Candidate360 is an AI and analytics solution that provides predictive insights to inform decision-making across the full student enrollment lifecycle. Candidate360 combines your data with Deloitte’s lifestyle data to conduct analysis with our AI/ML predictive analytical models. This analysis can be visualized in our pre-built Candidate360 application to support your strategic and tactical planning and prioritization.

Since 2010, total college enrollment has decreased by 8%, even before the COVID-19 pandemic began affecting colleges and universities.1 According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated first-year enrollment declines at four-year institutions2—only a few years before birth rate declines may weaken current enrollment numbers. Colleges and universities must think strategically about how they manage their admissions pipeline and confront the already challenging enrollment environment.

Changes to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) guidelines increase competition among existing institutions among this decreasing pool of candidates. New, competitive for-profit institutions and disruptors threaten existing schools and increase competition for non-traditional adult learners. On the flip side, employers are increasingly removing degree requirements for prospective workers, leaving some to question the need for a formal degree program.

Specifically, at the graduate school level, the landscape has never looked more complex and is constantly evolving. The COVID-19 pandemic and a changing economy has caused graduate school leaders to be worried about maintaining their institutions’ financial viability and relevance. With significantly more competition, such as online certification programs and low-priced subscription options, graduate institutions’ overall mission and bottom-line are facing more challenges. Institutions need to change the way they think about enrollment management. To help overcome many of the hurdles, graduate school leaders can—among other things—begin to concentrate enrollment more on the non-traditional student, with the hope of reskilling and upskilling.

Combined, the challenges could result in:

● Reduced enrollment

● Reduced net tuition revenue

● Increased competition for highly qualified and diverse candidates

● Increased need to prioritize among a limited set of available time and monetary resources

● Increased need for long-term planning

A data-driven analytical platform, combined with Deloitte’s insight advisers, can help higher education leaders understand their enrollment challenges and proactively identify and prioritize solutions that support both short- and long-term mission goals.

¹ National Center for Education Statistics, “Undergraduate Enrollment,” May 2020, https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cha.asp.

² National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, “Fall 2020: Current Term Enrollment Estimates,” December 17, 2020, https://nscresearchcenter.org/current-term-enrollment-estimates.

Large, public institution: Managing recruiting end to end

During a multi-year engagement, Deloitte collaborated with the university to:

● Develop financial aid strategy to better yield accepted applicants

● Customize outreach and communications on prospects based on preferences and interests

● Support deployment of recruiters and marketing resources based on geographic clusters of high-fit prospects

Results: In the first year of using Candidate360 analytical models, the client benefited from more than a 20% increase in out-of-state student enrollment and a $5M increase in net tuition revenue.

Midsize public research university: Identifying retention risks

During an 8-week engagement, Deloitte collaborated with the university to:

● Assess COVID-19– and unemployment-related risks to student attrition

● Provide data and insights of COVID-19–related risk factors to inform various outreach and retention strategies

Results: Deloitte provided the client insights to be data-informed about COVID-19–related risks among the student body and proactively take steps to maintain normalcy across its planned enrollment as seen through its target class composition and recruiting metrics.

Midsize public research university: Accelerating Veteran Recruiting

During a 4-week engagement, Deloitte collaborated with the university to:

● Train and tailor a New Prospector Identifier model that identified potential applicants across households with prior military experience

● Develop an advanced understanding of institution’s ‘fit’ profile, including income and debt level, age range, education level, and over a dozen additional lifestyle attributes

Results: The institution received 10,000 veteran leads within the target commuting distance or with a potential interest in online learning, accelerating targeted recruiting efforts during a record-breaking recruiting cycle.

The Candidate360 predictive models support institutions looking for long-term student success among traditional and non-traditional learners during the recruiting and enrollment processes