Only 22% of Americans say the cost of getting a degree is worth it, even if you have to take out loans. In our research, cost-related concerns and financial aid discussions were consistent—students and families want a clear understanding of the cost and to know the degree is worth their investment.
A partnership with Jeff Selingo for his book Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right For You, prompted us to explore recent online college admissions conversation. The insights and themes we uncovered prompted us to return to our analyses of the college decision-making journey over the past ten years.
Jeff Selingo’s book guides students and families to look beyond elite schools by identifying seven measurable dimensions of a “good school” that most rankings don’t capture. Campus Sonar developed actionable strategies from our research to help campuses improve their student-centric approach by focusing on recruiting and enrolling students based on individual fit, ensuring future success for students and sustainable institutions.
Actionable strategy
Explain costs transparently
In this 10-year data set, cost-related concerns peaked in March of 2024, primarily due to the FAFSA processing delays. Prospective students want affordable options that don't require student loans, prompting them to include community colleges and trade schools in a decision set where previously they only included four-year institutions.
Cost remains the leading factor in college decision-making. It’s critical to explain costs transparently in many ways, in many more spaces than you currently do. Communicate costs in ways that align with your institution's goals and don't undermine your financial goals, but meet families where they are.
Campus Sonar’s recommendation is to make sure students and families clearly understand what they’re paying compared to the value they receive. They want their real-life pain points of increasing tuition and decreasing financial aid addressed so they can confidently make the college decision.
Take action: Actively address pain points
Understand the pain points, weaknesses, and barriers to the financial aid and enrollment processes and address them actively, consistently, and clearly.
A medium-sized private college in the East wanted to understand the perception of their brand, build awareness, and strengthen their reputation.
Strategic support
The college’s marketing team wanted to better understand their reputation to strengthen it and build their brand narrative. Social intelligence surfaced opportunities to support the team’s need to strengthen their narrative. That included identifying pain points in the financial aid and decision process, including the timing of decisions and financial aid compared with peers, lack of information about FAFSA changes and support, and limited scholarship availability. They used the data and insights to implement actionable strategies, such as delivering communications around the financial aid process early and often, personalizing the decisions process by engaging with students, and elevating successful financial aid or scholarship stories that connect back to the campus’s mission and values. Consistently incorporating key messaging addresses common pain points, supports brand strength, and reinforces the campus as a welcoming community.
Take action: Clearly communicate cost and value
Differentiate your campus by communicating college costs and associated value with realism and transparency.
A private art and design college wanted to develop more mature digital recruitment and enrollment strategies, aligned to meet the needs of various target audiences across the country.
Strategic support
Social intelligence supported the college’s desire to grow enrollment and expand into new markets across the country with insights revealing concerns and challenges specific to students pursuing creative careers as well as general concerns about navigating the financial aid process. To address these concerns, recommendations included amplifying messaging around the college’s highly ranked return on investment and finding ways to communicate it early and often, engaging prospects at various stages in the process.
The campus also reviewed existing content and planned communication to ensure there was clarity around transfer options and financial aid. With a national trend of prospective students and audiences talking about attending community college to save money before transferring to a 4-year campus, the college needed to be clear about specific requirements they accept for transfer students. By providing up-to-date information to facilitate clear conversations, spotlighting real stories and testimonials, and reviewing transfer and financial aid information on the website and other campaigns, the team updated and aligned cost and financial aid messaging to provide clear and accurate information.
Take action: Financial aid communication is a brand experience
Use your brand voice in financial aid communications and understand how the tone and clarity of rejection letters affect campus perceptions.
Enrollment leaders at a public university in the Southeast wanted to drive positive enrollment outcomes, specifically to undersubscribed colleges.
Strategic support
We examined the transfer student experience, surfacing transfer population barriers and opportunities to ease the pathway experience. Students navigating the process sought advice on campus life, financial aid, and academic opportunities. Understanding the resources available, social dynamics, and support systems can enhance their transition and overall university experience. Recommendations centered around strengthening the perception of the college as a valid and cost-effective route to quality education. Opportunities included a campaign where current transfer students could share insights about what’s been valuable or how they navigated the financial process. Overall, they amplified stories on the ease of transferring, return on investment, and successful outcomes to support applicants in feeling more connected and develop more informed perceptions of the university brand.
More actionable strategies
