Tag: Enrollment

  • Dual Enrollment and AP Courses Yield Positive Outcomes

    Dual Enrollment and AP Courses Yield Positive Outcomes

    A recent report from the Community College Research Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College found that high school students graduate college at higher rates and earn more after college if they’ve taken a combination of dual-enrollment and Advanced Placement courses.

    The report, released Tuesday, drew on administrative data from Texas on students expected to graduate high school in 2015–16 and 2016–17, as well as some data from students expected to complete in 2019–20 and 2022–23. It explored how different kinds of accelerated coursework, and different combinations of such work, affected student outcomes.

    Researchers found that students who combined Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses with dual-enrollment courses boasted higher completion rates and earnings than their peers. Of these students, 92 percent enrolled in or completed a credential a year after high school, and 71 percent earned a credential by year six.

    These students also showed the strongest earnings outcomes in their early 20s. They earned $10,306 per quarter on average at age 24, compared to $9,746 per quarter among students who took only dual enrollment and $8,934 per quarter for students who took only AP/IB courses. However, students taking both dual-enrollment and AP/IB courses tended to be less racially and socioeconomically diverse than students taking AP/IB courses alone, the report found.

    Students who combined dual enrollment with career and technical education—who made up just 5 percent of students in the study—also reaped positive outcomes later in life. These students earned $9,746 per quarter on average by age 24, compared to $8,097 per quarter on average for students with only a CTE focus.

    “Most dual-enrollment students in Texas also take other accelerated courses, and those who do tend to have stronger college and earnings trajectories,” CCRC senior research associate Tatiana Velasco said in a press release. “It’s a pattern we hadn’t fully appreciated before, which offers clues for how to expand the benefits of dual enrollment to more students.”

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  • Coppin State’s Tuition Program Led to Enrollment Boom

    Coppin State’s Tuition Program Led to Enrollment Boom

    A historically Black university in Maryland says efforts to boost enrollment and up its name recognition are paying dividends, allowing it to more than quadruple out-of-state student enrollment over the past two years.

    Coppin State University in Baltimore announced in 2023 that it would begin offering in-state tuition to any student who lived in one of the 41 U.S. states and territories without an HBCU—as well as the District of Columbia, which has two HBCUs—through a program called Expand Eagle Nation. In 2024, the first year of the program, the institution more than doubled the number of students from qualifying states to 195—up from 81 the previous fall. (Coppin’s in-state annual cost of attendance is $27,410, versus $34,474 for out-of-state students.)

    This fall, the numbers increased even more dramatically: 416 of Coppin’s incoming class of 1,000—its largest freshman class in 25 years—come from the qualifying states. Overall, Coppin’s enrollment is up 26 percent this year, including growth on the in-state side, as well. In fact, James Stewart, associate vice president for student development and achievement, said the attention Coppin has received for its Expand Eagle Nation program has raised the university’s profile among local students.

    Still, it’s been a major shift for the institution, which used to attract students primarily from within a 50-mile radius.

    “I think our students enjoy the diversity of thought from so many different regions,” said Jinawa McNeil, the university’s director of admissions. “This is really giving opportunity to students, but it’s [also] making Coppin a different environment, where you traditionally were with students that you might have went to high school with, or maybe a high school not far from you, but now you’re talking to students who are literally from states that you’ve never been to.”

    Coppin’s growth comes at a time when many institutions across the country are working to attract new populations of students ahead of the impending demographic cliff—the decline in high school graduates that is expected to begin next year. (The Maryland Higher Education Commission projected earlier this year, however, that Maryland will be one of the few states to buck the trend, projecting an 11 percent increase in high school graduates from 2024 to 2031.)

    Coppin isn’t the only institution looking to out-of-state students to boost enrollment; in an interview earlier this fall, University of Connecticut officials attributed their growth in head count to more out-of-state name recognition due to the institution’s academic programs and popular sports teams, for example.

    “Given the declining number of students in their own state, [colleges] have to chase them elsewhere,” said Gregory Price, a professor of economics at the University of New Orleans who studies the economics of HBCUs. “It’s sort of like an arms race.”

    Coppin is also capitalizing on the current popularity of HBCUs, which saw significant increases in applications and enrollments following the Supreme Court’s 2023 ban on affirmative action in admissions.

    “Everything that’s been going on politically, from affirmative action to DEI, sends a message to Black students that they don’t belong,” Henry Williams, president of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, a nonprofit that advocates for public HBCUs, told Inside Higher Ed regarding the trend last year. “At an HBCU, you’re never going to have that question, and all of the support, resources and scholarship money being taken away elsewhere are already built into the structure [at HBCUs] … there’s value in a sense of belonging.”

