The numbers don’t lie. There are roughly 2,500 colleges and universities in the US that offer at least some online learning.[1] And, as of 2022, over 10 million college students were enrolled in at least one online course, a 64% increase over 2010.[2]
Clearly, a decade+ of data shows online learning, especially at the college level, is becoming more popular.
However, only a small percentage (about 7%) of the 2,500 or so US colleges that offer online courses are considered “primarily online” institutions; institutions with at least 90% of students enrolled fully online.
Now, data show that enrollment at these institutions represents about 6% of the total student body.[3] Meaning there’s plenty of room to grow… especially in the adult learner demographic.
You see, while online learning is gaining in popularity among prospective college students of all ages, nearly half (42%) of students pursuing an online education are over the age of 30.[4]
So, if you’re operating a primarily online college, this is a demographic you should be (if you’re not already) targeting, because that’s where the growth opportunity exists.
Today, Conversion Media Group, a nationwide leader in online college enrollment initiatives, will show you how you can attract this key demographic to help boost your school’s enrollments.
But first, let’s look at some more data; specifically, data on the “demographic cliff.”
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, “The consensus view is that America will hit a peak of around 3.5 million high-school graduates sometime near 2025. After that, the college-going population is expected to shrink across the next five to 10 years by as many as 15 percentage points.”[5]
Overall, college enrollments have already been in decline for over a decade…
And the “demographic cliff” is just a year or so away. Meaning colleges and universities whose target demographic is primarily recent high school grads may be in for yet another rough decade.
However, for primarily online institutions who target the key 30+ year old demographic, big declines could be avoided, and enrollment can potentially be boosted. And it all comes down to marketing.
Now, as a leader in online college enrollment initiatives and as expert marketers, Conversion Media Group is in continual contact with the key 30+ demographic and offers a number of solutions that have been proven to help boost online enrollments.
Here’s what we can do for you:
We begin our Edu marketing programs with individuals that have opted to hear about online schools and programs and are excited to learn even more about them, directly from our representatives.
In the course of our scripting, we separate those prospective students that want to hear from your school at a later time, from those that want to talk to your enrollment department immediately.
For those who want to talk to you immediately, we do a live handoff directly to you. It’s called a live transfer lead. These are high intent individuals who are often ready to enroll during your first contact.
The best part is, we have the ability to deliver perhaps hundreds or more live transfer leads right into your enrollment department, precisely when they show genuine interest in enrolling!
Of course, it’s a bit more complicated than this on our end, but for you, it’s pretty simple: Partner with Conversion Media Group and we’ll deliver leads.
Now, if you’d like to learn more about how live transfer leads work, and approximately how many live transfer leads we can deliver to your school, simply give us a call at 1-800-419-3201 and we’ll go over the details.
You can also email us at [email protected] or drop us a message HERE.
Here’s to your success!
[1] The Pandemic Pushed Universities Online. The Change Was Long Overdue. (hbr.org)
[2] 80+ Online Learning Statistics: Growth Rate and Trends (preply.com)
[3] By The Numbers: The Rise Of Online Learning In The U.S. – Forbes Advisor
[4] Online Learning Statistics: The Ultimate List in 2024 | Devlin Peck
[5] Colleges Were Already Bracing for an ‘Enrollment Cliff.’ Now There Might Be a Second One. (chronicle.com)