New research from UPCEA and Collegis Education reveals a growing misalignment between how institutions approach retention and what adult learners actually need to succeed. While many institutions are investing in retention, strategies still over-rely on structured oversight and under-deliver on the flexibility, visibility, and autonomy adult online learners say they need most.
The Retention Disconnect: What Adult Learners Need and What Institutions Miss Wednesday, February 11 1:00 pm ET / 12:00 pm CT
Join Dr. Tracy Chapman, Chief Academic Officer at Collegis Education, and Emily West, Senior Market Research Analyst at UPCEA, as they break down key findings from the national survey and explore how institutions can realign support strategies to improve outcomes, protect revenue, and meet adult learners where they are.
Expert Speakers
Dr. Tracy Chapman
Chief Academic Officer
Collegis Education
Emily West
Senior Market Research Analyst
UPCEA
What you’ll learn:
Why nearly half of institutional leaders can’t report their online retention rate — and why that matters
The disconnect between staff-led interventions and student-preferred tools like dashboards and self-service
How to shift from compliance-based models to empowerment-driven support
The importance of segmentation based on life stage, not just demographics
Three strategic shifts institutions can act on now
Who should attend:
This session is ideal for higher ed leaders focused on student success, enrollment, and retention strategy, including:
Academic leadership (CAOs, provosts)
Enrollment and student affairs leaders
Online and adult learner program managers
Institutional researchers and data strategists
IT decision-makers
Presidents, CFOs, and strategic planning teams
If you’re working to improve outcomes for adult online learners or reduce attrition, this webinar is for you.
Complete the form on the top right to reserve your spot. We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday,February 11.
Our mission is to enable impact in higher education. We help our partners achieve more, deliver superior experiences, and drive impact across the entire student lifecycle by leveraging and aligning data, technology, and talent.
Why Universities Need the Right Partnership Criteria
When a higher education institution outsources its enrollment, marketing, or student engagement efforts, the stakes are high. Missteps don’t just cost money — they cost time and, most critically, can hinder enrollment growth. Many universities make the mistake of selecting vendors that focus on chasing leads, rather than aligning with the school’s mission or long-term goals.
Without clear partnership criteria, even well-intentioned collaborations can falter. Misaligned university partnerships often lead to disjointed campaigns and wasted resources. What begins as a lead generation effort can evolve into dependency on a vendor that operates in isolation, without being guided by the institution’s strategy.
The right partner, by contrast, integrates seamlessly with the institution’s mission, aligns its services with the institution’s desired outcomes, and acts as a true extension of the institution.
The Risks of Choosing the Wrong Partner
The wrong partner can create more problems than it solves. Some vendors sell services focused solely on activities — ads placed, events hosted, emails sent — without tying its efforts to the institution’s overarching strategy. This approach often fails to generate real enrollment growth, causing internal teams to struggle with unqualified leads and retention challenges.
Another potential risk stems from failing to consider how a partner will mesh with the institution’s legacy systems. Universities invest heavily in their marketing resources, such as their customer relationship management (CRM) platforms and brand assets. A vendor that imposes its own tools without considering the university’s existing infrastructure can create costly redundancies.
Equally concerning are long-term, restrictive partnership contracts that lock an institution into dependency and limit its flexibility, leaving it at the mercy of a vendor whose priorities may clash with the institution’s broader objectives or evolving market conditions.
Strategic Alignment as the Core Test
The foundation of any successful university partnership is strategic alignment. True partners base the services they offer on the institution’s unique goals. They view marketing, admissions, and student success teams as interconnected — not completely separate entities.
Shared key performance indicators (KPIs) are a key component of this alignment. When both the institution and its partner commit to tracking metrics such as the conversion rate from inquiry to application, the yield rate from admission to enrollment, and the one-year retention rate, they create mutual accountability across every stage of the student journey.
Archer’s Growth Readiness Assessment offers a model for this type of collaboration. This tool helps an institution evaluate its readiness to scale its programs — whether they are in person or online — by evaluating the university’s internal capacity, identifying any potential hurdles, and aligning its in-house teams and external partners. Performing such an assessment early in the vendor selection process ensures the university partnership is built on a foundation of clarity and trust.
Procurement Criteria That Drive Success
When it comes time for an institution to formalize a partnership, focusing on transparency, flexibility, and accountability can make the difference between achieving sustainable growth and creating new operational challenges.
Institutions that emphasize these criteria are better positioned to form partnerships that deliver measurable results and long-term value.
Transparency in reporting and asset ownership is vital. An institution should establish whether it will retain full ownership of the assets created and determine how often performance reports will be shared. A transparent partner will make reporting accessible and collaborative, not proprietary.
Flexible contracts are another hallmark of a strong university partnership. The institution should have the freedom to pivot when markets shift or as its internal capacity grows. It should avoid rigid, long-term agreements that limit its control or create dependency.
Accountability across the student journey should be among the institution’s demands. The most effective partners understand that success extends beyond generating leads and inquiries. Contracts should define what accountability looks like from marketing through enrollment and retention, with clearly articulated performance standards for each stage.
Integrating With Legacy Systems
Integration is a crucial element of successful university partnerships. A capable partner doesn’t replace or disrupt the institution’s existing systems — it strengthens them.
When integration is done well, the partner respects the university’s existing data, assets, and workflows, leading to a more unified, seamless experience for both staff and students. When integration is done poorly, the results can be costly, creating redundancies, inefficiencies, and siloed teams.
