The lifeblood of higher education is student enrollment. Today, however, attracting and retaining students is more challenging than at any point in recent decades. A demographic decline in the number of traditionally college-aged students is shrinking the overall applicant pool. At the same time, public confidence in the value of a college degree is eroding. In a recent Pew Research study, nearly two-thirds of respondents said higher education is not worth the cost, and 70 percent believe it is generally “going in the wrong direction.”

For publicly funded institutions, these pressures are compounded by the growing use of accountability systems. Many states now evaluate institutions based on factors such as applicant quality, selectivity, retention rates, and post-graduation employability. Together, these dynamics have placed a premium on how colleges engage, attract, and support prospective students, particularly those who are most likely to enroll and succeed.

At the same time, colleges are competing for student attention in an increasingly fragmented and crowded information landscape. Today’s secondary students rely heavily on crowdsourced and social media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, alongside third-party ranking and comparison sites. They may also receive direct outreach from institutions when registering for the ACT, SAT, or Advanced Placement exams. Traditional recruitment channels face mounting challenges: producing and distributing physical materials is costly, and digital communications including emails, websites, and online ads are easily lost in a noisy ecosystem.

A “Fit-Based” Approach

In this environment, identifying and engaging students who align with an institution’s profile and are more likely to enroll if admitted is no longer optional. It is essential to use limited outreach budgets efficiently, meet accountability and accreditation expectations, and support long-term institutional sustainability.

A “fit-based engagement” strategy moves beyond traditional academic indicators such as GPA, transcripts, and test scores to incorporate qualitative factors including student interests, values, aspirations, and experiences beyond the classroom. Successfully implementing a fit-based strategy begins with clearly articulating an institution’s distinctive attributes and leading with those strengths in outreach and engagement efforts. Below are five recommendations for attracting students who are not only likely to apply and enroll, but also persist through graduation.

1. Start Earlier Than the Application Cycle

Waiting until the fall of a student’s senior year to build awareness is too late. By that point, students are overwhelmed by college information, learning systems such as the Common App and FAFSA, and managing application deadlines. There is little time for them to engage deeply with what differentiates one institution from another.

Colleges should begin building awareness no later than junior year, and ideally earlier. Early engagement should not focus on admissions requirements, but on helping students understand institutional values, campus culture, and how the learning environment aligns with their interests and aspirations. Effective early outreach shifts attention beyond academics and application mechanics to the broader student experience. This can include:

• Videos and virtual sessions highlighting campus life, extracurriculars, and creative opportunities
• Faculty research spotlights, study abroad programs, and experiential learning stories
• Content that helps students imagine themselves as part of the campus community

Starting earlier with value-driven messaging helps institutions build familiarity and affinity well before students are ready to apply.

2. Align Outreach to Institutional Priorities and Signature Programs

Effective recruitment efforts are most successful when they focus on areas where institutional mission and student interest already intersect. Rather than pursuing broad, unfocused outreach, colleges should prioritize engagement with feeder pathways that naturally align with their academic strengths and strategic priorities. These pathways often include magnet and themed high school programs such as STEM, International Baccalaureate, arts, health sciences, and global studies. Career academies and pathway programs connected to high-demand fields, as well as dual enrollment and early college programs, also offer strong alignment with specific academic departments and degree offerings.

Targeting outreach to these programs benefits institutions in several ways. It improves academic fit by engaging students whose coursework and interests align with program expectations, which in turn supports stronger persistence and completion rates. It also advances program-level enrollment goals and strengthens long-term relationships with districts, schools, and counselors. When recruitment strategies are grounded in institutional priorities, colleges move from maximizing reach to maximizing relevance. Strategic alignment consistently delivers better outcomes than broad, generalized outreach.

3. Personalize Messaging Around Outcomes, Not Just Admissions

Students are more likely to engage when institutional messaging moves beyond admissions criteria and speaks to purpose and outcomes. Colleges should shift the focus from “why apply” to “why this path,” helping students understand how specific programs connect to future opportunities and personal goals.

Effective personalization highlights the outcomes associated with particular majors and experiences. This can include clear examples of career trajectories tied to academic programs, alumni stories that reflect students’ stated interests, and narratives that link coursework to real-world impact through research, internships, and experiential learning. Authenticity and clarity matter more than polished marketing language. Students are quick to disengage from generic or overly promotional messaging, but respond strongly to concrete, relatable examples that show how an institution supports their aspirations.

4. Build Long-Term Relationships with Schools and Counselors

Fit-based recruitment is most effective when it is rooted in sustained relationships rather than one-time outreach efforts. School counselors and college and career readiness (CCR) leaders are trusted advisors for students and families, and their guidance plays a central role in shaping how students explore options, build college lists, and make enrollment decisions.

Colleges can strengthen these partnerships by communicating clearly and consistently about academic programs, developmental paths, and institutional priorities. Providing counselor-facing resources, regular briefings, and timely updates helps ensure advisors have accurate information and a strong understanding of where a college may be a good match for specific students. This support enables counselors to guide students with greater precision and confidence.

Aligning recruitment efforts with school-based CCR milestones further improves coordination and reduces friction for students and counselors alike. When outreach calendars reflect when students are exploring careers, selecting courses, or building postsecondary plans, engagement feels more relevant and less disruptive. Strong, long-term relationships with schools and counselors enhance institutional credibility, improve match quality, and support more effective enrollment outcomes over time.

5. Use CCR Platforms to Identify and Engage Best-Fit Students

As recruitment strategies evolve, colleges are increasingly moving beyond list-based outreach toward more profile-driven engagement. CCR platforms enable institutions to connect with students from a more holistic perspective beyond test scores and GPAs and include interests, goals, and pathways that inform their postsecondary planning.

Colleges can partner with districts and platform providers to disseminate information to students who match specific career interests and long-term goals, program and pathway preferences, and academic profiles, including course patterns and areas of strength. This richer context allows institutions to connect with students whose aspirations and preparation align with institutional priorities earlier in the recruitment cycle.

This approach allows for more relevant and timely engagement. Colleges can tailor messaging to student interests, invite students to programs and events that align with their goals, and prioritize outreach to students that are most likely to thrive in specific academic environments. By utilizing CCR platforms, institutions are better positioned to create more meaningful engagement and stronger alignment throughout the enrollment journey.

From Recruitment to the Right Fit

In today’s enrollment environment, success is no longer defined by generating more applications; rather, building stronger matches between students and institutions is what matters. Colleges that prioritize fit are better positioned to attract students who are prepared for their academic environment, aligned with their mission, and more likely to persist through graduation.

Early, aligned, and data-informed engagement benefits both sides of the equation. Students gain greater clarity about their options and a clearer sense of how different pathways connect to their goals. Institutions benefit from improved yield, stronger retention, and enrollment outcomes that more closely reflect institutional priorities and strengths.

As recruitment processes continue to evolve, colleges have an opportunity to modernize their approach by working more closely with K-12 partners and the CCR ecosystems that support student planning and exploration. By meeting students earlier and engaging them based on who they are and where they are headed, institutions can shift from transactional recruitment toward a more sustainable model of right-fit enrollment.