Benchmarking Graduate and Online Enrollment

Graduate and online enrollment is a growing priority for institutions nationwide. In fact, two-thirds of surveyed university leaders are charged with growing graduate enrollment by more than the 3% enrollment growth expected nationally in the coming years. The gap between rising expectations and slowing growth is compounded by a lack of dedicated resources and infrastructure.

When compared to undergraduate programs, graduate and online enrollment teams often operate with fewer staff, smaller budgets, and less centralized oversight. Without strong infrastructure in place, universities face significant challenges in identifying key enrollment drivers, effectively allocating resources, and ultimately achieving their graduate and online enrollment goals.

Focus of this report: Benchmarking graduate and online enrollment

EAB conducted a survey of leaders responsible for graduate and online enrollment to help institutions benchmark against peer enrollment shops and identify areas of growth. Given the diverse mix of roles responsible for graduate enrollment, we surveyed leaders who indicated they oversee graduate and/or online enrollment in a variety of roles, including deans, vice presidents of enrollment, and provosts.

This report includes findings from the survey across several key areas, including organizational structure and staffing, enrollment objectives, budget and resource distribution, and recruitment efforts.