We’re running out of kids…
And colleges could soon be running out of students. Beginning with the class of 2025, and progressing into at least 2029, experts have predicted we will experience a 15% decline in the number of high school graduates. As you likely already know, this is called the demographic cliff.
And because of this massive drop off in prospective post-secondary students, many traditional colleges and universities have already begun preparing for the potential fallout.
Cuts in programs.
Cuts in operational budgets.
Cuts in staff…
And worse, some have closed down altogether.
However, even though the number of high school graduation-aged students is dropping, there is a massive and widely untapped demographic of potential students that colleges and universities, especially primarily online institutions should be targeting.
And for those online colleges who do, they could be sitting atop a new student goldmine.
You see, this relative untapped demographic contains 36.8 million[1] people and is almost ten-times the size of the expected 2025 high school graduation class.[2]
Or, to put it another way… Almost 10 years’ worth of high school graduates, available to market your online programs to, practically immediately.
But better, it’s already known that this demographic has interest in attending college…
Because they already have!
Today, Conversion Media Group, a national leader in higher ed enrollment initiatives, will discuss this huge demographic, and we’ll show you why targeting them for online course registration may be the key to reaching your enrollment goals.
Now, as you may have guessed, this is the demographic of adult learners who have “some college” but have not graduated or been credentialed. Or simply, SCNC.
These are people who have already earned some credits, and now work, take care of family, and have obligations that do not allow them to “go back” to campus…
Yet, in many cases, they want to complete their degrees to forward their careers.
In fact, The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center recently said, “With 943,200 SCNC re-enrollees in the 2022-23 academic year, the re-enrollment rate increased…”[3]
Meaning a new enrollment trend may be forming before our very eyes, in a demographic where online college makes more sense than traditional college.
Simply put, there are 36.8 million potential enrollees where an online education could best serve their goals and needs of career/credential achievement…
And they already seem to be reenrolling in college at an accelerated rate.
So, if you’re an institution offering online courses, or are a fully or primarily online institution, this is the demographic you should be targeting. It’s almost ten times the size of the high school graduating class of 2025, after all.
Clearly, targeting any demographic, especially with hopes of enrolling new students, is easier said than done. If it were so simple, far more of them would already be enrolled in your programs.
But what may be an obstacle for some is an advantage for others, namely Conversion Media Group.
Not only are we a national leader in online college enrollment initiatives, but we are a national leader in targeting SCNC for online college reenrollment.
How do we, Conversion Media Group, reach this demo? How can we help increase your online program enrollments with SCNC students?
Well, after a short phone call with us, you’ll see exactly how!
Give us a call at 1-800-419-3201 or contact us HERE and we’ll guide you through our process.
[1] Some College, No Credential | National Student Clearinghouse Research Center
[2] High School Graduation Trends in the Years Ahead – Cognia – The Source
[3] Some College, No Credential | National Student Clearinghouse Research Center