Archer’s Onward student engagement platform demonstrates how thoughtful integration can amplify an institution’s capacity without disrupting its operations. Onward uses behavior-based triggers and personalized multichannel engagement efforts to guide students from inquiry through enrollment — working alongside admissions services and complementing the institution’s existing systems rather than supplanting them.
By respecting the institution’s infrastructure, this kind of partnership model helps the university scale its engagement strategies without losing its operational continuity.
10 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Partner
Selecting the right partner for an institution requires more than comparing price points or promises of lead volume. The most beneficial partnerships are built on mutual accountability, transparency, and shared metrics for success. The right partner should have staff with extensive institutional knowledge and higher ed industry experience, enabling it to provide universities and colleges with the best tools to improve their operations and achieve growth.
Asking the right questions early helps ensure alignment and prevent costly missteps. Institutions can consider asking the following 10 questions when vetting potential partners:
How do you handle internal and external communications? Institutions need to know who their main points of contact will be, and how knowledge and strategies will be shared across teams.
What metrics do you use to measure success across the student journey? The ideal vendor should be able to provide full-funnel visibility and focus on metrics that truly drive enrollment growth.
How frequently will our teams review results together? Successful partnerships depend on transparency and regular communication.
What have you learned from working with other institutions, and how will that inform our partnership? Vendors should always be willing to adjust their services based on past wins and challenges. They should also have the right resources to serve all of their clients with equal urgency.
How will you collaborate with us to set enrollment goals and forecast program growth? Credible vendors rely on historical data to inform their projections, and take the time to carefully explore existing growth drivers.
How do you differentiate marketing strategies at the institutional level from those at the program level? Institutions can benefit from asking for examples that illustrate this distinction.
What can we expect from this partnership in the first 90 days? Vendors should be able to communicate clear timelines for processes, such as onboarding steps, reporting cadence, and performance metrics.
Will our institution own all assets, data, and creative from day one? Institutions should have ownership of any assets created and have a clear understanding of how they will be shared and managed.
Are there any additional fees we should be aware of? Items such as creative assets will need to be refreshed over time, so institutions need to understand what associated costs may arise.
What questions do you have for us? An ideal partner wants to understand the institution’s unique needs, strengths, and challenges. Using historical data, it can shape a data-driven strategy for the institution, including realistic marketing budgets and lead goals.
These questions establish a framework for transparency, accountability, and scalability — ensuring the partnership begins from a place of trust and aligned goals.
Key Takeaways
Effective university partnerships start with asking the right questions.
When your institution prioritizes alignment, accountability, and integration, you can avoid critical missteps.
The right partner will strengthen — not replace — your institutional vision and help equip you to scale sustainably.
Build University Partnerships That Advance Your Goals
At Archer Education, we work with accredited universities to build strategic partnerships rooted in a shared vision that drive scalable enrollment growth. With decades of higher ed experience, our team of industry experts has developed a flexible partnership model that supports internal growth, so that institutions can build self-sufficiency over time.
Contact our team to learn how our tech-enabled marketing, enrollment, and retention services can support your institution’s long-term goals.
In higher education today, generating buzz around new program launches is often viewed as the key to growth and market relevance. While there’s nothing wrong with investing in new programs when it makes sense, institutions tend to do so at the expense of existing offerings — including those that built their reputation. Yet legacy programs, when strategically audited and repositioned, can become some of the strongest assets in an institution’s portfolio.
The challenge is that these programs often don’t receive the same level of attention or investment as new launches. Over time, many become overshadowed — not necessarily because they’ve lost relevance, but because the institution’s focus has shifted. Without consistent evaluation and modernization, the programs may begin to stagnate — enrollments flatten, marketing efforts diminish — while they continue to drain resources and faculty energy.
At the same time, legacy programs often hold unique advantages that newer offerings lack: established reputations, loyal alumni networks, and faculty with deep expertise. When they’re reexamined and repositioned through a strategic lens — leveraging internal data, market insight, and refreshed messaging — legacy programs can drive renewed growth in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Auditing Programs for Their Growth Potential
A deliberate, data-informed audit of an institution’s programs can be the first step toward revitalizing those that are underperforming. A well-designed audit doesn’t just identify weaknesses — it also can uncover opportunities for renewal and growth.
A program life cycle audit assesses the current health of existing programs and tracks their performance over time. Key metrics in an audit might include:
Enrollment and retention trends, to gauge the program’s long-term viability
Employment outcomes, to measure the program’s industry relevance and career alignment
Faculty-learner ratio, to ensure efficient use of instructional resources
Program search demand trends, to gauge the market’s interest in the program
This process helps institutions identify whether their legacy programs are declining, stable, or experiencing renewed interest. These insights enable academic leadership teams to direct resources toward the programs that are most likely to drive growth — or sunset programs that no longer advance the institution’s goals.
Audits shouldn’t rely solely on internal data. Comparing a program’s performance results with market demand data — such as regional job growth projections and competitors’ offerings — can clarify what the program’s challenges are and whether they stem from internal execution or broader shifts in the field.
Measuring Program-Market Fit
Analyzing a program’s market fit is just as important as evaluating its internal performance. It can help institutions decide which legacy programs need retooling, which ones are suitable for scale, and which ones should be phased out.
A program’s market fit analysis doesn’t have to be overly complex. It can begin with three fundamental questions:
Is there still demand? The analysis should start with a review of labor market data, industry trends, search trends, and alumni outcomes to determine whether a particular field remains robust or if demand is shifting toward other subjects or credentials.