    Price noted that HBCUs are also often cheaper than other institutions—as is the case at Coppin, which says it’s the least expensive institution in Maryland. That’s because historically, HBCUs haven’t had large research enterprises, which saves the institutions many costs, he said; they can also attract faculty without paying salaries above market rate.

    “To the extent HBCUs have a distinct value proposition for Black students, that could be good because there aren’t many HBCUs … and that value proposition is high returns in the labor market relative to the cost of attendance,” he said. “If you can reduce the costs, you could probably stay ahead of that demographic cliff longer than other colleges can.”

    Bolstering Recruitment

    Along with offering in-state tuition to out-of-state students, Coppin officials took a slew of steps to increase their presence in the states from which they hoped to attract students. That included visiting high schools—and plastering advertisements on buses and billboards in those cities ahead of their visits, so students would hopefully already recognize the Coppin brand by the time they met an admissions official.

    The university formed transfer partnerships with community college systems in Colorado and California, and the admissions team reached out to regional organizations that help students in the college search process to ensure their staffs were aware of Coppin.

    Increasing the university’s name recognition was an important goal of the Expand Eagle Nation program, McNeil said.

    “It [used to be] a much harder recruitment sale, for lack of a better term,” she said. “We were beginning with who were as an institution, rather than saying, ‘Oh, you’ve heard about us, so let’s help you learn more.’”

    Stewart also noted that the university was prepared for the enrollment boost, having met with academic affairs staff over the past year to ensure there would be enough courses and faculty to meet the needs of all students. To house the influx, Coppin is currently constructing a new dorm, slated to open next fall; it also has six off-campus apartment facilities that Stewart said include resident assistants, just like on-campus housing, and regular shuttle access to campus.

    “We’re going to end up with a good mix where we increase our housing on campus, especially, to meet our new students, but we have options for our [upperclassmen] off campus that give them this blending of what real-life living in an urban environment is,” he said.

    One unexpected challenge that has come with implementing Expand Eagle Nation? Convincing prospective students that the offer is real.

    “They [don’t] believe it,” McNeil said. “Like, ‘What’s the trick, what’s the catch?’ They just don’t believe an institution was willing to invest that deeply, because students understand, and definitely parents of students, specifically parents that have been to college and might have some college debt. They just did not believe that this was an opportunity, because they don’t see too many opportunities like this.”

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  • What Happens to Dual Enrollment Credits After High School?

    What Happens to Dual Enrollment Credits After High School?

    Dual enrollment is often described to high school students and their families as a way to get an early college experience at a significantly reduced cost. These students will earn college credit—sometimes even an associate degree or other college credential—before graduating high school, potentially reducing the time and cost of earning a bachelor’s degree.

    At least that’s the promise. But what happens when the path after high school isn’t so clear?

    For us, both former DE students (or, as we call ourselves, “stealth transfers”), transferring to a bachelor’s program after high school wasn’t straightforward. And our stories aren’t uncommon. Too often, DE students leave high school without guidance on transfer pathways, and even fewer understand the complexities of credit transfer or the financial implications of their DE choices in high school. What happens to former DE students’ credits after high school? What challenges do these students face? How can we better support them?

    Stealth Transfers: Unforeseen Challenges With Credit Mobility

    As dual-enrollment students, we assumed transfer would be a simple handoff: The credits we earned in high school would transfer to any college or university we planned to attend, apply directly to our program of study and help us graduate sooner while saving money. In reality, it isn’t always this seamless. Here are a few reasons why:

    1. Students may not be aware, or advised on, whether their DE courses will be accepted for credit toward a bachelor’s or other credential in their major field of interest. Among the more than 4,000 DE students from 17 colleges who participated in the pilot of the Dual Enrollment Survey of Student Engagement (DESSE), fewer than half reported ever interacting with a college adviser, and 88 percent reported never having utilized the college’s transfer credit services.
    2. Researchers have used national data to track transfer outcomes generally; however, there is still limited research on the extent of the challenges of DE credit transfer and how colleges and K–12 partners can ensure that DE credits are seamlessly transferred and applied to students’ degree programs. Community college students face challenges in transferring credits toward a major field of interest—challenges that could be compounded for DE students due to a lack of understanding of credit transfer and infrequent use of transfer supports.
    3. After enrolling in a university, former DE students may feel poorly supported because they are right out of high school, yet have advanced academic standing, so they don’t fall so neatly into first-year or transfer student populations (and the support services designed for them). As such, stealth transfers may miss out on dedicated advising, scholarships and clear information on how to advocate for themselves during the credit-evaluation process.

