Tag: Ahead

  • Reflections on the demand for higher education – and what UCAS data reveal ahead of Results Day 2025

    Reflections on the demand for higher education – and what UCAS data reveal ahead of Results Day 2025


    This HEPI blog was kindly authored by Maggie Smart, UCAS Director of Data and Analysis

    As we pass the 30 June deadline for this year’s undergraduate admissions cycle, UCAS’ data offers an early view of applicant and provider behaviour as we head into Confirmation and Clearing. It also marks a personal milestone for me, as it’s my first deadline release since rejoining UCAS. I wanted to take a deeper look at the data to reflect on how much things have changed since I worked here 10 years ago.

    Applicant demand has always been shaped by two key elements: the size of the potential applicant pool, and their propensity to apply. Since I last worked at UCAS in 2016, these two factors have continuously interchanged over the better part of the past decade – sometimes increasing or decreasing independently but often counterbalancing each other. Let’s take a look at how things are shaping up this year.

    Overall, by the 30 June there have been 665,070 applicants (all ages, all domiciles) this year, compared to 656,760 (+1.3%) in 2024. This is an increase in applicants of over 64,000 since UCAS last reported in January, although the profile of these additional applicants is very different. At the January Equal Consideration Deadline (ECD), over half of the total number of applicants were UK 18-year olds, who are the most likely group to have applied by that stage in the cycle. They represent just 8% of the additional applicants since January, among a much larger proportion of UK mature and international students.

    As we saw at January, the differences in demand for places between young people from the most advantaged (POLAR4 Quintile 5) and most disadvantaged (POLAR4 Quintile 1) areas at June remain broadly the same as last year – with the most advantaged 2.15 times more likely to apply to HE than those from the least advantaged backgrounds, compared to 2.17 last year.

    UK 18-year-old demand

    Demand for UK higher education (HE) has long been shaped by the 18-year-old population – the largest pool of applicants. Despite the well-known challenges facing the HE sector at present, at the 30 June deadline we see record numbers of UK 18-year-old applicants, with 328,390 applicants this year – up from 321,410 (+2%) in 2024. This trend was almost entirely locked in by the January deadline, given the vast majority of UK 18-year-old applicants have applied at this stage in the cycle.

    During my previous tenure at UCAS, the size of the UK 18-year-old population had been falling year on year but from 2020, it began to increase. This continued growth drives the increase in UK 18-year-old applicant numbers we have observed in recent cycles. But when we look at their overall application rate to understand the strength of demand among this group, the data shows a marginal decline again this year – down to 41.2% from 41.9% in 2024. The historically strong growth in the propensity of UK 18-year-olds to apply for HE, which we’ve observed across the last decade, has clearly plateaued.

    This could be due to a range of factors, such as young people choosing to take up work or an apprenticeship, or financial barriers. We know that cost of living is increasingly influencing young people’s decisions this year, with pre-applicants telling us that financial support – such as scholarships or bursaries – ranks as the second most important consideration for them (46%), followed closely by universities’ specific cost-of-living support (34%).

    Interesting to note is the number of UK 19-year-old applicants. When separating the data to distinguish 19-year-olds applying for the first time (as opposed to those reapplying), there has been a decent increase – from 46,680 last year to 48,890 this year (+4.7%). For many years, the number of first-time UK 19-year-old applicants had been falling year on year, but since 2023 this trend has started to reverse. This suggests that demand among young people may be holding up as they decide to take a year out before applying to university or college.

    Mature students

    For UK mature students (aged 21+), the picture looks very different. The number of mature students applying to university or college ebbs and flows depending on the strength of the job market, so since I was last at UCAS, we have typically seen applications decrease when employment opportunities are strong and vice versa. Alongside fluctuations linked to the employment market, rising participation at age 18 means there is a smaller pool of potential older applicants who have not already entered HE. The falling demand from mature students continues in 2025, although in recent years there have been small but significant increases in the volume of mature applicants applying after the 30 June deadline and directly into Clearing. 

