How to Use Data to Adjust to Changing Higher Ed Trends

by | Dec 11, 2024 | Education

Reading Time: 5 minutes

The data gathered in the world of higher education can be used in many ways. Schools need to find a balance between the day-to-day operations and the overall picture, both of which are important to the long-term health of the school.

One of the ways colleges and universities use the data is to figure out ways to get students to attend their school, and once they’re there, to stay enrolled through graduation. This is where schools sometimes need to make the biggest adjustments as new information comes in. Students, too, look at the data to make their decisions. A new report shows that students might be trending in a different direction. Here’s how schools use that data to adjust.

Trade schools see increased interest

Students are increasingly looking at their return on investment when they make their decisions about where to attend college. They want to know that they will graduate with a degree that will help them earn more money than they spent on tuition for college. A survey of 1,000 U.S. adults aged 18-30 found that 83% believed that learning a skilled trade is sometimes a better pathway to economic security than going to college.

That is perhaps part of the reason why enrollment in trade school has grown 4.9% from 2020 to 2023, according to a new report, while university enrollment has declined 0.6% since the pandemic.

 

 

College Board gets on board

College Board, the organization that runs the SAT and Advanced Placement courses, is launching a Career Kickstart program that aligns with standards from the Association for Career and Technical Education. The pilot program centers on cybersecurity, with possible programs in health science and business down the road.

“If students gain cybersecurity skills, they will be equipped to access a vast range of ever-growing career opportunities across multiple industries,” according to College Board. “College Board is building Career Kickstart in partnership with industry and higher education to assure national access to outstanding career education that today is only available in some communities.” Part of the goal is to save students time and money as they pursue their desired career.

 

 

The role of data

Like College Board, colleges and universities must make adjustments to meet current trends, such as students who may be leaning more towards trade schools. That process involves gathering specific data about what students are looking for and using that information to make decisions. Some of the ways they’ve already done this include:

  • Increasing flexibility: Online learning made advancements during the pandemic, and for many students those class offerings have remained a more attractive option. That can be because of the opportunity to take classes asynchronously around a work schedule or because it allows a student to live elsewhere while taking classes at a desired university where they may not be able to live. At some colleges the flexibility involves the programs being offered, allowing students to get creative with the classes they take to cater to their individual needs.
  • Aligning courses with workplaces: Schools have always had businesses with which they’ve had relationships where students might be able to serve as interns and gain hands-on experience. That is being taken a step further at some places now so schools can cater directly to students’ career interests. Some workplaces directly influence classes that are being taught to ensure students graduate with the skills they need to succeed in those jobs.
  • Finding what connects with students: With all of that said, sometimes it’s just the emotional connection that matters. In The Princeton Review’s 2024 Hopes & Worries Survey Report, 44% of respondents (nearly 8,000 students and more than 2,900 parents) said when choosing a college they wanted the one that was the best overall fit. That’s compared with just 9% looking for the most affordable option.

 

 

In that survey from The Princeton Review, 36% of respondents wanted the college with the best program for their career interests, and 44% ranked a potentially better job and higher income as benefits of a college degree.

The point is, there are a lot of factors for colleges and universities to consider when it comes to that data. While there may be an increasing emphasis on what a student might do after college for work, colleges don’t necessarily want to forego the work they have done in the past around community-building to attract students.

It is important that an analytics solution processes all of that data, whether it is gathered in student satisfaction surveys or in different ways in different parts of a university. A flexible solution can bring together disparate data points from the different systems an organization may use to produce results that allow colleges and universities to look at every possible factor. They can then make the important decisions that could lead to a student finding that it might be the perfect school for them.

 

John Sucich
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