Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that roughly 61% of high school graduates matriculated directly into college last fall, down from 2019’s pre-pandemic level of 66.2%.[1] However, while the fall has traditionally been the primary initial intake semester for new freshmen, (and we may be seeing an overall enrollment trend-change) there is...Read More

Make no bones about it, last year’s FAFSA debacle caused widespread havoc and panic among students, families and institutions of higher education. In January, CNBC said, “Rocky FAFSA Rollout Leaves Millions of Students, Families Frustrated” … [1] In February, the Los Angels Times said of it, “This is Just the Biggest Fiasco” …[2] And in...Read More

With the higher education landscape drastically shifting and enrolling new students becoming more difficult than perhaps ever before, institutions of higher education should be aware of the following statistics. 691 million. The number of Google search results for the various versions of “Online degree in ai.” 61.8%: The portion of recent high school grads that...Read More

New student enrollments are the lifeblood of any institution of higher education. Because without continuously filling the pipeline with prospects, enrollments are likely to decline… which could lead to catastrophe. In fact, catastrophes are already happening. This year alone, it’s estimated that one college or university is closing down, every week.[1] Now, there are a...Read More

For over a decade, graduate degree programs have been a cash cow for colleges and universities. Between 2010 and 2021, overall enrollments in graduate school programs grew by a robust 9%; this, as undergrad enrollment plummeted 15%.[1] But even though graduate program enrollments have been quite strong, and have been a godsend for struggling institutions,...Read More

The numbers don’t lie. The US population has grown by nearly 20 million people over the past decade. Yet even as our population grows, the percentage of high school seniors who enroll in college is at a ten year low.[1] Last year, just 61.8% of recent high school grads enrolled in college, compared to 66%...Read More

Check out these headlines. “Experts Fear ‘Catastrophic’ College Declines Thanks to Botched FAFSA Rollout”– US News & World Report[1] “FAFSA glitches and delays leave students, states, institutions in limbo” – The Washington Post[2] “What the heck is happening with college financial aid this year?” – CNN[3] “FAFSA applications drop by 40% as U.S. struggles to fix botched...Read More

The college and university system in the United States, including many primarily online institutions, has been having a tough go for over a decade now. Overall new student enrollment has been trending down, roughly 30% of traditional freshmen drop out before year-2, tuition costs have skyrocketed over 1,300% since the late 1970’s… And now the...Read More

Only about 7% of US colleges are considered “primarily online” institutions. Yet, 42% of college students over the age of 30 are pursuing a fully online education. This means there is huge opportunity for primarily online colleges to grow; if they offer the programs that students are really looking for. Historical data from the National...Read More

Back in April, we, Conversion Media Group published an eye-opening article titled “Data Show Big Opportunities for Fully Online Colleges” (available HERE). In that article, we highlighted how some online colleges may be faring quite well right now (and potentially into the future), despite the fact that we are expecting a large decline in America’s...Read More