    As of this year’s 30 June deadline there have been 86,310 UK mature (21+) applicants, compared to 89,690 (-3.8%) in 2024, meaning a fall in demand compared to the previous year at this point in the cycle for the fourth year in a row. However, whereas at the January deadline mature applicants were down 6.4% compared to the same point last year, at June the figure is only 3.8% down showing some recovery in the numbers. This is another indication that mature students are applying later in the cycle. While it remains too early to say whether we will see continued growth in mature direct to Clearing applicants in 2025, last year 9,390 UK mature students who applied direct to Clearing were accepted at university or college, an increase of 7.4% on 2023 and 22.7% higher than 2022.

    International students

    When looking at the UCAS data through the lens of international students, the landscape has changed significantly since 2016. Brexit led to a sharp decline in EU applicants, offset by strong growth elsewhere, the pandemic caused disruption to international student mobility, and we’ve seen intensified global competition, shifting market dynamics and geopolitics which are increasingly influencing where they choose to study. This year we’re seeing growth once more, with 138,460 international applicants compared to 135,460 in 2024 (+2.2%) – although this stood at +2.7% at January. It should be noted that UCAS does only see a partial view of undergraduate international admissions (we tend to get a more complete picture by the end of the cycle) and we don’t capture data on postgraduate taught and research pathways.

    Interest among Chinese students in UK education has held firm since my time at UCAS, and this year we’re seeing a record number of applicants from China – 33,870, up from 30,860 (+10%) in 2024. This year’s data also shows increases in applicants from Ireland (6,060 applicants, +15%), Nigeria (3,170 applicants, +23%) and the USA (7,930 applicants, +14%). 

    Offer-making

    We are releasing a separate report on offer-making this year, alongside the usual data dashboard for applications. This additional data covers offers and offer rates over the past three years, from the perspective of applicants according to their age and where they live, and from the perspective of providers by UK nation and tariff group.

    What we’re seeing as the natural consequence of increased applications this year is an uplift in offers. Universities have made more offers than ever before this year, with 2.0 million main scheme offers to January deadline applicants overall, largely driven by the rise in UK 18-year-olds applicants (who are the most likely to use their full five choices while applying). This record high surpasses the previous peak of 1.9 million offers set last year (+3.8%).

    While the main scheme offer rate has increased across all provider tariff groups, the most notable uplift is for higher tariff providers – up 3.2 percentage points to 64.4% this year.  Despite the increase in offer rates, higher tariffs do still remain the lowest, partly due to being the most selective institutions. Offer rates by medium and lower tariff providers have also increased, by 0.9 percentage points to 77.0% among medium tariff providers, and by 1.5 percentage points to 81.7% among lower tariff providers. This means that, among those who applied by the Equal Consideration Deadline in January, 72.5% of main scheme applications received an offer this year, also a record high, and 1.8 percentage points higher than in 2024.

    It’s worth noting that we’ll be updating our provider tariff groupings in time for the 2026 cycle, to reflect changes in the higher education landscape.

    Looking ahead

    For students who are intent on going to university or college, it makes this a very good year, with more opportunities than ever before. A record 94.5% of students who applied by the January deadline will be approaching the critical summer period having received at least one offer. High levels of offer-making by universities and colleges typically translates into more acceptances, which should give applicants plenty of confidence heading into results day. 

    I’m delighted to be back at UCAS, and my team will continue to dig further into the data as Confirmation and Clearing draws nearer to see how demand translates into accepted places come results day.

    UCAS

    UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, is an independent charity, and the UK’s shared admissions service for higher education.

    UCAS’ services support young people making post-18 choices, as well as mature learners, by providing information, advice, and guidance to inspire and facilitate educational progression to university, college, or an apprenticeship.

    UCAS manages almost three million applications, from around 700,000 people each year, for full-time undergraduate courses at over 380 universities and colleges across the UK.

    UCAS is committed to delivering a first-class service to all our beneficiaries — they’re at the heart of everything we do.

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  • More Muckraking Ahead

    More Muckraking Ahead

     

    At the Higher Education Inquirer, we see through the spin. We’ll keep digging, exposing the absurdity, and telling the stories no one else will.  More muckraking ahead. Stay tuned.

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  • After Michigan State trustees told students to call professor a racist, his lawsuit is moving ahead

    After Michigan State trustees told students to call professor a racist, his lawsuit is moving ahead

    Professor Jack Lipton scored a victory for free speech last week after a federal court allowed his lawsuit to move forward against two Michigan State University trustees who he claims not only urged students to call him racist, but told them how to phrase it.