How does our program compare? The next step is to assess what other institutions are offering in terms of delivery format (such as in-person versus online learning), curriculum, and pricing for similar programs. Understanding the competitive landscape helps identify areas where an institution’s program overlaps with others and where there may be opportunities to differentiate.
Does the program align with our institutional strengths? Legacy programs often reflect areas where the institution already has deep expertise or established credibility. If those strengths still align with current market demand, they can serve as a solid foundation for a program’s revitalization rather than a reason for its retirement.
Evaluating these three dimensions helps determine whether a program needs a full-blown relaunch or a more subtle refresh. The goal isn’t to reinvent for the sake of reinvention. It’s to make sure that each offering continues to serve students while also supporting the institution’s objectives.
Relaunching Programs With Purpose: Marketing Strategies
When a legacy program still holds value but needs renewed visibility, a structured relaunch can help ensure its continued relevance. Effective relaunches align academic updates, marketing strategy, and admissions communication so that all teams are working toward the same goal: positioning the program for growth.
A comprehensive relaunch checklist can help guide this process. Elements to consider include:
Program curriculum and delivery updates that reflect today’s learning preferences — such as hybrid or online models to accommodate adult learners — and industry expectations
Consistent messaging across marketing and admissions, ensuring that both internal and external audiences understand what’s new
Refreshed and tested marketing materials, including program pages and collateral materials that articulate outcomes, flexibility, and value to prospective students
Refreshing a program’s branding and positioning is a crucial step. Students’ needs evolve, so the program’s story should evolve too. Simple adjustments — such as updating program names for clarity, refining messaging to align with search trends, or highlighting regional workforce connections — can make legacy programs more discoverable and relevant.
Faculty also play a vital role in rebranding. Leveraging their expertise lends authenticity and authority to program relaunches. Featuring their research and industry partnerships in marketing materials reinforces the program’s real-world impact and signals that it’s grounded in experience, not just theory.
Key Takeaways
New program launches aren’t the only pathway to growth. Sustainable success also stems from repositioning existing programs.
Strategic audits of legacy offerings that assess their long-term performance and market fit enable your institution to relaunch them with intention.
Institutions that regularly review and refresh their degree portfolios are better positioned to achieve scalable, market-responsive growth while honoring the programs that built their foundation.
Reinvigorate Your Programs — and Your Growth Strategy
Archer Education partners with dozens of institutions to help them launch new programs and revitalize existing ones to amplify their visibility and drive real growth. In a competitive market, data-driven program strategies enable greater institutional alignment and better market fit.
Contact our team today and let us help you rejuvenate your degree portfolio.
The Impact of Social Platforms on Higher Education Marketing
There are currently more than 5.6 billion social media users worldwide, according to Statista. This means that about two-thirds of the world’s population uses some form of social media to communicate.
For many of us, using social media has become second nature. But the digital space has changed drastically since we saw the emergence of social media marketing in the early 2000s and beyond. So, too, should your social media marketing strategy, so that you can effectively reach your institution’s intended audience and make an impact when everyone else is trying to do the same.
While social media is a commonplace platform for communication today, have you ever considered how significantly social media has changed the way we communicate?
4 Top Social Media Platforms Changing Communication
Let’s take a look at what the most used social platforms have contributed to our new way of communication and how you can utilize them in your higher education marketing campaigns.
1. Facebook
Facebook is seen as the most predominant social media platform, and it has the numbers to back it up, with nearly 3.1 billion monthly users. While Meta’s Facebook still remains one of the top social media platforms since its conception, its audience demographics have shifted with the rise of Instagram and TikTok. With the dominating demographic now being women ages 25 to 34, Facebook is not the higher education marketing platform it once was. Not for traditional prospective and current students, anyway.
However, this platform can be effective for marketing flexible, online degree programs that target adult learners. It’s also a great avenue for communicating with alumni, recent graduates, and even parents of students.
2. YouTube
With nearly 2.6 billion monthly active users, YouTube was launched in 2005 and quickly grew to become one of the top social media platforms by 2010.
YouTube isn’t focused on generating content for short-term attention spans like other platforms. While Instagram, TikTok, and even Facebook primarily host short-form videos averaging 30 seconds to a minute long, YouTube’s premise is to expand on short-form content and host longer videos, such as how-tos, influencer lifestyle content, and vlogs, allowing viewers to form a more intimate connection with the content.
One of the main ways institutions utilize YouTube is with the rise of virtual campus tours, allowing potential students from anywhere to experience a university campus. This allows universities to expand their applicant pool by reaching potential students who may not be able to attend an in-person campus tour.
Take a look at a couple of examples of virtual campus tours from Clemson University and Cornell University, which have received 62,000 and 136,000 views, respectively:
YouTube can also be a great place to highlight student success stories and testimonials.
3. Instagram
This Meta-owned social media platform has about 3 billion monthly users. In 2017, Instagram edged out Snapchat for one of the top spots among the most popular social media platforms. How? Instagram saw a gap in its algorithm where it wasn’t meeting younger audiences’ needs that Snapchat excelled at: catering to short attention spans.
In 2016, Instagram expanded on its platform offerings, including not only the ability to share photos in a timeline, but also launching a Stories feature. Similar to Snapchat, IG Stories gave users the ability to showcase shorter bursts of content that showcased the use of filters, stickers, and more, making the platform more interactive. With the launch of IG Reels in 2020, Instagram rounded out its offerings within the platform, giving users the ability to view and create short-form videos.
