3 lead generation challenges for healthcare and nursing degree programs—and how to solve them

Today’s healthcare industry faces massive provider shortages, putting immense pressure on degree programs to recruit new talent and deliver outcomes that address this growing crisis. But with increased enrollment competition, seismic market disruption, and shifting student search behaviors, healthcare and nursing programs are finding it harder to attract and recruit the right students. Having worked in a healthcare-adjacent field and spent nearly a decade in higher ed marketing, I’ve seen these challenges unfold alongside some innovative solutions.

In this blog, I’ll outline three key challenges that healthcare and nursing programs face when trying to generate (and convert) high-intent leads, as well as three proven strategies to help your institution thrive in a competitive market.

3 reasons healthcare programs struggle to generate high-intent leads

1. The healthcare market is still recovering from colossal disruption

The healthcare field experienced a massive downturn—and an identity crisis—during COVID, topping out in 2021 with an exit rate 7.7 percentage points higher than the pre-COVID baseline. Today, the industry faces a critical shortage, with a deficit of nearly 4 million workers projected by 2026, and over 610,000 nurses planning to leave the profession by 2027.

COVID not only exposed systemic challenges, it caused many students to reconsider healthcare careers. From 2022 to 2023, undergraduate enrollment in healthcare programs declined by 4.6%—a worrying trend compounded by the looming demographic cliff, which promises a sharp drop in college-age students by 2030. Together, these disruptive trends make it increasingly difficult for health program directors to attract and recruit the qualified students they need to meet both institutional and industry demands.

2. Students have become more sophisticated in their search

Today’s prospective healthcare students are savvier—and stealthier—than ever. According to a recent survey of graduate, online, and professional program leaders, stealth shoppers now make up about 80% of your prospect pool. These prospects often avoid branded (read: “sponsored”) ads and hesitate to share personal information with institutions prior to applying. As a result, traditional lead generation strategies, including costly static list purchases, fail to adapt to this change and often convert poorly.

Adding to the challenge is the unpredictable behavior of healthcare leads—particularly nursing prospects. Some prospects move through the funnel slowly, while others expect immediate attention. The truth is, if your response isn’t timely for either group, you risk missing a key opportunity to engage.

3. Nursing programs face massive competition from for-profit and online providers

Nursing programs face intense competition from for-profit and online providers. Both types of organizations often have massive marketing and advertising budgets, making it easier to expand their reach to prospects nationwide. In turn, these challenges make it harder for small teams at traditional institutions—with smaller budgets—to compete for the same pool of students.

These entities can also offer enticing perks like online or hybrid options and seemingly lower costs. However, the benefits often come with hidden drawbacks: higher overall costs and degrees with lesser perceived value in the job market. Despite these shortcomings, online and for-profit schools continue to lure prospective students with promises that traditional nursing programs may struggle to match in terms of visibility and convenience.

How healthcare programs can improve high-intent lead generation

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Despite the major challenges healthcare programs have faced since COVID and the shifts in student search behavior, there’s significant potential to grow and diversify your prospect pool. Between March 2022 to March 2024, the healthcare industry grew by 8.2%, and it’s on pace to grow by as much as 15.4% by 2032. The right leads are out there—it’s about connecting with them more effectively.

Here are three strategies you can use to improve lead generation and drive enrollment growth across your healthcare program portfolio, including your nursing programs.

Strategy #1: Diversify your lead generation approach

The rise of stealth shoppers means diversifying your lead strategy is no longer optional—it’s essential. By expanding your lead sources, you can ensure you’re connecting with a wider pool of potential students early, which is critical in a competitive market.

That said, it can be difficult to manage lead acquisition strategy across numerous platforms at once, cost-effectively. Solutions like Appily Advance can help healthcare programs generate actionable leads at scale in a consolidated way. We find healthcare and nursing leads from a variety of sources, including digital ads, national consumer data, a network of affiliate partners, and proprietary sources containing data from more than 17 million active student users.

Strategy #2: Ensure your lead sources are dynamic, fresh, and high intent

Dynamic, high-intent lead sources are key to overcoming variability in prospect behavior by prioritizing students who are most likely to convert, making it easier to nurture them effectively.

Yet for many programs, the name-buying process is not so seamless. The sources you rely on may offer volume but may not end up converting at high rates. Static lists purchased once or twice a year grow stale quickly, leaving your outreach up to chance and guesswork. With Appily Advance, we ensure that schools have fresh, real-time leads by transferring new names on a regular cadence set in cooperation with each partner.

Strategy #3: Engage with students quickly via student journeys

Engaging leads quickly and efficiently is key, whether they’re ready to act immediately or moving through the funnel slowly. To ensure you’re meeting their needs, create audience-specific, student-centric messaging, or student journeys, that directly address their top concerns, such as cost, career outcomes, practical opportunities, and flexible coursework. Personalized engagement ensures healthcare and nursing programs connect with students on a deeper, more meaningful level.

Ensure your healthcare program enrollment thrives

By diversifying your lead strategy, leveraging dynamic, high-intent leads, and engaging students with personalized messaging, your program can stand out from the competition and attract the right prospects. These strategies can help you position your program for long-term success in a competitive market.