How many times have you heard a colleague say, “I really think if we just focused on [fill in the blank] more, we’d improve enrollment.” During yield season, everyone has an opinion, but how do you know whose hunch to follow?
Eduventures data indicates that your colleague may be right. But you, or others who take a different view, may be as well. This is because the factors that motivate students to make their final enrollment decisions are far from homogeneous. In fact, no more than 16% of students agree on which “most important reason” tipped the scale.
With limited time and resources, where can you focus messaging that will reinforce student decision making?
The Most Important Reasons Motivating College Decisions
Eduventures’ Admitted Student Research™ asks students, “What was the most important reason you have chosen to attend your college choice?” The greatest proportion of first-time students—only 16% of the sample—chose “Affordability,” followed by “Reputation/Academic Quality” and “Career Outcomes/Job Opportunities” at 13%.
One way to make sense of such a wide dispersion of reasons driving student choice is to combine their responses into thematic areas. Figure 1 segments the “most important reasons” into broader themes and breaks out student responses by residency and institution type.
Figure 1
In Figure 1, when the most important reasons are placed into thematic areas, “Academics & Quality” rises to the top, slightly overshadowing “Cost & Value.” One key exception to this, however, is among students enrolling in in-state publics. These students are more likely to choose “Cost & Value” as their “most important reason” over “Academics & Quality.”
Figure 1 shows how the decision motivations of students enrolling at out-of-state public schools closely aligns with those enrolling in private colleges. Out-of-state public students have the same hierarchy of “most important reasons” as out-of-state private students. These priorities are distinct from students enrolling at in-state schools, reinforcing the ways yield outreach can be structured by institutional and audience segments.
Enter Enrollment Drivers
Another way to determine where to focus your messages during yield season is to look to students’ “enrollment drivers”—these are the supports that build upon students’ “most important reasons” for their decisions. Unlike the “most important reason,” where students were limited to one selection, students can choose up to three “enrollment drivers.”
Figure 2 shows the leading “enrollment drivers” (found in the legend) relative to the “most important reason” themes mapped on a radar chart. This view of the data provides a better understanding of the supporting rationale behind college choices.
Figure 2
Overall, Figure 2 shows that students’ “most important reasons” to enroll and their “enrollment drivers” are aligned. For example, the majority of students who cite “Cost & Value” as their “most important reason” also select “Affordability” as an “enrollment driver” (85%). Interestingly, however, students who selected “Careers & Experience Outcomes” as their most important reason were slightly more likely to select “Academic Strength” over “Career Preparation” as the most popular “enrollment driver”—signaling an increased focus on how academia is viewed as a runway to careers.
While “Academics & Quality” is the leading most important reason, “Affordability” asserts its staying power when looking at “enrollment drivers.” “Affordability” is also the only “enrollment driver” to consistently appear in the top three selections across all of the “most important reasons” themes—continuing to place “Affordability” and “Academic Strength” at the forefront for student choices.
Perhaps the most curious element of Figure 2, however, is the students who appear to be misaligned. Take the example of “Cost & Value” from earlier. About 15% of students who cited “Cost & Value” as the ultimate deciding factor did not select “Affordability” as an “enrollment driver.” And 27% of “Academics & Quality” students did not select “Academic Strength” as an “enrollment driver.”
Does this mean students are confused? Unlikely.
Rather, the misalignment reveals the complexity of student decision making. These students might be saying, “Yes, this is ultimately why I made my decision, but here are the other factors that were really important to me as well.”
The Bottom Line
Student responses reveal that there is no “just” for enrollment teams navigating yield. Students’ college choices encompass multiple layers of considerations across multiple important priorities. Keep the following in mind:
- Just ask them. Students mean what they say when they share the “most important reasons” for their college decisions; their responses are consistent. Incorporating pulse polls in communications or quizzes in enrollment portals can help your team identify student decision drivers for additional personalized follow-up.
- When in doubt, focus on the top three. Behind the “most important reasons” are layers of enrollment drivers with “Affordability,” “Academic Strength,” and “Career Preparation” rising to the top for many students. Institution type and student residency provide additional insights for teams to tailor yield efforts and needs.
- Keep it simple. Remember that admissions teams are the curators of incoming student experiences. Protect students from unnecessary noise and promote relevant information based on their motivations and progress toward enrollment.
Understand Students’ Desires With Prospective Student Brand Research
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