Since Instagram is most popular among a large younger demographic of users ages 18 to 34, Instagram is one of the number one tools higher ed marketers should be using to reach a wide variety of their university community, from prospective students to current students and young alumni.
4. TikTok
TikTok has nearly 2 billion users. After its launch in 2018, TikTok quickly grew into one of the most popular social media platforms, surpassing X (formerly Twitter) and Snapchat and creating a new demand for short-form video across all platforms.
Primarily geared towards Gen Z and Millennial audiences, TikTok is a fast-paced, trend-focused app, making it one of the ideal platforms for marketing to university students. The original TikTok algorithm was unique compared to other social media platforms because it continually personalizes content to keep users engaged.
How Did Social Media Change the Way We Communicate?
Social media has changed how we communicate with one another in many ways. It has allowed us to share information in new ways, quickly gain global insights into worldwide news and trends, and forge new online communities of like-minded individuals.
Fostered the Ability to Share
Since its launch in 2004, Facebook, one of the first ever social media platforms, has created a place to share anything from daily thoughts to groundbreaking ideas. This has continued to be the foundation of social media platforms that have followed in Facebook’s footsteps, from Snapchat to Instagram to TikTok.
Each of these platforms has expanded on the original foundation to add features such as stories, short-form video, and interactive filters. This further encouraged immediate, frequent sharing among participants and a sense of urgency around being an active social media user. This illustrates our first point: Social media has given audiences the opportunity to share and collaborate in real-time on a global scale. Over time, we shifted from passive consumers of information to active participants in content creation and distribution.
In higher ed, this has greatly impacted how institutions communicate with prospective and current students, alumni, and other members of their wider community. Institutions have been given the opportunity to share with their communities in real time: Student successes are immediately celebrated, university news can be instantly delivered to a For You page (FYP) or timeline in a matter of seconds, and audiences can immediately communicate back. Social media has fostered this ability to share, allowing institutions to create stronger brand awareness and community engagement.
Provided Global Perspective
This brings us to our second point: Social media has enabled people, brands, institutions, and organizations to come together in one common place, erasing traditional communication boundaries that once hindered our ability to connect.
Students in one part of the world can now explore what campus life looks like in another, simply by watching a TikTok tour, reading Instagram stories, or following a university ambassador on YouTube. These behind-the-scenes glimpses, often created by real students, offer an authentic, unfiltered perspective of life at institutions that might have otherwise been unreachable.
Faculty benefit from this reach too, using platforms like LinkedIn or X to share academic work, engage with global peers, and promote collaborative initiatives. Conferences, lectures, and panels can now be live-streamed or shared widely after the fact, broadening access to educational content for international audiences who may never set foot on campus.
From a marketing standpoint, this global connectivity has changed the way institutions can position themselves and expand their offerings. Nearly two-thirds of institutions are exploring how to bring traditional on-campus programs online, utilizing the global reach driven by social media to appeal to nontraditional learners, including working parents and older adults.
Ultimately, the rise of social media has made it possible for institutions to extend their mission and messaging farther than ever before.
Encouraged Personal Connections
If you’re a social media user, you’ve likely experienced the benefits of how digital platforms have improved our overall communication. One of the most notable benefits is how platforms — from Facebook to LinkedIn and Instagram to TikTok — have given people the ability to connect on a personal level, whether it’s reconnecting with old friends, networking with new professional acquaintances, or sparking life-long friendships through comments, likes, and shares.
As social media has grown over the years, we’ve developed interest-based communities that allow us to communicate with like-minded individuals, sharing ideas and building a sense of belonging that might not be easily found in the “real world.” For nontraditional and online students, this can be life changing.
For institutions working towards appealing to this modern student demographic, utilizing these features can be beneficial in showcasing how nontraditional and online students can be part of the school’s community.
The Challenge: Creating Bite-Size Messaging
With all of the ways social media has improved our communication, there are also some negative effects. One of which is particularly challenging for marketers: shortened attention spans.
The digital world moves quickly, and evidence has shown that the average attention span when looking at a screen has decreased from 2.5 minutes in 2004 to just 47 seconds in recent years. Many audience demographics, particularly younger generations, have become accustomed to “snackable” content.
Think about it: An average TikTok or Reel is 15 to 30 seconds long, Stories on Snapchat and Instagram disappear within 24 hours, and even static image carousels average only 3-5 slides. Because of this, marketers are left with less time to capture interest and low engagement on traditional content formats like text-only posts and longer videos.
With social media being one of the most beneficial marketing tools in higher ed, it’s imperative that marketers learn to work with its fast-paced nature, not against it. We can do this by prioritizing visual content. Social media has made us into visual communicators: memes, gifs, short-form video, graphics, and more have begun to dominate our FYPs and timelines.
Shifting your strategy to prioritize content like eye-catching graphics and short-form video can push your content to the forefront of your audience’s feed and encourage higher engagement activity.
Improve Your Social Media Strategy With Archer
Looking to up your social media marketing game? Archer Education can help. We offer a variety of tech-enabled marketing, enrollment, and retention services, and our enrollment marketing team helps higher ed institutions with social media marketing, content creation, search engine optimization (SEO), academic thought leadership, and more.
Here at Archer, we partner with accredited universities to enable higher-ed leaders and marketers to accelerate their online program growth and enrollment. We believe that education is the great equalizer in our society, and we strive to help institutions make education more accessible for all adult learners.
If you’d like to learn more, contact our team and explore our offerings today.