    The Support That Traveled With Me: Akilah’s Story

    As a double transfer—first through DE in high school, then from community college to a private university—I always knew my path was right, even when others doubted it. While DE wasn’t as heavily promoted by my high school as other academic programs, I knew it was a valuable and accessible opportunity to prepare me for college and my future goals. However, the guidance from my high school and community college advisers wasn’t always clear and often felt generic. Instead, I leaned on the support from my faith and family. Thanks to my father’s research, I was aware of which credits would and wouldn’t transfer, helping me make informed decisions. After transferring to my university, it was affirming to have the university adviser recognize the effort my family and I put into mapping out my plan. In the end, 57 of my 65 credits transferred.

    Many students like me turn to faith, family and community to bridge gaps in information and support. My story urges colleges to recognize the supports and resources transfer students draw on while providing clear pathways and dedicated advising for them.

    Racing Through College Without a Road Map: Aurely’s Story

    When I graduated high school with an associate degree and 68 college credits, I thought being ahead of my peers would be an advantage, especially since I couldn’t afford to pay for college. I only applied to one in-state university because it accepted 60 college credits and had a scholarship for former DE students. DE prepared me for the rigor of college coursework, but not what it would feel like to be a junior-level student at 18 years old. My focus was graduating quickly to start making an income, so I met with my adviser monthly to stay on track—but I didn’t take advantage of internships or networking opportunities because I wasn’t advised of their importance and had little time left after balancing a heavy course load with part-time jobs.

    Like many low-income students, I had the encouragement to pursue a higher education, but not the guidance on how to leverage it for my goals or career. Looking back, a dedicated community for stealth transfers could have helped me catch up on the social, professional and developmental experiences that typically occur over several years in college.

    What Can We Do to Support the DE Transfer Experience? 

    The growth of DE nationally means more students will arrive on college and university campuses as stealth transfers. When these students’ transfer journeys are hidden, they may miss out on dedicated advising, strategies to reduce the cost of completing their degree and guidance on how to advocate for themselves in higher education and beyond. As former DE students who now research DE and transfer, we offer recommendations below grounded in both our lived experiences and national research.

    1. Collect data on credit transfer and experiences of former DE students. Too little information is available on what happens to DE credits after high school. Educators can better support stealth transfers by participating in surveys, like the DESSE, and tracking outcomes for former DE students, including how many credits are lost and which courses are often not transferable. These data should be disaggregated to identify gaps (e.g., race, income) and discussed with K–12, community college and university partners during professional development and planning meetings to improve transfer outcomes.
    2. Provide clear major-specific pathways and guidance for stealth transfers. Many former DE students transfer more than once after high school, yet information on these pathways is not always accessible (or understandable) to students and their families. Educators should publish clear guidance on K–12, community college and university websites for students who attend a community college after DE. In high school, students should be informed if they are taking DE courses from multiple institutions and to save their DE course syllabi so they can be better equipped in advocating for the transferability of their coursework in the future.
    3. Improve financial guidance for former DE students. Former DE students may be unfamiliar with the costs of attending college after DE. Educators can ensure that scholarship opportunities at various transfer destinations are available to former DE students and deadlines are communicated during their senior year in high school.
    4. Support stealth transfer experiences as part of college transfer support services. As dual-enrollment programs expand nationally, there will be more stealth transfer students entering higher education after high school. Educators can make transfer support services, like transfer centers, more inclusive by surveying stealth transfers to understand their needs, creating former DE affinity groups, providing dedicated supports for former DE students, fostering peer connections and hosting events or networking opportunities for this population.

    As dual enrollment continues to grow, college and university leaders must recognize that more students will arrive as stealth transfers. By making stealth transfers visible, we can ensure that the promise of DE is fulfilled—not lost in transition.

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  • Why Students Participate in Dual Enrollment

    Why Students Participate in Dual Enrollment

    Over the past three years, the number of high school students taking college courses has increased more than 20 percent, making them a growing share of all undergraduates, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

    Dual enrollment can help high school students get a head start on their college degree. In addition to expediting the amount of time it takes to complete a two- or four-year degree, concurrent-enrollment courses may be cheaper or subsidized for high school students, reducing the costs associated with a college degree.

    A recent study by Tyton Partners investigates why students participate in dual enrollment and how the experience shapes their perceptions of college.

