Higher education institutions face one of the most significant challenges in recent history: the demographic enrollment cliff.
As traditional-aged student enrollment declines, institutions that primarily rely on tuition from such stakeholders must find ways to successfully reach new audiences.
Adult learners represent a crucial opportunity, but marketing to them requires a fundamentally different approach.
Your biggest competition when marketing your college or university to adult learners isn't another institution—it's life itself and all its challenges that compete with academic requirements.
This article aims to share insights into what motivates adult learners and provides actionable strategies you can implement immediately.
The enrollment cliff is coming fast!
Recent data shows that undergraduate enrollment has decreased by about 8.5% since 2010. Enrollment of 18-year-old first-year students dropped 5% in fall 2024 compared to the previous year, making adult learners more crucial than ever for institutional sustainability.
Numbers vary on how many adult learners, those over the age of 25 years, make up the student population in the United States, but available research reports suggest up to nearly 38%.
The National Clearing House reported in June 2024 that "more than 36 million adults under 65 years of age now have some college experience but no earned credentials.”
When it comes to adult learners, that is your low-hanging fruit for higher-ed success.
Quick Win: Audit Your Current Messaging
Before diving into new strategies, take 30 minutes to review your website's homepage and main program pages. Count how many times you reference traditional-aged students versus adult learners. Are your images primarily of 18-22-year-olds? Is your language focused on "college life" rather than career advancement? This quick audit will reveal immediate opportunities for improvement.
Adult learners are investing in their future, and they need to see the return on that investment clearly.
Don't just list job placement rates but create compelling narratives around career transformation.
When I returned to school, seeing concrete examples of successful graduates in my desired field made the investment feel less risky.
Actionable Step: Create a "Career Pathways" section for each program page that includes:
While most institutions claim to offer flexible programs, successful marketing shows rather than tells.
Create "day in the life" content that demonstrates how real adult students balance their studies with work and family commitments.
Quick Implementation: Start a "Student Spotlight" series featuring one adult learner each month. Focus on their daily schedule, challenges they've overcome, and how your institution's flexibility made their success possible. Share these stories across your digital channels.
Adult learners need to see themselves reflected in your marketing materials. Beyond testimonials, create content that shows diverse adult learners succeeding in your programs. Feature working parents, career changers, and part-time students.
This Week's Task: Start collecting user-generated content from your current adult learners. Create a simple form asking them to share their biggest concerns before enrolling and how they overcame them. Use these insights to create authentic marketing content.
Cost transparency builds trust.
Rather than hiding pricing information behind inquiry forms, provide clear cost breakdowns that are easy to understand and demonstrate value.
Think total cost per class instead of cost per credit. Few know how many credits make up a class. And remember, adult learners often compare your costs against their current salary and family budget.
Immediate Action: Create a cost calculator that includes:
Your support services can be a key differentiator.
However, many institutions bury this information deep in their websites. Bring it to the forefront of your marketing messages.
Quick Fix: Create a dedicated "Adult Learner Support" landing page that centralizes information about:
Here's where Hannon Hill can help transform your marketing efforts.
Using our web content management and personalization tools, you can create dynamic content that speaks directly to adult learners' specific needs and concerns.
Start Today: Implement essential personalization with Clive by tailoring the following content:
Update Your Images: Replace photos of traditional campus life with images showing:
Adjust Your Copy: Modify key phrases on your website:
Revise CTAs: Make your calls-to-action more adult-learner friendly:
To effectively market to adult learners, you need data-driven insights that reflect their unique engagement patterns.
Unlike traditional students who might browse your website during school hours, adult learners often research educational opportunities during evenings and weekends, or in short bursts throughout their workday.
Understanding these patterns helps you optimize your marketing strategy and better serve this audience.
Here are the key metrics you should track:
As technology evolves and workplace demands change, adult learner marketing must adapt to stay relevant.
Success in this space increasingly depends on embracing mobile-first design that accommodates busy professionals checking programs between meetings or after hours.
Forward-thinking institutions are implementing AI-powered chatbots to provide immediate responses to prospective students' questions at any time while also developing micro-credential pathways that offer stackable certificates leading to full degrees.
The most successful programs are building stronger employer partnerships and expanding their online and hybrid learning options to create an ecosystem where education seamlessly integrates with career advancement.
Effective marketing to adult learners isn't about completely overhauling your strategy overnight.
Start with one action item from this guide and implement it well. Monitor the results, gather feedback, and adjust accordingly.
Need help implementing these strategies?
At Hannon Hill, we understand the unique challenges of marketing to adult learners. Our web content management and personalization tools can help you create compelling, targeted content that speaks directly to adult learners' needs. Let us help you turn these insights into action.
The demographic enrollment cliff may be approaching, but you can successfully attract and engage adult learners with the right strategy and tools. Start implementing these changes today, and watch your adult learner enrollment grow.
Last Updated: Dec 12, 2024 11:00 AM