CHEQ is trusted by more than 15,000 companies — from the Fortune 50 to emerging disruptors — to enable and protect each critical touchpoint in the evolving, human-AI customer journey. Powered by the only integrated Traffic, Threat, and Identity Intelligence Engine, CHEQ distinguishes legitimate users from bad actors — human, AI agent, or bot — and, in real-time, delivers granular, context-specific insights to marketing, commerce, and security platforms. With a best-in-class
Your website is one of your institution’s most valuable assets, and also one of its more expensive and labor-intensive. It serves as the front door for prospective students, a resource hub for current ones, and a critical platform for driving enrollment.
But when performance drops — conversions are low, traffic is declining, or user experience feels outdated — many institutions assume a full redesign is the only solution.
Before you make that call, take a step back. A complete rebuild isn’t always the smartest or most cost-effective path. Sometimes, targeted improvements to your existing site can deliver significant results without the high price tag.
So how do you decide if it’s time to rebuild or if your current site simply needs smarter strategy and support?
Let’s walk through what to look for.
Spot the red flags early
When a site isn’t performing, you need to pinpoint why. These common red flags often indicate underlying issues that should prompt a deeper evaluation:
Low conversion rates on key actions like inquiries or application starts.
Declining keyword rankings that limit visibility and discovery of your programs.
Slow load times that frustrate prospective students and drag down SEO performance.
Critical details hidden or unclear (tuition, admissions, deadlines) due to weak information architecture, vague content, or content bloat.
Sprawling pages with little to no traffic, indicating wasted effort, an inflated site footprint, and diluted authority.
To be clear, none of these should be considered death sentences for your website. But they’re strong signals that further evaluation should take place.
Start with a strategic assessment
A clear-eyed look at your site’s current state can help determine whether optimization or a rebuild makes more sense. Start here:
Is your foundation strong? Review your CMS, CRM, analytics, integrations, and subdomains. Make sure data is flowing between systems and nothing is falling through the cracks.
How is your performance? Look at conversion metrics and user flows. Are visitors finding what they need? Are all programs and forms being tracked—or are subdomains masking key performance data?
Is your content working for users and AI? Evaluate content from both a human and machine perspective. Does it speak directly to prospective students? Is it structured and search-optimized to surface in AI-powered tools?
Are you ready for AI and personalization? Assess your schema markup and structured data. These elements are foundational for enabling personalized user experiences and AI-fueled engagement strategies.
How strong is your governance? Review how your site is managed on a day-to-day basis. Do you have the right people, tools, and workflows to keep content accurate, accessible, and up to date.
Price your options strategically
If your site’s foundation is sound, targeted improvements may deliver high ROI at a lower cost. But if technical debt, poor UX, or fragmented infrastructure are holding you back, a rebuild could be the better investment.
Keep these ballpark figures in mind:
A good rule of thumb today is to allocate 6–12% of your total marketing budget to website management and optimization each year.
For institutions with a $1 million marketing spend, that’s $60,000–$120,000 annually.
A comprehensive redesign can range from $100,000 to $500,000, depending on complexity, number of pages, and integrations.
Also consider the hidden costs of delay — missed inquiries, lower conversions, and outdated experiences that don’t meet student expectations.
A side-by-side cost-benefit analysis, grounded in performance data and institutional goals, is the best way to determine your path forward.
Partner with experts who know higher ed
Deciding between a website refresh or a rebuild is a big decision, and it shouldn’t be made in isolation. A strategic partner with deep higher ed expertise can help you evaluate your current digital ecosystem, identify gaps, and recommend the most cost-effective solution.
At Collegis, we work with colleges and universities to optimize digital experiences that convert. Whether you’re refining an existing platform or building from the ground up, our web strategy team can help you create a future-ready site aligned with student needs and institutional goals.
Let’s talk about how to get your website working smarter.
Innovation Starts Here
Higher ed is evolving — don’t get left behind. Explore how Collegis can help your institution thrive.
Jessica Summers is Director of Website Strategy at Collegis Education, where she leads initiatives to elevate digital experience, search visibility, and website performance for higher education institutions. She combines strategic and creative insight with emerging AI-driven approaches to build and optimize websites that perform as true marketing and user experience engines. Her work helps prospective students find what they need and take action. With extensive experience guiding web strategy for universities and agencies, Jessica aligns content, design, and technology while strengthening the structured content, technical optimization, and data governance behind the scenes that make websites effective and sustainable.
The pace of change in marketing technology can be dizzying, particularly for colleges and universities that are navigating enrollment challenges, digital transformation, and shifting student expectations. As your institution evaluates its tech stack, partners, and strategic priorities, fluency in key marketing technology (MarTech) terms isn’t just helpful. It’s essential.
This glossary highlights 33 of the most relevant MarTech buzzwords for 2025 and beyond. Each term is defined with higher ed in mind, helping you decode the jargon and focus on what matters: reaching, enrolling, and retaining students more effectively.
The language of modern higher ed marketing
Consider this your cheat sheet for decoding today’s higher ed marketing terminology. Browse the buzzwords below, organized by topic.
Data & identity terms
First-party data Information collected directly through your institution’s digital properties — like your website, CRM, or application portal — used for personalized and compliant outreach.
Zero-party data Data students or prospects intentionally share, such as preferences, interests, or intended major, often gathered via forms or surveys.
Third-party data Data acquired from external providers to supplement internal profiles, which is increasingly less reliable due to privacy regulations and cookie deprecation.
Cookieless tracking Alternatives to third-party cookies, using first-party data or contextual signals to measure behavior and personalize experiences.
Student digital twin A virtual representation of a student that consolidates academic, behavioral, and engagement data to personalize support and anticipate needs. Learn more.