    Students say: A majority of surveyed students participating in dual enrollment were high school seniors (76 percent); 24 percent were juniors.

    Most high schoolers took only one or two college courses (58 percent); just 19 percent were enrolled in four or more. While one-third of students took courses online, two-thirds attended in person at a local college.

    The primary motivation for students to engage in dual enrollment was to get ahead on college credits and reduce tuition costs (51 percent). One in five students said they were looking for more advanced coursework.

    The data also pointed to dual enrollment’s role as a pipeline to higher education. Three in five students said they strongly agree with the statement “My dual-enrollment experience is preparing me for college,” and a similar share indicated they feel like they belong at their college.

    Dual-enrollment students worry about affordability in higher education; one in five said they do not feel they have the resources to pay for college. Research shows that dually enrolled students are more likely to receive grants and scholarships when they attend college, compared to their peers who are not concurrently enrolled.

    Over half of dual-enrollment students said the experience made them more motivated to attend college (57 percent), while one-third said their interest in higher education remained unchanged; 6 percent said the experience was a turnoff that made them less interested in college.

    One notable trend was that dual-enrollment participants who later enrolled in college full-time were more likely to pursue natural and physical sciences compared to the general undergraduate population. Thirty-seven percent of current college students who had taken college courses while in high school said they were studying natural and physical sciences, compared to 29 percent of their peers without concurrent-enrollment credits. Conversely, non-dual-enrollment students elected humanities and social science majors at higher rates (37 percent) than their dual-enrollment peers (31 percent).

    “While this may reflect the interests of students who opt into dual enrollment, it also highlights the potential of dual enrollment pathways to attract and support learners aiming for more technical or science-focused careers,” according to the report.

    Looking ahead: More colleges have implemented or expanded dual-enrollment offerings since 2020, in part to reverse flagging enrollment numbers, but also to expand access to higher education. However, equity gaps still persist in terms of who is aware of or participating in concurrent enrollment.

    In a survey of academic advisers and administrators, 45 percent of respondents said they expect their institution to increase resources for dual enrollment support over the next three years.

    College staff and leaders identified college transition programs (28 percent) and academic planning tailored to future degree pathways (28 percent) as the most impactful supports for dual-enrollment students.

    We bet your colleague would like this article, too. Send them this link to subscribe to our newsletter on Student Success.

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  • Stronger Brand, Smarter Website: Collegis Powers Digital Growth for Denison Edge

    Stronger Brand, Smarter Website: Collegis Powers Digital Growth for Denison Edge


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    Increase in total users

    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.

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  • What do enrollment declines mean for teacher shortages?

    What do enrollment declines mean for teacher shortages?

    Ongoing student enrollment declines and the end of historic federal pandemic aid are causing school leaders to take a hard look at their staffing policies as district budgets tighten. 

    Using pandemic-era Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief dollars, schools nationwide hired more teachers despite overall student enrollment dropping, said Marguerite Roza, a research professor and director of Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab. 

    Now, however, districts are considering more school closures and consolidations as a result of enrollment declines and a surge of school choice options that parents are using to send their kids to private or religious schools. And as the national birthrate drops, these enrollment trends could struggle to rebound. 

    Are teacher shortages in the rearview mirror?

    Because some districts chose to hire despite declining enrollment, they are laying off staff or implementing hiring freezes and leaving open positions, Roza said.

    Consequently, the conditions used to generally describe the teacher shortage have “reversed,” Roza said. “It doesn’t mean that every spot has been filled. It’s still hard to recruit and fill positions in rural districts. High-poverty schools have always had a hard time. Math positions and special ed have always been more scarce.”

    The term “teacher shortage” is often used in a simplistic and rhetorical way that obscures the nuanced staffing challenges districts face, especially for certain STEM subjects and special education, said Thomas Dee, a professor at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education. 

    In an analysis of student-teacher ratios nationwide between 2010 and 2022, Dee said that 2022 saw the lowest number of students per one teacher. The ratio fell from 16.4 to 15.4 in that 12-year period, he found.

    “There are many more teachers per students than ever before in U.S. history,” Dee said.

    A separate K-12 Dive analysis of student-teacher ratios in November 2024 also showed that 43 out of 50 states and Washington, D.C., had on average fewer students per teacher post-COVID-19 than before the pandemic.

    Navigating staffing amid enrollment challenges

    Arizona’s Deer Valley Unified School District is one district out of many nationwide facing enrollment-related budget hurdles as a result of declining birthrates and growing alternative schooling options for parents, said Curtis Finch, the district’s superintendent. Arizona was the first state to approve a universal school voucher program in 2022.

