Maximizing Student Recruitment and Retention Through Predictive Modeling
How predictive modeling works and how it benefits colleges and universities
Enrollment management is often described as an art and a science. But in the last two decades, the science of enrollment management has become much more accurate, effective, and efficient, giving enrollment managers the data they need to perfect their art.
Predictive modeling has been one of the most significant breakthroughs in that science. For years, businesses have used predictive modeling to forecast the behavior of their customers. In the mid-1990s, Noel-Levitz brought this methodology to the realm of student recruitment. Through predictive modeling, campuses found they could forecast the behavior of prospective students in their recruitment funnels, determining with high accuracy which students were the most likely to enroll. This allowed colleges and universities to shape their enrollments with precision, while also using their resources much more efficiently and strategically. Over the years,
Noel-Levitz extended this forecasting to predicting the behavior of prospective students before campuses purchased names, as well as predicting which students needed the most assistance to persist and succeed.
This paper discusses the history of predictive modeling in higher education, results realized by campuses around the country, and some of the ways campuses use this methodology to make their recruitment and retention efforts more focused and strategic.