Unified data architecture An integrated framework that brings together siloed systems (CRM, SIS, LMS) into a cohesive data environment for analytics and action.
Data pipeline / ETL “Extract, transform, load” (ETL) processes that move and prepare data between systems, ensuring accurate and timely flow across platforms.
Data trust/data hygiene Ensuring your data is clean, consistent, and reliable — a foundation for accurate analytics and effective campaigns.
Data compliance Adhering to legal and ethical standards for data collection, usage, and storage, which is critical for maintaining trust and avoiding penalties.
Data governance The policies and standards that ensure institutional data is accurate, secure, and compliant with regulations like FERPA and GDPR.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) A European Union regulation that sets strict guidelines for collecting and managing personal data, influencing privacy standards worldwide.
AI & automation terms
Generative AI Artificial intelligence that creates content (text, video, imagery) based on prompts and data inputs, increasingly used for marketing and student engagement.
Predictive analytics Data models that forecast future behaviors, such as enrollment likelihood or student success risk, using historical and behavioral inputs.
Predictive modeling A subset of predictive analytics that builds statistical models to anticipate outcomes, such as course success, stop-out risk, or inquiry-to-application conversion.
Lead scoring Assigning values to prospective students based on behaviors and attributes to prioritize outreach and improve conversion.
Marketing automation Tools that automate tasks like email sends, lead nurturing, and retargeting to deliver timely, personalized communication at scale.
Conversational AI Chatbots and virtual assistants that engage users in real time, guiding inquiries and collecting data while reducing staff workload.
AI-driven personalization Using machine learning to tailor experiences (like web content or email) based on user data and behavior.
Engagement scoring Measuring how actively a student or lead is interacting with content to gauge interest and inform next steps.
Retention risk scoring Modeling that identifies students likely to stop out based on early indicators, enabling timely support and intervention.
Ready for a Smarter Way Forward?
Higher ed is hard — but you don’t have to figure it out alone. We can help you transform challenges into opportunities.
Performance & optimization terms
Attribution modeling Techniques for assigning credit to marketing touchpoints across the funnel, helping determine what’s driving conversions.
Return on investment (ROI) Measuring the effectiveness of marketing efforts by comparing cost to revenue or outcomes generated.
Funnel optimization Improving each stage of the enrollment funnel (from awareness to application) to increase yield and reduce friction.
A/B testing Running controlled experiments between two versions of content or creative to identify what performs best.
Lift analysis A method of measuring the incremental impact of a campaign or intervention by comparing it to a control group.
Real-time analytics Instant access to performance data, allowing teams to adjust campaigns or communications on the fly.
Brand equity The perceived value and trustworthiness of your institution’s brand, which influences enrollment decisions and marketing ROI. Learn about its importance in higher ed.
Experience, search & strategy terms
System integration Connecting technology platforms (CRM, SIS, LMS, CMS) so data can flow across systems and support a seamless user experience.
Program viability modeling Using market, enrollment, and financial data to assess which academic programs to invest in, optimize, or sunset. Learn more about academic portfolio strategy.
Behavioral segmentation Grouping users based on their actions (like clicks, visits, or engagement) to enable more precise targeting.
Semantic search Search engines increasingly rely on meaning and intent rather than keywords, making content structure and clarity more important than ever.
Structured data/schema markup Code that helps search engines understand and categorize your content, improving visibility in search engines and AI search.
Cross-lifecycle marketing Coordinating engagement strategies across the entire student lifecycle (from prospect to alumni) to build long-term relationships and lifetime value.
Looking ahead
Understanding MarTech terms isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about equipping your institution to make informed, future-ready decisions about technology, data, and strategy. Use this glossary as a reference point as you audit your tech stack, plan campaigns, or vet potential partners.
Ready to go deeper? Partner with Collegis to unlock the full power of your data and technology. Our marketing services and data expertise enable institutions to build smarter strategies, streamline their systems, and drive measurable growth in enrollment and student success.
Innovation Starts Here
Higher ed is evolving — don’t get left behind. Explore how Collegis can help your institution thrive.
In full disclosure, I work in higher education marketing. But I’m here to say: Marketing can’t fix a bad program. OK, maybe “bad” is too strong of a word, but degree programs that aren’t aligned to the modern learner’s needs and expectations — or the job market — can be challenging. Let’s discuss.
For this article, we’ll primarily focus on adult online learners. And these prospective students are very different from those coming right out of high school. According to Common App, first-time college students apply to about six different colleges, on average. The online learner typically inquires with only two institutions, according to an EducationDynamics report, and 45% apply to just one.
What does this mean for schools with online programs? You have to get in front of your target audience quickly and make your case clearly. But if you don’t have the right mix of features or programs for these students, it doesn’t matter if your marketing is excellent.
Give Online Learners What They Need
Online learners typically work at least part time and often full time. They have different needs and expectations for their higher education experience. They need flexibility. They also don’t want to be in school longer than necessary. Most are earning a degree to improve their career options.
Below are a few things to consider when formatting your programs and processes for online students.
Efficiency
Once online learners have decided to take the step of applying, they’re committed and want to get started quickly. According to the EducationDynamics report, 80% enroll in the school that admits them first, and more than 50% expect to begin courses within a month of being admitted.
That means admissions teams have to move quickly and the programs must offer multiple start dates per year. If you make prospective students wait, you lose out. Delays can make an otherwise good program fall into the “bad” category.
This one can be challenging. You need enough students to merit multiple start dates. That’s where that good marketing comes in!
