Unlocking Enrollment Growth
In the fast-paced world of higher education, where competition for students is fiercer than ever and mobile searches dominate discovery, standing out isn’t just about offering great programs—it’s about how quickly and effectively you connect with prospective students. Leading online universities like Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), Liberty University, Western Governors University (WGU), and Grand Canyon University (GCU) aren’t just winning because of their marketing budgets or course catalogs. A critical edge? Their mastery in capturing, responding to, and nurturing inquiries.
At Education Connex, we’ve seen firsthand how smaller schools and programs struggle to keep up. Too often, online and graduate initiatives falter not from a lack of interest but from missed opportunities in the digital handshake. That’s why we conducted our 2025 Mystery Shop: a deep dive into over 100 non-profit universities offering and advertising online graduate programs. We submitted organic inquiries via school websites to benchmark inbound optimization, response speed, persistence, and nurturing channels. The results? Eye-opening gaps—and massive potential for growth.
What We Measured: From First Click to Lasting Connection
Our mystery shop focused on three pillars of enrollment success:
- Inbound Quality: On-page elements like the presence of a Request for Information (RFI) form, live chat, and a prominent phone number. These are the low-hanging fruit for capturing organic traffic.
- Inquiry Response: Speed-to-contact and persistence over 21 business days, across phone, email, and SMS channels.
- Admissions Shop Focus: Key indicators like response time, speed-to-contact, subsequent voice frequency, email communication, and overall nurturing cadence.
The goal was simple: Measure each school’s website’s ability to convert organic traffic into leads. This “Inbound Quality Score” helps identify quick wins for boosting unpaid, high-intent inquiries—and ultimately, enrollment.
Shocking Stats: Where Most Schools Are Falling Short
Our findings reveal a landscape ripe for optimization. While universities pour resources into paid media, many overlook the basics of organic lead generation.
Inbound Quality Score Breakdown
We evaluated the presence of essential response devices (RFI, live chat, and inbound phone number). Here’s how schools stacked up:
| Key Indicator | Activity/Project | Data/Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Strong (All three present: RFI, live chat, and prominent inbound phone number) | Presence of all three response devices | 4% of schools had a Strong Inbound Quality Score |
| Average (Exactly two present) | Presence of two | 12% of schools had an Average Inbound Quality Score |
| Weak (Less than two) | Less than two | 84% of schools had a Weak Inbound Quality Score (Missing 20% of organic lead volume) |
What You Should Know:
- Only 12% of schools had an RFI form on their main EDU site.
- A staggering 85% lacked a prominent phone number on program pages to capture inbound calls.
- Just 10% used live chat—leaving a goldmine of real-time engagement untapped.
Based on these gaps, schools could see a 25% increase in unpaid, high-intent organic inquiries monthly for graduate and online programs. That translates to expanded web traffic, broader reach, and a higher return on marketing investment.
The Speed Trap: Slow or No Response Kills Conversions
In today’s digital-first world—where prospects are mobile-first and expect instant gratification—response time is everything. Prospects are digital natives demanding replies after they express interest. Yet, our shop uncovered widespread delays.
Overwhelmingly, these experiences start on mobile. When a prospect expresses digital interest and it’s captured, how does the school respond? Every minute counts. Typically, undergrad prospects inquire at three to five schools, while grad seekers hit two. They’re spoiled for choice and ready to ghost if you don’t engage ASAP.
The Data Speaks Volumes:
- According to Harvard Business Review, organizations that respond to customers within the first hour are seven times more likely to convert than those taking longer.
- Read that again: Seven times. In other words, you could be losing thousands in tuition revenue due to poor response times.
Faster response = higher conversion rates. Prospects are more eager to work with the school that gets back to them at the point of highest intent—when buyer motivation is peaking.
Nurturing: Don’t Stop at the First Touch
Capturing leads is step one; nurturing them seals the deal. Sales or admissions cadence—the number of interactions with a prospect—is key. Yet, most schools don’t integrate their nurturing channels into a true omnichannel strategy (phone, voice, email, SMS).
Leveraging SMS and email can be the difference-maker. If you’re not texting or leveraging email, you’re losing. With so many CRM tools available, there’s no excuse.
Our analysis of cadence frequency showed dramatic drops in engagement without persistence:
- No attempts: Baseline engagement.
- One attempt: Sharp decline.
- Six attempts: Sustained interest, with phone and text outperforming email in later stages.
Pro Tip: Aim for a balanced mix—phone for warmth, text for urgency, email for depth. Schools that do this see enrollment lifts because they meet students where they are.
The Bottom Line: Bridge the Gap Between Marketing and Admissions
The real question? Do universities value their leads? In a world demanding instant experiences, “always-on” expectations are set by every digital interaction students encounter daily.
Fortunately, the payoffs are immense. At Education Connex, our advice is straightforward: Prioritize speed-to-lead and persistence rates with real, live humans. Admissions leaders should to-do list it; in fact, CFOs and marketers should demand it because students do.
Since 2008, Education Connex has helped non-profit universities grow enrollment by providing the tools and strategies that lead to positive returns on marketing investment. We create and capture leads, then bridge the gap between admissions and marketing to convert them into a spectacular student experience.
Ready to optimize your inbound quality, slash response times, and supercharge your nurturing? Fill out our RFI today and let’s uncover tailored opportunities for your programs – because in higher ed, the next lead could be your biggest win.