What is the 2025 Enrollment Cliff and How are Universities Preparing for it?
You may have seen the term “enrollment cliff” mentioned by Higher Education professionals with the year 2025 attached to this projection. This expected decline in student enrollment to Higher Education institutions has been projected to occur due to multiple factors. These factors include a decline in birthrate after the 2008 recession, increasing costs of tuition, and a decline in international students studying in the United States. With college enrollment numbers already on the decline, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, what have institutions been planning to do to prepare for this decrease in enrollment?
Institutions have begun looking at increasing their marketing and recruitment efforts to better motivate prospective students to apply to their school. This means more emphasis on social media outreach, targeted advertising campaigns, and increasing in-person events. This targeted, more personalized approach to marketing is designed to help prospective students understand how the programs offered would benefit their individual career goals.
Of course, we must ask who is the target audience of this intensified marketing? Historically, academic institutions have targeted young adults who have recently graduated from high school. However, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that the average age of undergraduate students in the United States is 24 years old. Factoring in the large number of traditional-aged students who attend college right after high school, the average age range is quite broad, with the median age higher. The average age of college students has been steadily increasing over the years. For students who are 25 and older, the reported average age is around 30 years old.
These older students may be returning to college to complete a degree or pursue a new career. They are seeking an educational experience that is flexible and are attracted by evening/weekend classes as well as online classes.
To provide alternatives to four-year and two-year degrees, a growing number of colleges have also been implementing more “micro-credential programs.” These micro-credential programs offer students a chance to learn on demand, developing practical skills in a short-term educational experience. Having these courses can help institutions appeal to a broader audience of people who might be interested in learning skills to help find jobs, but without worrying about the costs and commitment of a multi-year degree program.
As we start to look towards 2025, it is important that we continue to consider altering the structure and presentation of higher education in accordance with modern industry demands and changing demographics. With these adaptive approaches, colleges and universities can appeal to broader audiences of prospective students. They can also offer more courses that are better attuned to the needs of those entering the current labor market.
Academic institutions must balance these new options with the need to sustain more traditional approaches to delivering an educational experience. This is challenging in a period of intense financial pressure. Of course, technology has enabled online courseware. However, dramatic changes to their workforce are also required. IT personnel are needed to design, implement and support the online learning platforms, ensuring access and security. New job descriptions are needed for personnel to design and deliver micro-credentialed programs. Academic support personnel changes are required to address the needs of expanded student demographics. And, marketing personnel are needed to reach and attract this changing student population.
To learn more about how nextSource can help you meet these workforce challenges, contact us.