    Deer Valley USD’s enrollment shrank by 1.5% between the 2021-22 and 2023-24 school years, dropping from 33,303 students to 32,803, according to state data. 

    “We’re at the tip of the educational experiment,” Finch said regarding the impact of Arizona’s school choice policy on public schools. 

    Last school year, Finch said, the district had to cut about 50 positions — most of which weren’t backfilled because of local and state funding budget constraints.

    Still, he said, Deer Valley USD struggles to fill science, math and special education teaching roles. 

    What has helped with staffing issues, however, is the district’s two-year teacher prep program that trains anyone in the community with a bachelor’s degree to become a certified teacher through classes, training and working with a mentor. The grow-your-own program doesn’t require its graduates to teach in the district, but 95% of those who have completed the program do end up teaching at Deer Valley USD, Finch said. 

    About 160 teachers have gone through the program and filled in the district’s instructional gaps within the past three years, Finch said. 

    Other strategies that education finance researchers suggest for districts to consider in their hiring practices amid budget and enrollment challenges include scrutinizing their grow-your-own programs for a good return on investment, paying effective teachers more, firing ineffective uncertified teachers, and streamlining teacher certifications across state lines.

    If there were broad, generic teacher shortages, then the big solution for schools would be to make the profession more attractive to draw in more teachers. “But that’s not the issue,” Dee said.

    “The issue is hard-to-staff schools and hard-to-staff subjects,” which begs the ultimate question for Dee: “What can we do to get more high-quality teachers into the schools serving our most vulnerable students?”

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  • Broward County Public Schools faces enrollment drops, possible closures

    Broward County Public Schools faces enrollment drops, possible closures

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    Dive Brief:

    • Broward County Public Schools announced plans to “address” 34 of its 239 schools for possible closures or consolidations during a Tuesday board meeting. 
    • The pending plans come at a time when the large Florida district is reporting an enrollment decrease of 10,360 students, a count taken 10 days into the 2025-26 school year compared to the year prior. The district’s total enrollment, excluding charter schools, was 188,002 on Aug. 22.
    • The district also reported in July that 58 of its schools were below 70% capacity, including 39 elementary schools, 16 middle schools and 3 high schools.

    Dive Insight:

    As the sixth largest school district in the U.S., BCPS is not immune to a national trend of districts facing enrollment drops amid declining birthrates and growing school choice options.

    In a May survey of current and former BCPS parents conducted by Hanover Research, the data found that about half of respondents — 53% — said they enrolled their children in a nontraditional schooling option because they wanted higher quality instruction. A third of families also cited smaller class sizes and another third indicated the availability of more programs. The district surveyed 8,983 parents who either had a child enrolled, formerly enrolled, or partially enrolled in a BCPS school.

    The top two reasons parents said they unenrolled their children from BCPS was because they were dissatisfied with the district’s education quality (26%) and they were concerned about school safety (24%).  

    Among those who previously had a child enrolled or partially enrolled at BCPS, 20% said improved teacher quality through professional development would have made them more likely to stay. Some 18% also separately said better support for students with disabilities, improvements on handling school bullying, or strengthened safety and security measures would have encouraged them to keep their child in the district.

    To retain families, the district is being advised based on the parent survey results to:

    • Track school climate and culture outcomes for improvements.
    • Offer more college and career readiness support.
    • Provide more support to teachers to improve the district’s education quality.
    • Tackle school safety issues and work to reduce bullying and harassment.

    An August analysis by Bellwether, an education nonprofit, warns that more school closures and consolidation could be on the horizon in the coming months and years due to declining enrollment — ultimately leading to strained school budgets. Bellwether estimated that the total loss in revenue from declining enrollment at the nation’s largest 100 districts could total up to $5.2 billion based on 2023-24 school enrollment. 

    Other large school districts recently weighing a number of school closures and consolidations as a result of declining enrollment include Atlanta Public Schools, Austin Independent School District in Texas and St. Louis Public Schools.

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  • Judge strikes down Minnesota dual enrollment program’s ban on faith statements

    Judge strikes down Minnesota dual enrollment program’s ban on faith statements

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     Dive Brief:

    • A federal judge on Friday struck down a Minnesota law prohibiting colleges that require high school students to sign statements of faith from participating in a state dual enrollment program.
    • The University of Northwestern and Crown College, two conservative Christian institutions in Minnesota, sued the state in 2023 over the law which rendered them ineligible to participate in the Postsecondary Enrollment Options program. Both colleges require on-campus students to sign religious conduct agreements.
    • Siding with the colleges, U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel ruled that Minnesota’s law infringed on their constitutional rights by making them choose between participating in the PSEO program and practicing their religion.

