The Big Reset: Recruitment Trends In Higher Education After The Pandemic

Another source for the growing diversity of students is due to the effects of the 2008 financial crisis. Before this time, people identified students generally based on how old they were, usually from 18 to 24 years old. By 2011, older people realized the importance of earning a college education to be able to chart a more stable career. Some of these people enrolled in colleges and universities to reskill or upskill. Now, there are students who are considered traditional students and those who are considered non-traditional students.

However, in spite of the healthy growth in recent years, COVID-19 has greatly affected the international student market with all the health and safety and travel restrictions. This also highlights the role of different countries and their policymakers to draft laws and regulations that are in line with the student recruitment strategies of higher education institutions.

According to a 2019 report by the Institute of International Education, more than half (51 percent) of higher education institutions in the U.S. experienced a decrease in international student enrollment. There are several reasons for this ranging from the high cost of higher education tuition in the U.S. to the shifting political climate. In 2015, the U.S. was considered as the top country which offers the highest annual tuition for international students at $24,914.

This is good news for countries like Canada, China, and Australia. Australia reported a 47 percent increase in international student enrollment from 2015 to 2018. China is a huge competitor with its annual tuition for international students only at $3,844 (2015). Canada very recently announced that it is easing COVID-19 travel restrictions, and this is set to benefit international students.

When it comes to current trends in higher education marketing or trends in college admissions, it can be seen that it is not merely enough for institutions to form, implement, and enforce student recruitment strategies for higher education. The effectiveness of their higher education recruitment strategies greatly depends on their governments’ policies as well.

In terms of a post-COVID international education sector, all the past trends now have questionable trajectories. From a sales and marketing perspective, the international education market is reset and every institution has the opportunity to have a first-mover advantage.

Globally recognized institutions, such as the Ivy League schools in the U.S., are the types of institutions that rely on their brand to attract international students. With the challenges earlier mentioned, it may take more work than usual for these schools to attract a high number of students. Other institutions around the world may stand to benefit from entering into strategic partnerships with other institutions. The benefits may range from being a part of a global consortium or being interlinked with study centres all over the world through a pathways program.

Traditional means of international student recruitment—like holding trade fairs or promoting the presence of education recruitment agents in the area—may be far less effective than these were in the past. In response, higher education institutions should take this opportunity to introduce their heritage and culture through consistent branding online, and take a more committed approach to communicating and understanding their potential new students and their parents.

For recruiting non-traditional students, the approach can be similar but be wider in extent. “Universities have experienced the greatest success from public service announcements,” stated a study which also recommends releasing content in other languages. Providing financial, social, and academic support also goes a long way.

Remembering the possibility of how the education market may be like after the pandemic, both traditional and non-traditional students may greatly consider factors of financial and career security, and how flexible an institution is willing to present these, when deciding where to study.