Service Line: Marketing Strategy

Across the country, colleges face a common challenge—and an even greater opportunity. According to the Some College, No Credential 2025 Report from the National Student Clearinghouse, 43.1 million Americans have “stopped out” of college, meaning they left before completing a credential. Of those, 37.6 million are working-age adults under 65. They represent one of the most promising, yet often overlooked, growth segments for community and technical colleges.

Recently, Carnegie hosted a webinar with leaders of national higher education associations for a candid discussion about the demands of the moment and how leaders can navigate the uncertainty while fulfilling the mission of higher education. We opened the conversation to our attendees to ask questions directly to our hosts and panelists. Our panelists couldn’t get to all of the amazing, thoughtful questions posed during the event. We’ve compiled some of them here with answers from our hosts, Shankar Prasad and Emma Jones, as well as some of our favorite quotes from our panelists.

In the rapidly changing world of higher education, online programs are becoming more and more prevalent as colleges and universities expand their reach beyond traditional campus settings to cater to a diverse and global audience.  

In a recent webinar, our expert panel shared insights into the new “Student Search” and answered your burning questions. Check out this recap and Q&A deep dive!

Looking to enhance your institution’s brand strategy? Whether you’re starting from scratch or want to refresh your current approach, our Brand Strategy Toolkit is your essential guide.

Today’s graduate enrollment management landscape is incredibly challenging. The industry is facing a wide variety of intersecting issues—budget shortfalls, more competition than ever, changing market dynamics, a decline in test takers, and increased consumer privacy and data protection. All these challenges mean it’s essential to reconsider and weigh the pros and cons of how things are done on your campus. One of the biggest decisions is whether or not to centralize or decentralize your graduate marketing efforts.

As the number of traditional-aged college-bound students decreases, colleges and universities face a dual challenge: competing not only with each other but also with the distractions and constant noise of our ever-evolving digital age. This challenge underscores the critical role of storytelling in enrollment, communications, and marketing strategies.

As another year wraps up, we’re looking back at the higher education events that shook the industry, made us think, and that we’ll be watching in 2024. 

The American Marketing Association names Carnegie partner Oklahoma State University as the higher education marketing team of the year for 2024!

Carnegie and Johnson, Grossnickle & Associates (JGA) are stepping up to provide advancement innovation with a new product called Acuity Darts, a precise donor screening and personalized solicitation tool that tells you which communications to prioritize and exactly what to say. This partnership was formed to support advancement offices as they work to refine their strategies and recruit the next generation of donors.