    Dive Insight:

    Since 1985, Minnesota’s PSEO program has allowed local high school students to earn college credit for nonsectarian coursework at participating colleges. The program is free for eligible students and reimburses colleges with fixed payments per credit hour.

    But a 2023 law, passed by the state’s Democrat-controlled Legislature, prohibited colleges from participating in the program if they require faith statements or make admission decisions based on “race, creed, ethnicity, disability, gender, or sexual orientation or religious beliefs or affiliations.”

    The University of Northwestern requires students and employees to sign a pledge to abstain from “same sex romantic intimacy.” And Crown’s student conduct policy does not allow involvement or promotion of “any sexual behavior outside the marriage of one man and one woman.”

    Both institutions, joined by three parents of high school students, sued the state the same day Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed the legislation into law.

    The Minnesota Department of Education filed counterclaims, arguing that Crown and the University of Northwestern’s admissions policies for the PSEO program are unconstitutional.

    Early on in the case, Brasel blocked the state from enforcing the new law, allowing the colleges to continue enrolling PSEO students and earning state funds from the program while the case proceeded. Between the 2017-18 and 2022-23 academic year, the University of Northwestern received over $33.2 million from the program, and Crown received roughly $5.8 million.

    In her Friday ruling, Brasel sided with the colleges.

    “If the Schools’ eligibility to participate in PSEO is conditioned on not using faith statements as an admissions requirement, their free exercise in maintaining a campus community of like‐minded believers is burdened,” said Brasel, a Trump appointee. Families also lose their right to free exercise of religion if they can’t use the public benefit at “a school of their choice of like‐minded believers,” she said.

    The judge further wrote that if the state elects to fund private education, officials cannot disqualify private schools solely because they’re religious.

    Brasel also dismissed the state’s counterclaims Friday.

    The Minnesota Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

    The leaders of Crown and the University of Northwestern — Andrew Denton and Corbin Hoornbeek, respectively — celebrated the verdict Saturday.

    “This legislation has given us yet another opportunity to affirm our mission; we remain committed to equipping our students to grow intellectually and spiritually to serve effectively in their professions and give God-honoring leadership in the home, church, community, and world,” Hoornbeek said in a statement.

    The same day, Denton thanked the legislators who originally opposed the ban and said Crown was grateful for the law’s reversal.

    “The court made clear that Minnesota cannot single out high school students who want to attend a faith-centered institution,” he said. 

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  • What Multiple Intelligences Can Teach Us About Enrollment Marketing

    What Multiple Intelligences Can Teach Us About Enrollment Marketing

    Each student has a different way of perceiving, processing, and connecting with information.

    If you have ever wondered why one student peppers you with questions during a campus tour while another spends the visit sketching buildings, possibly giving your founder’s statue a comically large nose, you may have met what psychologist Howard Gardner calls multiple intelligences (Gardner, 1983, 1999).

    Gardner proposed that intelligence is not a single metric but a collection of capabilities: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic. Each shapes how a student processes the world and how they connect during the college search. If you have ever tried to woo a future engineer with poetic descriptions of ivy-covered halls, you know: some want facts, others want a vibe, and a few want to hear about your beekeeping club.

    From theory to practice

    In K–12 education, Gardner’s theory inspired teachers to differentiate instruction to meet students where they are. Teachers understand that linguistic learners thrive in storytelling and debate. Kinesthetic learners act out history. Visual-spatial thinkers create models and posters.

    Preferences also carry into decision-making. A student with strong interpersonal intelligence may thrive in group discussion, while an intrapersonal learner prefers reflection (Shearer, 2018).

    A colleague once hosted two prospective students on the same tour. One chatted nonstop with ambassadors about clubs. The other hung back, took notes, and later emailed questions about academics. Both left a positive impression, but they connected in entirely different ways. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.

    From classroom to campus tour

    This theory has clear enrollment applications (statistics are from the 2025 E-Expectations Report from RNL, Halda, and Modern Campus).

    • Bodily-kinesthetic learners may need to walk your campus to “get” it physically. Eighty percent of students visit in person, and 88% find visits helpful.
    • Visual-spatial learners may prefer your virtual tour; 77% use it, and 84% find it helpful.
    • Musical learners might connect emotionally through audio, pacing, or sound design in videos.
    • Interpersonal learners thrive in authentic conversations, one-on-one chats, and social media DMs. Twenty-seven percent follow colleges on social as an early outreach step; 37% do so for student life content.
    • Intrapersonal learners might prefer ROI tools, microsites, or downloadable guides.
    • Logical-mathematical learners value dashboards, calculators, and evidence-based outcomes. Financial aid calculators are used by 81% and rated helpful by 85%.

