Traditional competitive boundaries are blurring, as a few “ultra-winners” make it difficult to compete for incoming students. A shrinking population of high school graduates faces a dizzying array of considerations from colleges and universities inundating them with nearly identical messaging. Meanwhile, the public narrative on the ROI of higher education resounds with negativity and skepticism, pushing away already skeptical students. At the same time, talent-strapped industries promote nontraditional pathways to employment that don’t always require a degree.
How institutions message the value of higher education does not match the new and changing needs of incoming students. It is no wonder that many are simply opting out. The urgency to answer differentiation’s ultimate question—“Why would a student choose us over competitors?”—has never been higher.