The enrollment advantage most colleges underuse
Ashish Fernando
June 16, 2026
How personalization can drive applications and more.
Higher education is clearly at a turning point. Institutions must reconsider generic enrollment strategies in the face of rising student expectations and unique challenges.
As one example, many colleges are witnessing the ramifications of what is commonly known as the “enrollment cliff,” a long-anticipated drop in the number of traditional college-age students, due to fewer births.
According to projections from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), the number of U.S. high school graduates was expected to peak around 2025, then decline through 2041.
Institutions historically reliant on a steady flow of prospective students must compete for every enrollment. As a result, many administrators are turning to technology to streamline recruitment efforts and improve enrollment outcomes—even as they grapple with disappointing marketing and student engagement.
