Keystone launches the State of Student Recruitment 2020 Report

We recently surveyed over 20,000 potential students and 800 higher education administrators, aiming to get deeper insights into the current state of student recruitment. In our brand new 50+ page report, we share those insights.

Download Keystone Academic Solutions’ 2020 State of Student Recruitment Report here.

Enrollment professionals have always been ready for a good challenge. While COVID-19 has sent unprecedented shockwaves throughout the recruitment world, it is interesting to note that colleges and universities were around in 1919, the year of the last catastrophic global pandemic. Keep in mind, college students of the early 20th century didn't have the technological resources that we have today. Still, it is safe to say that admissions teams, university presidents, and financial services departments panicked before they learned how to pivot.

2020 has not been an easy year, but it has forced us to sharpen our student recruitment tools, rapidly adjust to large-scale hybrid education models, and presented solutions to problems we didn't know we had in January. In this way, 2020 may have been one of the most critical years in higher education history. Discover what this year has taught us in the launch of Keystone Academic solutions' very first "State of Student Recruitment Report 2020".

Out with the old and in with the new. 

Universities worldwide have been applauded for their innovative and forward-thinking approach to the student-professor relationship since the University of Bologna, the oldest university in Europe, opened its doors in 1088. As online learning has slowly moved from unrealistic to imperative for millions of college students over the years, the global pandemic has accelerated this format's popularity, and necessity, as stated in the 2020 State of Student Recruitment Report.

Online education opens up new opportunities for universities and students. Universities can extend their brand and reach new audiences. Students have access to a plethora of newly created online content from leading institutions around the world, without ever having to leave their living rooms.

While the high tuition price tag and traditional on-campus format has kept some students from even considering a college education, the online delivery has created accessibility. With other important factors such as affordability and the potential for global collaboration in the higher education industry, online education has opened the doors to a whole new world within HigherEd. With more professors transitioning to online teaching than ever before, the world is about to experience a shift in how college degrees are earned and granted.   

It may seem like we are stuck in our learn-from-home model forever, but rest assured, we will return to "business as usual" as COVID-19 fades from our memory over the coming years. Human beings are a social species that rely on collaboration, cooperation and community, key elements to any successful institution of higher learning. 

Virtual student networking will continue to improve our relationships and enhance our lives, but in-person interaction will remain a selling point for the on-campus experience. While some reports suggest that more students than ever consider a post-secondary school gap year,  The State of Student Recruitment Report offers an alternative look at the impacts of COVID-19 in a more positive light, specifically for recruiters. 

INTEREST IN STUDY SINCE COVID-19 

The report resulted in some very interesting trends regarding Covid-19 and studies. Some of the most important finds are:

-29.5% of students surveyed are considering study since the COVID-19 outbreak due to lack of security in their current role, job market, or because they are recently unemployed.

- 20.8% want to change their career path with a degree of qualification.

This is good news. The “new normal” has not deterred students from searching and enrolling at universities around the world, but our study also concludes that online education has grown significantly more popular since the start of the pandemic.

To learn more about the pandemic’s impacts on the student journey, transitions to online teaching, popular fields of study and the recruitment process, download our full report: 2020 State of Student Recruitment Report. 

After you’ve read the report, you are welcome to watch the recording of our webinar “State of Student Recruitment 2020”, to take an in-depth look at the current state of student recruitment.