    In his lawsuit, Lipton alleged that two trustees, Rema Vassar and Dennis Denno, met with MSU students, encouraged them to file complaints against Lipton with MSU’s internal civil rights office, and asked students to condemn Lipton as racist in public statements, op-eds, and on social media. MSU hired the law firm Miller & Chevalier to conduct an independent investigation, producing a report you can read online. According to Lipton, it found that Vassar and Denno planned the attacks and even provided others with specific language to paint Lipton as racist, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Muslim.

    For example, in one recorded conversation, Denno told students, “The other thing you can do to help us is attack Jack Lipton, the Chair of the Faculty Senate . . . call him out, call him a racist.”

    What was Lipton’s “racist” crime?

    In October 2023, at a public Board of Trustees meeting that followed an open letter accusing then-BOT Chair Vassar of ethics violations, Lipton read a resolution on behalf of faculty calling for Vassar’s resignation. The meeting erupted in chaos, marked by jeers from Vassar’s supporters.

    The Constitution doesn’t cease to exist just because someone’s feelings got hurt at a trustee meeting.

    The next day, while making clear he was speaking in his personal capacity and not as a faculty representative, Lipton told a reporter that Vassar could have stopped the chaos of the meeting with “a single statement … yet she elected to let the mob rule the room.”

    That single word — mob — triggered what Lipton describes as a coordinated retaliation campaign by Vassar and Denno.

    Lipton apologized for using the word “mob,” as well as for any unintended racial undertones, but did not stop calling for accountability over Vassar’s alleged ethics violations — and he says Vassar and Denno’s harassment of him continued.

    In November 2023, the NAACP Michigan State Conference Youth & College Division released a statement accusing Lipton of “racial terrorism.” Also that month, the organization Diverse: Issues In Higher Education published an op-ed arguing that Lipton had used the word “mob” because he wanted to traumatize black and Palestinian students. At a BOT meeting that December, Denno read a statement accusing Lipton of “criminalizing students” and described his use of the word “mob” as “racism and violent language.”

    What’s more, even though the board eventually voted to censure both Vassar and Denno, as advised by investigators for a range of misconduct including their attacks on Lipton, Vassar didn’t stop there. At a meeting in September 2024, she mocked Lipton and questioned his right to speak on matters of civil discourse, which he cites as yet another effort to chill his speech.

    In language as dry as it was devastating, the court summarized the allegations that these trustees abused their power to carry out what amounts to a smear campaign. Lipton claims that Vassar and Denno “used their positions as BOT members to attack Lipton for the comment he made as a private citizen” and “used their BOT pulpit to funnel adverse action towards Lipton via proxies, leveraging their BOT membership to speak through students, supporters, and members of the public.”

    The court also noted that Lipton’s original “mob” comment was “speech regarding matters of public concern,” as it critiqued the behavior of a public official at a public meeting, and Lipton made the remark as a private citizen. The First Amendment protects faculty when they speak as private citizens on matters of public concern, such as raising state university ethics violations to the media, as Lipton did.

    UPDATE: Another federal appeals court backs academic free speech for public employees

    After FIRE secured a lawyer for a law professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, the school reached a resolution but later reneged on the deal. That’s when the professor sued.


    Read More

    While the court dismissed MSU and its Board of Trustees as defendants, Lipton is now free to pursue his claims against Vassar and Denno themselves — and they have not exactly covered themselves in glory. The university investigation that recommended their censure found that Vassar had taken courtside tickets and free flights while Denno had pressured consultants reviewing MSU’s response to the 2023 mass shooting on campus to tone down any criticism of the trustees. In fact, just this week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declined the MSU board’s official request to remove Vassar and Denno, though the governor’s counsel said this “by no means indicates a condoning of the conduct alleged in the referral.” Vassar and Denno may have retained their seats on the board, but they are hardly out of the woods. 

    Now, Lipton’s case moves to discovery, where we’ll get a closer look at how MSU’s top brass reacted when a faculty member stepped out of line by doing his civic duty, and potentially to trial. While this week’s court decision is far from a final ruling, it shows the court believes Lipton’s allegations deserve to be heard, and it’s a reminder that the Constitution doesn’t cease to exist just because someone’s feelings got hurt at a trustee meeting.

