Market Research Services
EducationDynamics staff (Aslanian Group until 2009) has extensive experiences in assessing institutional programs and services aimed at adult, nontraditional and online students for enhancement and development purposes. The procedures used by our staff gather the data college administrators need to make informed decisions for expanding programs attractive to adult and/or online students and for improving the policies and practices of operational units serving these students.
Market Analysis Core Studies
The major assessment activities below emanate from years of development begun at the College Board, and continued at Aslanian Group, under the direction of Carol Aslanian. They were established in direct response to requests from institutional leadership, for empirical evidence regarding demand for postsecondary and graduate education among adults and online students. Click one of our core studies below to learn more about how we can serve your institution:
Adult Student Market Analysis
Adult Student Market Analysis is a comprehensive market assessment of adult learning that will help you shape your adult undergraduate, graduate and/or career-related noncredit student recruitment, programs and services to meet market demand. Studies can be tailored for all types of institutions—whether you are large or small, public or private, two-year orfour-year, urban, suburban, or rural -- we can design a study for you. Report findings and action recommendations are straight-forward, clear and direct in regard to next steps your institution must take to increase adult student enrollments. Findings include what programs are in highest demand, for what credentials, in what formats, on what type of schedule, and for what price among prospective adult students
Online Student Market Analysis
Online Student Market Analysis is a comprehensive market assessment of the supply and demand of online learning aimed at assisting colleges and universities in attracting and serving online undergraduate and graduate students. It can be designed for institutions who already are engaged in online education but seek to expand enrollments as well as those institutions who want to initiate or establish online education. The assessment can be aimed at a comprehensive analysis of online learning across all areas of demand or focus on one or more specific programs.
Graduate Student Market Analysis
Graduate Student Market Analysis is a comprehensive assessment of the preferences and demands of adult graduate students, providing the information you need to ensure your programs attract adults seeking graduate study. We gather data by speaking directly with recent and current graduate students about their study so that our findings are based on the actual experiences of people engaged in graduate study. Our recommendations will help you shape your offerings, your recruitment techniques and the services you need to have available for graduate students.
Additional Studies
The following can be added to the core studies or commissioned individually.
Organizations and Employers
Interviews are conducted with businesses, government agencies and professional association leadership to identify what they know about your institution and what services they want from you. Additional information is collected in regard to their tuition reimbursement policies and their forecasts of employee skills needed in the future.
Inquirers and Applicants Who Do Not Enroll
Hear from adults who inquired about or applied to your college—but did not enroll—to learn about their sources of information, the other colleges they considered, and what led them to enroll in another college or not to enroll at all. Interview findings describe college search patterns of adult prospects, identify some who remain recruitable, and pinpoint how to improve your practices in converting inquirers to students.
Currently Enrolled Students
Adult students currently enrolled at your college can offer advice on how to attract others like them. An online survey of your current students will describe their sources of information about you, what attracted them to your college, their satisfaction with your college, and their suggestions for improving campus practices.
Early Leavers - Those Who Enroll But Do Not Finish Program
It costs less to keep a current student than to recruit a replacement. Interviews with those who left early can explain why they left, what you might do to attract some of them back, and how you can reduce future attrition.
Alumni
Those who know you best are those who stayed with you until graduation. By now, they have tried their skills in the workplace—perhaps in new jobs—and have worked alongside graduates of other colleges. Interviews with them will reveal their mature perspectives on your programs and practices in regard to the recruitment of adults. Studies can be tailored to also measure their interest in conducting future professional development or continuing education with you - their alma mater.
Faculty and Administration
The views of your faculty members and administrators are pivotal in shaping the way your college attracts and retains adult students. Views from your college staff will be collected in regard to: (1) what policies staff members advise the college to follow in attracting, serving, and retaining adult students; and (2) practices in which staff members would engage personally to help the college carry out those policies.
College Image Study
You have an image—perhaps multiple images—in the minds of adults residing in your college's service area. Images affect enrollment. A survey of residents collects impressions of your program, faculty, services, students, and campus as compared to those of other colleges. Learn which practices and outreach you should continue and which you should improve.
Institutional Audits
An in-depth examination of your college's current practices and policies helps set a solid foundation for the direction you take in the future. We will visit your campus to assess the policies and practices relevant to attracting and serving adult students to recommend how to increase your share of the adult student market. Audits may focus on your college's recruitment and marketing strategies, advertising materials and products, tracking and follow-up of prospective students, admissions and enrollment procedures, college-wide administrative structure for serving adult students, and any other policies or practices you nominate.
To learn more about our Market Research Services click here or call 201-377-3321.
Graduate Student Market Analysis