    When the fit feels off

    Each intelligence has a “no-thanks” zone:

    • Kinesthetic learners disengage from dense PDFs.
    • Visual-spatial thinkers lose interest in text-heavy pages.
    • Musical learners notice when tone and pacing are off.
    • Interpersonal learners tire of one-way communication.
    • Intrapersonal learners feel drained by busy group events.
    • Logical-mathematical thinkers want facts, not fluff.
    • Linguistic learners need narrative and nuance.
    • Naturalistic learners respond to sustainability stories, not generic city skylines.

    E-Expectations data confirm this. Sixty-three percent of students use Instagram, but only 53% see college content there, missing visual, musical, and interpersonal opportunities. Nearly half (45%) use AI chatbots, and 27% fill out inquiry forms afterward, showing these tools’ value for personalization (RNL et al., 2025).

    AI as a multiple intelligences tool

    AI chatbots can adapt content type, video, infographic, or ROI data, to match a student’s preference. After engaging with an AI assistant, 24% of students said they were more likely to apply, and 29% emailed admissions (RNL et al., 2025).

    This is not about tech for tech’s sake. It is about designing digital interactions that honor different learning and connecting methods.

    Matching intelligences to enrollment touchpoints

    Each intelligence represents a unique way of perceiving, processing, and connecting with information. Your emails, tours, and inquiry forms can spark curiosity or shut it down, depending on how well they align.

    Ask yourself:

    • Are you offering an “entry point” for every kind of learner?
    • Where are your blind spots?
    • What simple tweaks could widen the invitation?

    This is not about building eight separate funnels. It is about creating a flexible ecosystem where every student can find something that feels made for them.

    Multiple intelligences and enrollment touchpoints

    Intelligence Type How They Process and Connect Enrollment Strategies That Click Common Turnoffs
    Linguistic Love stories, strong narratives, nuanced language Student blogs, alum success stories, narrative-driven videos, compelling email subject lines Dry fact sheets with no story
    Logical-Mathematical Seek patterns, data, and ROI Cost calculators, outcome dashboards, program comparison tools Emotion-heavy marketing without evidence
    Visual-Spatial Think in images, layouts Virtual tours, interactive maps, infographics, campus photo galleries Text-heavy pages without visuals
    Musical Respond to rhythm, tone, sound Videos with thoughtful sound design, podcasts, and student performances Flat, monotone content
    Bodily-Kinesthetic Learn by doing, moving Campus tours, hands-on events, and fairs Long static presentations or PDFs
    Interpersonal Thrive in connection with others One-on-one ambassador chats, live Q&A, small group sessions, social DMs One-way mass communication with no response path
    Intrapersonal Reflective, self-directed Self-paced microsites, outcome quizzes, downloadable guides Crowded events, high-pressure group calls
    Naturalistic Connect through nature and real-world context. Sustainability initiatives, green campus tours, and community-based learning stories Generic marketing is disconnected from the environment.

    (Table adapted from Gardner 1983, 1999; RNL et al, 2025.)

    Final thought

    You do not need a degree in educational psychology to use multiple intelligences in enrollment strategy. You need to remember that students are cognitively and emotionally diverse (Gardner, 1983, 1999).

    The smartest move? Offer multiple ways to connect and then let students choose.

    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

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  • The End of the Traditional Student Era: Higher Ed’s New Enrollment Reality

    The End of the Traditional Student Era: Higher Ed’s New Enrollment Reality

    For decades, the term “traditional student” referred to an 18–22-year-old, full-time student living on campus and largely unencumbered by adult responsibilities. That definition may have been true in the past, but today, it’s holding institutions back. 

    Across the country, Gen Z students increasingly look like their older counterparts in how they approach higher education. They’re working while enrolled, choosing flexible learning formats, weighing cost against career ROI, and demanding that programs fit into — not disrupt — their lives. At the same time, adult learners remain a vital audience, and their motivations often mirror those of younger students. 

    For enrollment and marketing leaders, the takeaway is clear: Stop relying on outdated labels and start building strategies for the actual students you serve. 

