Archives: White Papers

Following the 2024 election, Carnegie researchers wanted to continue exploring the ways politics interacts with prospective students’ decision-making. This research surveyed more than 2,000 prospective and current students, and their parents, about the impact of politics at a campus- and state-level on their decisions.

How do you know if your website is truly performing well? What does “good” organic traffic look like for a university or college? Using raw data collected from over 200 higher-ed websites, this report provides essential benchmarks for evaluating organic traffic, setting realistic search engine optimization (SEO) goals, and implementing the right strategies to drive results.

Unprecedented delays to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) have left many colleges wondering where enrollment truly stands after May 1. This phenomenon is equally troubling for prospective students. Each year, Carnegie surveys graduating seniors from its CollegeXpress audience. This year, a new section was added to focus on the impact of FAFSA delays. This report covers that section and provides important insights into how students are thinking about FAFSA and financial aid in general.

TikTok is one of the most popular platforms on the internet — especially for the demographics most coveted by higher ed marketers. In this report, we analyze how schools are using their TikTok accounts to reach students.

Navigating the complexities of financial aid optimization is crucial for maximizing both student success and institutional efficiency. That’s why we’ve created a comprehensive, behind-the-scenes guide to provide clarity and strategic insight into the financial aid process here at Carnegie.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Carnegie would offer regular graduating senior surveys to its CollegeXpress audience. With the industry adjusted to a new normal, we began this effort anew and sought the opinions of students entering college in fall 2023. We received more than 14,000 responses.

As the higher education industry begins to understand and utilize AI, it is important to understand what the core audiences of colleges and universities think about the newest technology trend.

Putting together a great RFP is vital for attracting high-quality proposals for your college or university. Get started today with Carnegie’s Branding RFP Guide.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Carnegie would offer regular graduating senior surveys to its CollegeXpress audience. With the industry adjusted to a new normal, we began this effort anew and sought the opinions of students entering college in fall 2023. We received more than 14,000 responses.

Graduate students are not a homogeneous group. To better understand this population, we issued a survey to gain insights into the personalities, preferences, and motivations of graduate students by narrowing in on the population by degree type, degree delivery format, and field of study.