Relevant Skills
Online learners choose online because they’re working and need a flexible school schedule to accommodate their work and personal commitments. But let’s focus on the work part here. These students need skills and credentials that will boost their earnings and opportunities. That’s one of the most cited reasons for returning to school.
So, again, the degree must match the skills students need to find work. If the only online programs you offer are in computer science, you may find that you’re wasting your marketing dollars. Yes! Computer science! In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), computer science and engineering graduates are struggling to find work.
Personal opinion: Liberal arts and studies will become more important if they can teach students the durable skills needed in the AI era — communication, critical thinking, and research skills.
Clear Information
Degree program pages and websites sometimes obscure information users need to make decisions. And we saw above how quickly online learners are making decisions and want to get started. If your program page hides costs, financial aid information, credit hours, and requirements, you’re going to drop out of their consideration set.
Online learners want to weigh available information and make informed decisions. Some will certainly have price sensitivity, but it’s not the only consideration, so don’t hide tuition rates and fees. The EducationDynamics report notes that “flexibility can even overcome cost, with 30% of respondents indicating they would enroll at a more expensive institution if the available format, schedule, or location were ideal.” Show your cards. Let the students make their decisions with the information available.
If your program doesn’t meet student requirements in this area, marketing won’t make a significant impact on your enrollments.
Be Discriminating in Your Marketing Spend
Sometimes there are politics at play or other reasons to market or support certain programs, but when possible, be thoughtful and intentional about where you spend your marketing dollars. Because marketing can’t solve for a challenging program, you must put your budget toward programs that meet student needs, including those that meet the criteria above.
It’s tempting to give equal shares to all programs, but unless you have an unlimited budget, that’s not the best use of your funds.
If you must give some marketing love to all programs, even the “bad” ones, try a brand-focused approach that connects to an all-programs page. For example, send some limited traffic to a dedicated landing page that briefly covers all available programs. That way, you’ve covered the challenged programs without dedicated resources.
Use the remainder of your budget on programs that align with students’ needs, so you can enjoy a lower cost per enrollment. Who doesn’t love a “chase the winners” strategy?
Need More Help?
Archer Education has deep expertise in both of these areas: marketing and program assessments. Our Strategy and Development team can help you take an unfiltered view of your programs and processes to create a plan for future success, even as the market shifts. If you have good programs and need marketing support, we’re here for that, too.
How Denison Edge partnered with Collegis to clarify brand identity, launch a content strategy, and rebuild its website to drive user growth.
Denison Edge, an initiative by Denison University, equips students, graduates, and professionals with in-demand, industry-relevant skills through stackable micro-credentials. To support ambitious enrollment goals and elevate its brand presence, Denison Edge turned to Collegis Education for strategic marketing support and a digital refresh. With a small internal team and big aspirations, Denison Edge sought to better articulate its value proposition and reach more prospective learners through a high-performing, content-rich website.
The Challenge
Denison Edge needed to amplify registrations for its non-credit programming while refreshing its brand presence to reflect its forward-thinking approach. The organization faced key limitations:
Limited internal marketing capacity
Lack of a cohesive brand voice
Outdated website UX and SEO
Urgent need to launch new high-demand programs in finance, marketing, analytics, and AI
Together, these challenges underscored the need for a strategic partner to help Denison Edge scale effectively and stand out in a competitive market.
The Solution
Collegis delivered a set of tailored services to expand visibility, support program growth, and enhance digital experience:
Brand Voice Workshop Facilitated an on-site session with university stakeholders to define a clear, compelling brand voice, behavior, and tone — establishing the foundation for all future communications.
Content Strategy Developed a comprehensive content roadmap, including a new blog, article templates, writing guide, and SEO-informed article concepts to empower internal marketing teams.
Website Strategy and Optimization Conducted in-depth UX and SEO audits pre- and post-launch, guiding the redevelopment of the Denison Edge website. The rebuilt site now delivers a seamless experience tailored to prospective learners and employers.
The Results: Stronger Presence, Measurable Growth
Within four months of relaunching the website, Denison Edge experienced marked improvements in site traffic and user engagement:
+21% YoY increase in total users
+16% YoY growth in sessions and new users
96% increase in Rental Space page traffic
1,284 sessions on new Registration page
310 sessions on new Business Immersion page
The top-performing pages — including Programs and Homepage — also achieved +16% YoY growth, confirming the success of the site redesign and content strategy.
Ashley Nicklay
Sr. Director – Student Lifecycle, Collegis Education
The Takeaway: Strategy and Storytelling Drive Digital Success
The Denison Edge case study illustrates the impact of aligning brand clarity, content strategy, and digital design. Through partnership with Collegis, Denison Edge built the foundation for ongoing growth — positioning itself as a leader in flexible, career-focused education.
Transform Your Digital Presence with Collegis
Want to grow visibility and enrollment for your programs? Contact Collegis to explore how brand and digital strategy can help you lead with confidence.
Let’s Start Writing Your Success Story
See what’s possible when strategy, creativity, and execution come together. Partner with Collegis to turn your challenges into outcomes worth sharing.
Facing challenges in enrollment, retention, or tech integration? Seeking growth in new markets? Our strategic insights pave a clear path for overcoming obstacles and driving success in higher education.
Unlock the transformative potential within your institution – partner with us to turn today’s roadblocks into tomorrow’s achievements. Let’s chat.
From generative AI to shifting student expectations, higher ed marketing in 2025 is a whole new game. And institutions that fail to adapt risk falling behind.
