successful vehicle for attracting students to colleges and universities, a new road is being paved on the information superhighway. Thus, traditional colleges and universities are finding it necessary to reach out and recruit students online. According to a recent online poll of 5,400 prospective college-bound students, the Web is considered the single most important tool in their college search process.
In order to maintain a competitive advantage and attract a top-notch student body, it’s necessary to pinpoint and utilize more effective and targeted ways to recruit and enroll new students. Results from a recent case study of several prominent universities show a 20 percent increase in electronic applications since instituting online recruitment solutions. This data is significant because it demonstrates that e-mail, Web marketing, and other technologies are consistently on the rise.
Traditional Colleges & Universities
Number of Institutions
The National Center for Education Statistics, Dept. of Education reported a total of 4,236 institutions of higher education in the United States.
- 2,516 are private colleges or universities
- 1,720 are public institutions
- 2,530 are four-year colleges or universities
- 1,706 are two-year schools
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School Size
Almost half (49%) of U.S. colleges and universities have enrollments between 1,000 and 10,000 students. Thirty-nine percent of institutions have enrollments of less than 1,000 students, and just 12% of colleges and universities have enrollments of more than 10,000 students. The top 120 campuses enroll almost one quarter of all students. The top ten campuses are listed below.
To see the full list, go the National Center for Education Statistics, Dept. of Education Fast Facts. |
Schools with the Largest Enrollments |
Miami-Dade College
University of Texas at Austin
Ohio State University
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
University of Phoenix Online Campus
University of Florida
Arizona State University at Tempe
Texas A&M University
Michigan State University
City College of San Francisco |
54,926
52,261
49,676
48,677
48,085
47,373
47,359
45,083
44,937
42,975 |
Tuition and Fees
Average tuition and fees for the latest full academic year were $4,630 at public four-year schools and $1,670 at two-year schools. Private four-year colleges and universities average $17,902 per year for tuition and fees.
(Source: Almanac 2005-2006, published by the Chronicle of Higher Education, Aug. 26, 2005) |
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High School Graduates/College Enrollments
The path to postsecondary education continues to widen for American students. A population wave of students has fueled record numbers of high school graduates and students enrolled in postsecondary education. While the number of racial and ethnic minority students that successfully make the transition from high school to college continues to slowly improve, their representation on America’s four-year college campuses remains disproportionately low compared to their representation in the American population.
- Continued Increase in Number of High School Graduates: In 2005, more than three million students graduated from high school in the United States. Slightly more than 60 percent of them applied to and enrolled in postsecondary education, either two- or four-year institutions.
- College Enrollment Continues at All-Time High: More than 16 million students were enrolled in postsecondary education in 2005. Both high school graduates and college enrollments are expected to increase until at least 2014.
Applications to College
Applications continue to pour into America’s four-year colleges and universities. Fueled by a combination of the population bulge, the ease in applying to colleges online, and the tendency for students to submit larger numbers of applications in their quest for admission, the increase in college applications has led to widespread speculation that the admission process has become increasingly competitive. Undoubtedly, the most highly selective colleges are becoming more selective, as their publicly-released acceptance rates prove. However, on average, four-year colleges and universities in the United States accept seven out of every 10 applicants who apply for admission.
- Applications Increase Again: Seventy-three percent of colleges reported that the number of admission applications had increased from the previous year. In 2005, NACAC reported that the number of colleges reporting application increases had dipped slightly for the first time since 1999. This year’s data reflects a continued increase in the number of applications received by colleges.
- Colleges Accept 70 Percent of Applicants: The average selectivity rate, or percent of applicants offered admission, at four-year colleges and universities in the United States is 70 percent. The average yield rate, or percent of admitted students who enroll in an institution, for four-year colleges and universities in the United States is 45 percent.
- Gender Gap in Applications: Mirroring the difference in enrollment between men and women, women submitted (on average) about 58 percent of college applications in 2004, compared to 42 percent for men.
- Online Applications Increase: Colleges received nearly half (49 percent) of all applications online, an increase from 43 percent in 2004 and 35 percent in 2003. Overall, 85 percent of colleges reported an increase in the number of online applications submitted. Data from the Higher Education Research Institute’s American Freshman survey indicates that the percent of students who submitted three or more applications for college admission rose from 60 percent to more than 70 percent over the last 10 years.
Admission Office Budget and Staff
College admission offices are comprised of individuals who have varied academic and professional backgrounds. Admission office requirements, expenditures, and procedures vary based on the type of institution.
- Ratio of Applicants to Admission Officers: On average, the ratio of applications to admission officers at colleges and universities in the U.S. is 395:1. At public institutions, the ratio is 683:1, while at private institutions, the ratio is 279:1.