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  • College Marketing: 7 Ways It Has Changed and How to Stay Ahead

    College Marketing: 7 Ways It Has Changed and How to Stay Ahead

    …and What You Need to Do to Stay Ahead

    The higher education enrollment landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by shifting demographics, technological advancements, and economic uncertainty. To remain relevant and competitive, colleges and universities must adapt to these changes and develop strategies to succeed in a challenging environment. But before you can adapt, one must first look at some of the major innovations that have disrupted how consumers engage with brands.

    Are you engaging students the way they engage with other brands?
    1. Short form video content: Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts have dominated, offering snackable content that informs, entertains, and inspires within seconds. Influencers (see #5) use this medium to tell stories, drive trends, and engage consumers on behalf of sponsored brands. Students use the medium to assess campus life and inform college choices.
    2. Voice and visual search optimization: The rise of “smart assistants”and digital assistants have changed the way we engage with brands, discover products, and complete research, transactions, and more. A good digital assistant is becoming as essential as a solid logo design in marketing.
    3. AI personalization: Artificial intelligence has revolutionized marketing by enabling hyper-personalized experiences, analyzing real-time data, and predicting consumer behavior to deliver tailored content. For cash strapped institutions, it has the added benefit of allowing you to zero in on your highest potential return prospects and curate content.
    4. Augmented reality (AR) experiences: AR is transforming how consumers shop, learn, and engage with brands, creating immersive experiences that drive both engagement and sales. George Mason University developed a successful AR campus tour for transfer students, and I expect to see prospective students and their families wandering campus with branded AR glasses on campuses everywhere before long.
    5. Influencer marketing: The focus has shifted from big-name endorsements to micro- and nano-influencers, offering niche expertise and deeper connections with audiences. Universities are leveraging student influencers on campus for enrollment and advancement opportunities.
    6. Data privacy regulations and ethical marketing trends: With increasing concerns about data breaches, consumers demand transparency and ethical practices in data handling and marketing. Layer an ever changing and tightening regulatory environment and you will need solid governance and procedural guidance to ensure compliance without limiting effectiveness.
    7. Omnichannel integration: Marketers now focus on providing a seamless experience across all touchpoints, ensuring brand consistency and cohesive customer interactions. The same experience is paramount during the college search process to stand out, stay top of mind, and draw students to your engaging (AR powered?) on campus events.

    5 keys to optimizing your college marketing strategy to address these changes

    That is the how, but what about the what. A great tech stack is one thing, but the meat of your strategy and message must center around what is central to your mission, your goals, and your prospective student audience.

    1. Gear your strategy to your prospective students

    As the student population becomes increasingly diverse, institutions must develop targeted recruitment and communication strategies to engage with underrepresented groups, including Hispanic, African American, and first-generation students. According to RNL’s most recent study of undergraduate marketing and recruitment practices, 51% of four-year private, 42% of two-year public, and 37% of four-year public institutions have specific strategies for recruiting Hispanic students. The vast majority of institutions also do not have materials and communications available in Spanish. Depending on your locality, these populations may be your best bet for stable growth, but without a specific marketing strategy, you will miss the opportunity.

    2. Assess the suite of marketing tools, vehicles and assets at your fingertips

    How cohesive, consistent and connected are they? Students use a variety of resources to learn about colleges and universities, from websites and social media to videos and printed brochures. Institutions must adopt a balanced, omnichannel approach to marketing, leveraging multiple channels to reach students at various stages of their decision-making process.

    3. Plug the leak

    As the demographic cliff approaches, institutions must prioritize student success and retention strategies. A recent study found that public colleges and universities use market research and print/electronic campaigns to impact student yield and summer melt, but there is room for improvement in collecting data to inform retention policies. (Our report on retention practices provides very helpful benchmarks and ideas for student success strategies.)

    4. Improve the experience and reduce the stress

    The college search process can be a significant source of stress and anxiety for students. Institutions can help mitigate this by providing resources and support services, such as mental health counseling and academic advising, to help students manage their emotions and stay on track.

