Studies show that nearly half of all college students drop out before ever completing their degrees.
And of those that graduate, colleges are still able to try to get them to come back for their master's degree, get a second bachelor's degree, take continuing education courses, etc.
Is schooling really ever over? It seems colleges and universities can market themselves to literally anyone these days.
The article "Is it time to go back to school?" proves just that by stating that there's almost always a reason to justify going back to school.
You may want to get a promotion at work, you may want to learn something new, perhaps you want to meet new people and network or maybe you're looking to completely change careers.
Colleges and universities can use this as leverage to market to whomever they please.
How colleges market to students
There are literally dozens of tactics colleges and universities use to get students to go back to school.
Some colleges are very "exclusive," hoping that they will gain desire by being picky with that they choose.
Other colleges offer unique programs to get students to enroll and some even give away iPads to incoming students.
The more common ways universities market to prospective students include:
- Become experts with social media - Colleges know that the majority of potential students are fully engaged in social media. Why not meet them at their level? Colleges use Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, YouTube and even Instagram to gain a following and attract new students. In fact, social media is slowly becoming one of the major tools across the board in gaining business, especially for colleges and universities.
- Have new and enticing campuses - Universities across the U.S. are spending more money on buildings, dorm rooms and student unions. Students may easily pick a school simply because they love the dorm rooms or like the overall look and feel of the campus. In line with this, colleges and universities host open houses regularly so potential students can see for themselves what it's like to attend that specific college.
- Use print and magazine advertising - While it appears that everything has gone digital, colleges and universities still use print media to market their programs. Print media is actually the second biggest marketing strategy behind hosting in-house events, according to a Lipman Hearne survey of colleges conducted in 2010.
Of course, the largest and most successful universities have diverse marketing campaigns and unique strategies in place to continue bringing in new students year after year.
Colleges can also choose what types of students they want to focus on and narrow in on that. If they're looking to grow their master's programs, for example, they will most likely target working professionals.
If they're looking to grow their science program, they can target those who work in hospitals and doctor's offices.
When it comes to marketing for colleges and universities, the options really are endless.