Insights from the 2009 Research #9: CCCU Competitive Analysis Summary
By Eric Fulcomer, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Life, Bluffton University
In addition to analyzing the data submitted by participating institutions, another piece of the research conducted by Noel Levitz was a competition analysis. This analysis used geocoding data to identify non-matriculating students distance from campus and their socio-economic background. The National Student Clearinghouse was used to determine which institutions non-matriculants attended. The goal of this research was to:
- Identify schools chosen by non-enrolling CCCU-admitted students and group those schools into categories
- Determine which types of schools non-matriculating students are attending
- Analyze the socioeconomic characteristics of non-matriculates to see if income levels were significantly related to the choice to attend a non-CCCU institution.
The key research findings are as follows:
- Twenty-seven percent of non-matriculants attended a school outside of their home state compared with 38% of students who enrolled at a CCCU institution. Perhaps willingness to leave the state for education is a factor that CCCU institutions should consider in predicting likelihood to enroll.
- While non-matriculants attended more than 1700 different institutions of all sizes and types, they were most likely (28%) to attend a medium-sized private four-year college (one with enrollment between 1000 and 2999). Most that attended a private college chose an institution with a religious affiliation. Non-matriculants were more likely to enroll at a private college than typical high school seniors.
- Twenty-one percent of non-matriculants attended a community college. While this is a large percentage, it is half the rate of the typical student population. Given this disparity, it can be concluded that community colleges are not a dominant competitor for CCCU institutions.
- Nearly a third of non-matriculants attended a college that charged at least $20,000 in tuition and fees, indicating that a substantial number of CCCU non-matriculants are willing to consider institutions with a high sticker price.
- Yield rates do not vary significantly among different income levels, though students with household incomes of less than $50,000 are more likely to enroll at less expensive institutions. As income rises, the likelihood of choosing an institution with a sticker price of $20,000 or more increases and the likelihood of attending an institution with a sticker price below $10,000 decreases.
There was also some interesting analysis done based on life stage characteristics. I encourage you to look over the findings for nuggets that might assist you in determining likelihood to enroll from among your applicant pool. Also, there are regional differences regarding willingness to attend a high sticker price school that you might find informative.
In summary, the competitive analysis provides some good news students considering our schools are willing to travel farther from home, they are willing to consider schools with a high sticker price, and they are relatively unlikely to attend a community college. There is also some challenging news primarily that students in our applicant pool are strongly considering other religiously-affiliated private schools, and it can be challenging (as noted in other sections of this research) to help students understand that the education that we offer is significantly different than that of non-CCCU religiously-affiliated institutions.