    5. Embrace change

    To succeed in a rapidly changing environment, institutions must be willing to adapt and innovate. This includes investing in technology, such as AI-powered enrollment management systems, and exploring new revenue streams, such as online and graduate programs.

    College marketing is evolving at an unprecedented pace. How can you keep up?

    To remain competitive, colleges and universities must embrace strategies that prioritize personalization, authenticity, and innovation. From leveraging short-form video content and AI-powered tools to integrating augmented reality experiences and omnichannel approaches, institutions have a wealth of opportunities to connect with prospective students in meaningful ways.

    However, success will require more than technology; it demands a deep understanding of the diverse needs and aspirations of the modern student population. By aligning marketing efforts with institutional goals, fostering inclusivity, and enhancing the overall student experience, higher education institutions can not only navigate these changes but thrive in a rapidly shifting environment. Now is the time to adapt, innovate, and future-proof strategies to ensure sustainable growth and relevance in the years ahead. Reach out and we can connect on your marketing strategies. We will find a time to talk about your opportunities to make sure your marketing efforts resonate with students and reach them in the channels they use.

    Talk with our marketing and recruitment experts

    RNL works with colleges and universities across the country to ensure their marketing and recruitment efforts are optimized and aligned with how student search for colleges.  Reach out today for a complimentary consultation to discuss:

    • Student search strategies
    • Omnichannel communication campaigns
    • Personalization and engagement at scale

    Request now

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  • Unlocking Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): What Marketers Must Do to Stay Ahead

    Unlocking Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): What Marketers Must Do to Stay Ahead

    Remember when SEO was all about keywords and metatags, fueling now-defunct search engines like Yahoo, AltaVista and early Google? Those were the days of “keyword stuffing,” where quantity trumped quality and relevance, delivering poor search results and frustrating users. Google’s PageRank algorithm changed everything by prioritizing content quality, giving birth to the “Content is King” mantra and improving the user experience.

    Fast forward to the Era of the Modern Learner, where digitally astute users demand fast and accurate information at their fingertips. To keep up with their heightened expectations, search engine algorithms have evolved to become more sophisticated, focusing on the intent behind each search query rather than simple keyword matching. This shift has led to the emergence of AI-powered search engines features like Google’s AI Overviews to provide an AI-powered summary which now command prime real estate on the search engine results page.

    In response, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is emerging. AI-powered search engines are moving beyond simply ranking websites. They are synthesizing information to provide direct answers. In this fast-paced environment, delivering the right information at the right time is critical now more than ever. All marketers, regardless of industry, must adapt their strategies beyond traditional SEO.

    What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?

    Artificial intelligence is rapidly infiltrating tools across every industry, fundamentally reshaping the digital landscape. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is emerging as a new approach to digital marketing, leveraging AI-powered tools to generate and optimize content for search engines. GEO is a catalyst, driving a fundamental shift in how search engines present information and how users consume it

    GEO leverages machine learning algorithms to analyze user search intent, create personalized content, and optimize websites for improved search engine rankings. This advanced algorithmic approach delivers contextually rich information from credible sources, directly answering user searches and proactively addressing related inquiries. A proactive strategy that goes beyond traditional SEO ensures that a school’s information is readily discoverable, easily digestible and favorably presented by AI-powered search engines such as Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini.

    How GEO Works

    At its core, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) uses artificial intelligence to bridge the gap between user needs and search engine performance. GEO tools go beyond traditional SEO by harnessing AI to deeply understand user behavior and generate content that’s not only relevant but also personalized and performance driven. Here is how it works across four core functions: 

    • Analyzing User Intent: GEO starts by analyzing user intent. AI models examine search queries, website behavior and browsing patterns to uncover what users are specifically searching for. This helps marketers develop content strategies that directly align with user expectations and needs. 
    • Generating Content: Using these insights, GEO tools generate original content tailored to meet the precise needs of the target audience. The result is content that answers user questions and aligns with how modern search engines evaluate relevance and quality.  
    • Optimizing Content: GEO then optimizes the generated content for performance. AI refines readability, integrates keywords and enhances structural elements for improved visibility in search results, which ensures that content performs well in both traditional and AI-powered search environments.  
    • Personalizing Content: Where GEO truly shines is in content personalization. By leveraging data like demographics, preferences and past interactions, GEO delivers tailored experiences that feel more relevant and engaging to individual users.  

