Elevating Online Graduate Enrollment Performance

+220%

Increase in Lead-to-Application Conversions

+189%

Increase in Admit-to-Enroll Rates

A data-driven online enrollment transformation expanded audience reach, elevated recruitment performance, and strengthened outcomes across the digital campus.

Mascot and young woman pose together, smiling, with “Your story starts here” text on a blue background.

A powerful recruitment engine for a growing online campus.

The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UF CJC) faced a shifting online education landscape marked by heightened competition, evolving adult learner expectations, and declining graduate enrollment following the pandemic. To sustain growth and strengthen its market position, the College needed a more unified, research-driven approach to engage working professionals across a wider set of industries. Carnegie partnered with UF CJC to reimagine their recruitment strategy—building a modernized, data-infused framework that elevated brand clarity, expanded audience reach, and unlocked new pathways for high-quality enrollment.

Student Types

Online

Graduate

Solution

Digital Advertising

The Challenge 

The University of Florida is a leading institution in Florida and the greater Southeast. But, when it came to recruitment for the College of Journalism and Communications’ (UF CJC) online graduate program, they relied on grassroots efforts (such as conferences and fairs) and general brand recognition. 

UF CJC sought to increase the volume and quality of prospective online learners while strengthening its position in a crowded national landscape. Achieving these goals required a modernized, insight-driven approach capable of elevating brand clarity, sharpening targeting, and connecting more effectively with working adults seeking online pathways for career advancement.

Our Approach

Carnegie’s work with UF CJC began with a comprehensive effort to extend the College’s reach, modernize channel strategy, and align marketing activity with the behaviors of today’s online graduate learners. By unifying insights, creative, messaging, and optimization into one integrated framework, we helped the institution not only strengthen awareness—but convert interest into measurable enrollment outcomes.

UF College of Journalism and Communications ads promoting master's programs and CEPR-certified online master’s degree.

What Worked

  • Audience and channel expansion to reach professionals beyond traditional PR and mass communication roles, including marketing, digital strategy, and web development fields.
  • Integrated media strategy combining prospecting, retargeting, and concentration-specific messaging to guide adult learners at every stage of the decision-making process.
  • Creative alignment and refresh to meet updated university brand standards and ensure consistent, resonant digital storytelling.
  • Data-driven optimization grounded in performance analytics, funnel behavior, and business objectives to continually refine tactics and maximize efficiency.
  • Enhanced post-lead nurturing designed specifically around the needs of busy working adults, improving progression from inquiry to application.
Two people sit at a sports event with campus buildings and text: "Channel Expansion, Creative Refresh, Integrated Strategy.

The Results

UF CJC’s partnership with Carnegie led to significant gains across marketing efficiency, lead quality, and enrollment performance. The College now attracts more qualified working professionals, converts inquiries at dramatically higher rates, and operates with a modernized strategy capable of adapting to shifting market conditions. By strengthening alignment between channel strategy, brand positioning, and audience insights, UF CJC reinforced its leadership in online mass communications and established a scalable model for continued enrollment growth.

+220%

Increase in Lead-to-Application Conversions

+189%

Increase in Admit-to-Enroll Rates

+70%

Reduction in Poor-Quality Leads

Students talking and graduating, with text: “70% reduction in poor quality leads” and University of Florida logo.

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