New Parent Research Shows That Colleges Should Let Their Institution Type and Geographic Markets Guide How They Communicate Their Reputation & Cost

BOSTON, MA – October 2, 2025

Encoura®, an industry-leading educational technology and research organization, announced today the recent publication of the Eduventures Prospective Parent Research 2025 Insights Report: How Do Families Assess Institutional Reputation? This year’s edition of the annual report highlights for higher education enrollment and marketing teams how parents evaluate institutional reputation and — critically — why preferences for institutional type matter significantly in their assessments.

For years, cost and reputation have been the leading preferences of parents/guardians in the college search with their children — and they're not willing to compromise on either. With parents wanting a reputable school at the right price, how can colleges and universities convince families that their education is worth their investment? How can less selective institutions compete in enrollment?

This report details specifically how parent’s/guardian’s reputation and cost preferences vary across institution type, families’ broader definitions of reputation beyond rankings, and their most trusted sources of information during the college search process.

Key Insights

• Institutional preference predicts the balance between cost and reputation. For parents who prefer a public, out-of-state or private, secular institution, reputation carries more weight (66% out-of-state public; 67% private, non-religious). On the other hand, for parents who prefer a public, in-state or private religious institution, the value equation tips toward cost (65% in-state, public; 62% private, religious).
• Rankings are one of several key factors in reputation assessments; career outcomes and community respect also carry weight.
• Rankings of specific majors matter more at private institutions.
• Institutional websites rival published rankings as the most trusted information source.

“This research underscores that institutional reputation is multidimensional. Rankings carry weight with today’s families, but they are only one part of the equation,” said Johanna Trovato, Eduventures Principal Analyst and primary author of the study. “Institutions strengthen their position when they elevate the attributes their prospective parents most care about — attributes that vary in important ways by institutional type.”

With published rankings influential in parent/guardian perceptions of colleges and universities but dependent on external validation, it’s important for institutions to remember that they can effectively tell their own narratives and engage parents/guardians by prioritizing parents' values according to the type of institution they seek for their children. This latest parent/guardian research from Eduventures helps colleges identify the right reputation and value attributes to highlight to support today’s families and strengthen enrollment to achieve their goals.