    The blurred lines between traditional and adult learners 

    Recent Gallup-Lumina research shows that 57% of U.S. adults without a degree have considered enrolling in the past two years, and more than 8 in 10 say they’re likely to do so within the next five years. While adult learners have long valued affordability, flexibility, and career outcomes, these same factors now dominate Gen Z’s expectations. 

    Cost concerns are particularly telling, as highlighted by The CIRP Freshman Survey 2024. The study found that 56.4% of incoming first-year students reported some or major concern about paying for college, with even higher rates among Hispanic or Latino (81.4%) and Black or African American (69.6%) students. 

    Work and life responsibilities are also playing a growing role. Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) reports that between 70-80% of undergraduate students are employed while enrolled, with about 40% working full-time.  

    For many, this isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s the only way they can afford school. 

    Why this matters for enrollment strategy 

    If your enrollment marketing still segments audiences primarily by age, you’re likely missing the mark. Here’s the reality: 

    • An 18-year-old commuter working 30 hours a week and taking hybrid classes might have more in common with a 35-year-old career changer than with a residential peer. 
    • Transfer and degree completer students (36.8 million Americans with some college but no credential) are often juggling similar priorities. 
    • Both groups respond to messaging that clearly connects program design to life balance, affordability, and employment outcomes. 

    The “traditional vs. adult” distinction no longer works for understanding motivations, predicting behaviors, or designing student experiences. 

    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.

    4 Priorities that span generations 

    Regardless of age, today’s students share a core set of expectations that shape their enrollment decisions. These priorities now cut across the full spectrum of higher education audiences. 

    1. Affordability 

      The Gallup-Lumina report states that finances are among the most influential factors in enrollment decisions for unenrolled adults. Cost is also the top reason adults have stopped out of higher education and a leading reason current students consider doing so.  

      Gen Z mirrors this cost-conscious mindset, with many forgoing the traditional four-year route and embracing community colleges or transfer pathways as a lower-cost way to begin their degree journey.

      2. Flexible learning programs 

        Hybrid, online, and asynchronous options are no longer “adult learner perks” — they’re mainstream expectations. Traditional-aged students now seek flexible schedules to balance work, internships, and other commitments, mirroring adult learners. The pandemic accelerated digital comfort across age groups, making flexibility table stakes for recruitment. 

        3. Career outcomes 

          The Gallup-Lumina report shows that 60% of currently enrolled students cite expected future job opportunities as a “very important” factor in choosing to enroll. For stopped-out adult students, career prospects were also the top motivator. 

          Knowing this, institutions should ensure career outcomes are central to program design, marketing, and student advising. Those that clearly articulate skill alignment, employment pathways, and alumni success stories will attract and retain students. 

          4. Work-life balance 

            More students than ever are balancing jobs, caregiving, and other priorities with their academic responsibilities. For adult learners, this has always been true, but for traditional-aged students it’s increasingly the norm.  

            Institutions should respond by offering flexible schedules, targeted support, and streamlined services that help students balance academics with work and family demands. 

            Moving from segmentation to personalization 

            The solution isn’t to erase audience differences but to recognize that motivations and needs cut across age lines. Institutions should: 

            • Use behavioral and attitudinal data (not just demographics) to inform personas. 
            • Map programs to shared priorities, ensuring flexible formats and clear ROI messaging. 
            • Equip enrollment teams to surface emerging trends from student conversations. 
            • Invest in CRM and marketing automation to deliver personalized, timely outreach. 

            The opportunity for forward-thinking institutions 

            Institutions that adapt now can capture a larger share of a changing student market. Meeting the needs of today’s learners, who span generations, life stages, and responsibilities, requires more than minor adjustments. It calls for rethinking how programs are designed, marketed, and delivered to address shared priorities and remove persistent barriers. 

            Consider the following tactics: 

            • Retooling marketing messages to emphasize affordability, flexibility, and career outcomes. 
            • Rethinking program delivery models for a mixed audience. 
            • Breaking down internal silos between “traditional” and “adult learner” recruitment. 

            From outdated labels to modern enrollment strategies 

            The traditional student still exists, but they’re no longer the majority. Today’s demand for higher education comes from learners of all ages and circumstances. 

            The lines are blurred, and the labels are outdated. It’s time to create enrollment strategies that reflect today’s student realities and anticipate tomorrow’s opportunities. 

            Innovation Starts Here

            Higher ed is evolving — don’t get left behind. Explore how Collegis can help your institution thrive.

    Amber Arnseth oversees program and market research as a skilled problem-solver with an ability to integrate and contextualize data for partners into actionable recommendations. The research she and her team conduct help inform and strengthen our partners’ strategic portfolio and program decisions.

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