    Comparing SEO and GEO

    While SEO and GEO may seem like competing strategies, they actually complement one another. Both aim to improve visibility in search results and drive meaningful engagement but do so through different methods. Understanding how they align and where they diverge is key to developing a modern, well-rounded digital strategy. 

    Ways GEO is Similar to SEO

    Despite their difference in execution, SEO and GEO share a common goal: delivering valuable content to users and meeting their search intent. Both SEO and GEO strategies contribute to: 

    • Improving website visibility and search rankings in the search engine results pages (SERPs). 
    • Driving organic traffic by making it easier for users to discover relevant information. 
    • Boosting user engagement and conversion rates through informative, well-tailored content.  

    Ways GEO is Different from SEO

    Where SEO and GEO begin to diverge is in their focus, tools, and content strategy:

    • Focus: Traditional SEO emphasizes keyword optimization, meta tags and technical structure. GEO, on the other hand, focuses on understanding user intent and creating dynamic, personalized content that adapts to evolving needs. 
    • Tools: SEO relies on tools like keyword research platforms, backlink analysis, and manual content audits. GEO uses AI-powered platforms to analyze data, generate content, and automate optimization based on real-time user behavior.  
    • Content: SEO often produces static, evergreen content that ranks over time. GEO enables the creation of responsive, personalized content that can shift based on user preferences, past interactions, and demographics. 

    While SEO has historically focused on driving clicks to websites and increasing rankings, GEO recognizes the increasing prominence of zero-click searches—where users find answers directly within AI-powered search overviews. In this new reality, GEO ensures your content remains visible and valuable even when the traditional click doesn’t occur. It does this by optimizing for how AI synthesizes and presents information in search results.

    Is GEO Replacing SEO?

    The rise of GEO has sparked an important question for marketers: Is SEO dead? The short answer is no. Rather than replacing SEO, GEO enhances it.

    GEO builds a foundation of traditional SEO by leveraging artificial intelligence to automate time-consuming tasks, deepen audience insights, and elevate content quality. A strong SEO strategy remains essential, and when paired with GEO, it becomes even more powerful.

    To support marketers in building that foundation, tools like EducationDynamics’ SEO Playbook offer actionable strategies for mastering SEO fundamentals while staying adaptable to innovations like GEO. As the higher education marketing landscape evolves, institutions are reaching a critical inflection point: the status quo no longer meets the expectations of the Modern Learner, and a more dynamic, data-driven approach is essential to stay competitive.

    Here’s how GEO supports and strengthens traditional SEO efforts:

    • Smarter Keyword Research and Optimization: GEO tools analyze search intent more precisely, allowing marketers to choose keywords that better reflect how real users search, creating content that directly answers those queries.  
    • More Personalized Content Experiences: By generating dynamic content based on user behavior, preferences, and demographics, GEO helps ensure the right message reaches the right audience at the right time.  
    • Streamlined Workflows: GEO automates content generation and optimization processes, making it easier to keep web pages fresh, relevant, and aligned with evolving search behaviors—all while saving time and resources.  

    SEO is far from obsolete; however, relying solely on traditional SEO tactics is outdated which is no longer sufficient in today’s evolving higher education landscape. To truly transform their marketing approach, institutions must embrace innovative solutions. 

     As generative AI becomes increasingly embedded in how people search, marketers must adapt. While traditional SEO tactics like on-page optimization, site structure, and link-building still have a role to play, GEO provides the bold innovation needed to drive impactful outcomes. By pairing SEO strategies with GEO’s AI-driven insights and automation, institutions can achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness in their marketing efforts.  

    Together, SEO and GEO provide a holistic, future-ready framework to engage the Modern Learner, enhance digital marketing efforts, and drive both reputation and revenue growth, which are essential for long-term success.

    Integrating GEO and SEO in Your Marketing Strategy for Higher Education Marketers

    As the digital landscape evolves, one thing remains clear: SEO is still essential for institutions looking to connect with today’s students. With the rapid adoption of AI in everyday search habits though, SEO alone is no longer enough.