- Cost to Recruit: On average, colleges and universities spend about $442 to recruit each applicant.
- Marketing and Admission: Sixty-eight percent of colleges reported that marketing and public relations were the most important professional qualification for chief enrollment officers at their institutions.
(Source: NACAC 2006 Annual State of College Admission Report, which provides analysis of the combined results from the Admission Trends Survey and the Counseling Trends Survey. Based on surveys of school counselors and colleges and universities nationwide, NACAC provides this report to highlight issues of concern to college-bound students, their parents, and the educators who serve them.)
More Higher Education Facts & Figures can be obtained from the NACAC STATE OF COLLEGE ADMISSION REPORT 2006.
To see the full report, click here. |
The Career Education Market – Recruiting Online
With the advent of the 21st century, career education in the United States is in transition and growing rapidly. Historically, the purpose of career education has been to prepare students for entry-level jobs in occupations requiring less than a baccalaureate degree. Over the last 15 years, however, this purpose has shifted toward broader preparation that develops the academic, vocational, and technical skills of students using vocational education programs.
Career education is evolving into a multipurpose enterprise that seeks to impart not only occupational skills to students wishing to enter employment directly, but also academic skills deemed necessary to provide students with better preparation for both the world of work and post-secondary education.
Career education evolved around the concept of organizing schools around a broad occupational or industry theme (such as aviation, fashion, or finance, etc.) These schools are sometimes called “magnet” or “theme schools.” Other practices include creating one or more schools-within-a-school that have occupational or career-related themes (such as health science, business and finance, natural resources, graphic arts, communications, or technology) These career academies or “houses” may be designed for either at-risk or academically talented students, or for a heterogeneous mix of students.
Thanks to the proliferation of the Internet, and career schools' savvy methods of marketing – many of which benefit from a for-profit model –– colleges and universities focused on such career-specific programs have emerged as leaders in online student recruitment.
General Information on Career & Vocational Schools
Important Facts About Colleges:
Career college and university programs span the spectrum from certificate to doctoral.
Career college and university programs provide training for employment in over 200 fields.
79% of students attending such colleges are employed while in school.
69% of such students are first generation college students.
51% of such students are minorities.
39% of health degrees/certificates awarded at 2-year and less institutions were conferred at career colleges.
38% of all institutions participating in Title IV programs are career schools or colleges.
35% of technology degrees/certificates awarded at 2-year and less institutions were conferred at career colleges.
30% of such students are single parents.
21% of such students are African American.
20% of such students have some type of previous postsecondary education.
19% of such students are Hispanic.
7% of all college students attend a career college or university.
Career College Student Benefits and Outcomes:
Two of the most important issues facing the higher education community are the high cost of college and the increasing amount of time students take to obtain a postsecondary degree. Statistics from the Department of Education show that although more than 70% of high school graduates will attend some type of college, fewer than half of them will obtain a four-year degree. And of those who enroll in a four-year degree program as full-time students, only 37% will graduate within four years.
The career college sector provides an important alternative for career-focused students, with graduation rates that meet or exceed those posted by public and private, not-for-profit colleges. A recent analysis by the American Council on Education included the following findings:
- Only half (51%) of all students beginning at four-year public institutions earned their degree or certificate within six years at the same institution.
- 25% of students beginning at public two-year institutions earned a credential from that institution within six years. After considering transfer students, the overall graduation rate for public two-year institutions was 39% after six years.
- By contrast, 65% of students enrolled at career colleges and universities earned a degree or certificate within six years.
- Not only do students at career colleges and universities graduate at higher rates, they do so more quickly than students at public institutions. A National Center for Education Statistics study showed that:
- Students at career colleges and universities attained certificates 12 months sooner and associate’s degrees 11 months sooner than students at public colleges.
- 75% of the students who obtained a certificate or degree from a career college or university reported that they were able to earn a higher salary, compared to 56% of those who attended a community college.
- 78% percent reported that they had better job opportunities, compared to 70% of community college graduates.
Career College Students in the Workforce:
An increasing number of job opportunities are opening up for employees with a postsecondary degree or certificate. Career colleges provide training for many of these occupations. Growth in health services and computer support areas will generate an increasing number of new jobs through 2012, most of which will require postsecondary training or an associate’s degree.
- 39% of health degrees and certificates conferred at 2-year and less institutions were awarded at career colleges.
- 35% of technology degrees and certificates conferred at 2-year and less institutions were awarded at career colleges.
(Information based on the CCA Fact Book 2005: A Profile of Career Colleges and Universities, a bi-annual publication of the Career College Foundation containing research and analysis of important trends in the career college sector of higher education. It is an important tool for policy makers, investor groups, college owners and operators to assess important demographic, enrollment and financial aid trends facing the sector.) |
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