The past few years have brought seismic shifts to the way colleges and universities connect with prospective students. From AI-driven search to heightened public scrutiny of higher education’s value, the marketing landscape looks very different than it did even three years ago.
Institutions now operate in an environment where:
Search behavior is changing as generative AI delivers instant answers that bypass traditional search results.
Trust is under pressure as students and families weigh the true return on a college investment.
Student journeys are more complex with expectations for personalized, multi-channel engagement from first inquiry through alumni relations.
Data integrity is paramount as analytics get clouded by bots and misleading signals.
The good news? These changes also open new opportunities for colleges and universities to stand out with authentic storytelling, data-driven strategies, and student-centered engagement.
Keep reading to discover five of the most important higher education marketing trends in today’s landscape — and how institutions can adapt to thrive in this new era.
5 Higher education marketing strategies to keep your institution ahead
Before diving into the specifics, it’s important to recognize that these strategies build on one another to reflect today’s most pressing challenges and opportunities in higher ed marketing.
Here’s a closer look at the strategies every institution should be considering today:
1. Optimizing for the AI searcher
Generative AI is redefining how prospective students find information. Zero-click searches — where answers appear directly in AI Overviews like Google’s AI-generated summaries or conversational search tools — now account for the majority of queries. That’s a paradigm shift for higher ed marketing.
Organic traffic has dropped dramatically, in some cases by more than 30%. But while volume is down, conversion rates are rising, as the students who do land on institutional websites are more informed and further along in their decision-making.
Strategic response To adapt, institutions must embrace Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). This means:
Creating structured, conversational content designed for AI retrieval.
Prioritizing FAQs, clear definitions, and outcome-driven data.
Diversifying traffic sources with a mix of SEO, paid campaigns, and strong digital experiences.
This is no longer just an SEO shift. It’s a cornerstone of higher education marketing strategy for 2025 and beyond.
2. AI-supported, human-centered creative
AI is now embedded in higher ed marketing workflows, helping generate campaign ideas, personalize messaging, and predict outcomes. But the real competitive edge comes when AI enhances, not replaces, human creativity.
Approach for higher education marketing teams
Use AI to accelerate production: ideation, headlines, personalization cues.
Keep teams focused on authentic, human-driven storytelling.
Build a culture that values both technological fluency and creative intuition.
This approach delivers efficiency while preserving empathy — critical when communicating complex outcomes like institutional ROI or program value. This balance is what separates innovative higher education marketing trends from short-lived tactics.
3. Building institutional trust
Public skepticism about the value of higher education is rising. Families are asking: Is the investment worth it? What outcomes can we expect? With the demographic cliff looming, institutions must double down on proving their value.
Strategic levers for higher ed marketing
Spotlight outcomes: Share data on job placement, graduate earnings, and alumni success stories.
Showcase testimonials: Humanize ROI with student voices and career impact narratives.
Reinforce program value: Use research and rankings to strengthen credibility.
Trust is now a competitive differentiator. Institutions that clearly communicate value, ROI, and outcomes position themselves for long-term success in a skeptical environment.
4. Cross-lifecycle marketing
Higher education marketing strategy can no longer stop at the inquiry. The student journey is long, nonlinear, and filled with digital touchpoints that extend well past enrollment.
How to approach it
Use remarketing to reinforce brand and program value throughout the funnel.
Engage students across the lifecycle — from inquiry to enrollment to retention and even alumni relations.
Tailor content to each stage, aligning messages to nurture confidence, reduce uncertainty, and strengthen connection.
Success isn’t always about clicks or form fills. Sometimes the goal is reassurance, engagement, or retention. Adopting lifecycle-based KPIs ensures institutions are measuring what truly matters.
5. Bot mitigation
Bot traffic is a growing challenge for institutions. Automated hits can inflate website visits, distort engagement metrics, and ultimately mislead decision-makers about which campaigns are working. When analytics are clouded by non-human activity, institutions risk allocating resources to the wrong strategies and missing opportunities to connect with real prospective students.
Best practices for higher ed marketing teams
Set up filters in Google Analytics to remove known bot traffic.
Partner with bot mitigation providers to extend protections to include inquiry and application forms, safeguarding against fraudulent submissions.
Regularly audit campaign data to ensure accuracy.
Clean data leads to better decisions and in higher education marketing, clarity is non-negotiable.
Embracing the future of higher ed marketing
The most effective higher education marketing strategies today are those that combine technology with authenticity. AI search and personalization will continue to evolve, but the fundamentals remain constant: institutions must build trust, deliver value, and guide students throughout their entire lifecycle.
Collegis Education partners with institutions to design and deliver data-enabled marketing strategies that drive enrollment, build trust, and support student success. Let’s talk about what that could look like for your campus.
Innovation Starts Here
Higher ed is evolving — don’t get left behind. Explore how Collegis can help your institution thrive.
Ashley Nicklay is the Senior Director of Student Lifecycle at Collegis Education, where she focuses on strengthening the connection between marketing and enrollment to create a seamless, student-centered journey. With more than 15 years of higher education experience, Ashley has seen firsthand the powerful outcomes that emerge when these functions work together. In her current role, she is committed to advancing that collaboration—not as separate silos, but as one team supporting every step of the student experience.
![Protecting Every Marketing Dollar: How Collegis Helped Block $2.2M in Ad Waste with CHEQ [CASE STUDY]](https://blog.college-counseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Protecting-Every-Marketing-Dollar-How-Collegis-Helped-Block-22M-in.png)
