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Research Outline

Prepared for Carter B. | Delivered September 23, 2019

College Student Consumer Journey

Goals

The goal is to understand how college students decide on what college to attend by looking at their consumer journey from search to enrollment in the US.

Early Findings

  • One study found that potential college students consider seven main factors when choosing a college: affordability, program choice, reputation, job opportunities, value of education for cost, feeling of fit, and proximity to home.
  •  58% of college students say that college is worth the money up to a certain point; it is not worth taking on too much debt.
  •  74% of parents of college-bound students would like schools to communicate directly with them during recruitment.
  • Parents are more interested in hearing about things like cost and academic quality, while students are more interested in hearing about program availability and student life.
  •  43% of parents are unsure how much, if at all, they can spend on college for their kids, so they appreciate colleges that help them figure out financial aspects.
  • Students that share parent contact information with potential colleges are 53% more likely to apply to those schools.
  • A growing trend in the college journey is college reveal posts or parties. Students and their parents are hosting events or creating social media posts to "reveal", similar to gender reveal parties, where they are going to college.