    According to EducationDynamics 2025 Engaging the Modern Learner Report, generative AI is already transforming how prospective students evaluate their options. Nearly 70% of Modern Learners use AI tools for generative chatbot platforms like ChatGPT, while 37% use these tools specifically to gather information about colleges and universities in their consideration set.

    This shift signals a clear need for higher ed marketers to adapt their digital strategies. GEO provides a pathway to do that while better serving today’s students. By combining the proven fundamentals of SEO with GEO’s advanced AI capabilities, institutions can engage the Modern Learner more effectively at every stage of their decision-making journey.

    Reaching Modern Learners: Integrating GEO and SEO Strategies

    • Speak to What Modern Learners Search For: Modern Learners expect content that speaks directly to their needs and interests. Use GEO tools to identify the actual search terms prospective students use, such as “flexible online MBA,” or “how much does an online degree cost.” Then, develop SEO-optimized pages, blog posts, and FAQs that address these specific questions. Incorporate schema markup, structured headings, and internal links to boost visibility while keeping content informative and student focused.  
    • Personalize the Journey for Every Modern Learner: GEO enables marketers to go beyond generic messaging. Use behavioral data, such as which pages students visit, how long they stay or what programs they explore, to personalize touchpoints across channels. Personalization builds trust and shows Modern Learners you understand what matters to them.  
    • Deliver the Seamless Digital Experiences Modern Learners Expect: Today’s students want fast, seamless experiences. Use GEO insights to identify where users drop off, then optimize navigation and page speed accordingly. Implement clear, scannable layouts with prominent CTAs to enhance your website’s structure and user-friendliness. Consider adding AI-powered chatbots to provide real-time support for everything from application steps to financial aid inquiries.   
    • Use Data to Stay Ahead of the Modern Learner’s Needs: GEO tools give you visibility into what students search for, which content they engage with, and where they lose interest. Regularly review search patterns, click paths, and drop-off points to identify gaps in your content or barriers in the enrollment funnel. Use these insights to refine headlines, adjust keyword targeting, or introduce new resources that better align with what students care about. 

    As prospective students increasingly turn to AI tools to explore their options, higher education marketers must evolve their strategies to keep pace with changing search behaviors. While Search Engine Optimization remains essential for visibility and reach, it no longer fully reflects how today’s students search and engage online. GEO bridges that gap by adapting to real-time behaviors and preferences. To effectively connect with Modern Learners and stay competitive, institutions must evolve their digital strategies to include GEO. 

    The Future of SEO and GEO in Higher Education

    The future of enrollment will be shaped by how well institutions adapt to evolving digital behaviors. GEO is one of the many new components at the forefront of this shift. As AI continues to reshape how students interact with institutions and search for information, GEO will become an instrumental tool for delivering personalized, real-time information to meet their expectations.

    Traditional SEO will still play a vital role in ensuring your institution is discoverable, but GEO takes things further by extracting and tailoring relevant content to meet the specific needs of each user, creating dynamic, intent-driven engagement. With more students using generative AI tools to guide their enrollment journey, institutions must embrace strategies that reflect this new reality.

    Looking ahead, AI-powered SEO strategies will empower higher education marketers to create adaptive content that speaks directly to individual student goals and behaviors. These tools will also make it possible to deliver faster, more relevant information across platforms, often surfacing answers before a student ever clicks a link. With deeper access to behavioral data and user intent, marketers can refine messaging in real time, ensuring they’re reaching the right students with the right information at the right moment in their decision-making journey.

    Unlocking the Power of GEO with EducationDynamics

    As the digital landscape continues to shift, it can be challenging for institutions to keep pace with rapid change—especially when it comes to reaching the demands of today’s students. GEO empowers institutions to transform their digital engagement strategies, moving beyond outdated tactics to cultivate meaningful connections with the Modern Learner. 

    As a leading provider of higher education marketing solutions, EducationDynamics specializes in helping colleges and universities stay ahead. Our team brings deep expertise in foundational SEO and is actively embracing the next wave of digital strategy through Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). We understand what it takes to create meaningful engagement in a competitive enrollment environment and we’re here to help you do just that. 

    Connect with us to discover how we can support your team in building personalized digital strategies—whether it’s laying the groundwork with SEO or embracing innovative approaches like GEO. We’re here to help your institution succeed in today’s ever-changing digital world. 

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