Build strategy on evidence, not assumptions.
Student recruitment decisions are too often made on incomplete data. We replace guesswork with research that shows where real demand exists, how students actually search, and what drives enrollment. Every finding is grounded in the same federal-data benchmarks (College Scorecard, IPEDS, Census ACS, BLS) that power our free Ibex data tool, so the strategy is evidence first, opinion second.
Five lenses on student demand.
Student behavior & intent analysis
Program-level demand and opportunity research
Competitive visibility and positioning analysis
Audience segmentation and enrollment-funnel insights
Digital channel and spend-efficiency analysis
What guesswork costs you.
Without clear insight, institutions risk:
- Investing in low-demand programs or regions
- Misaligning messaging with student intent
- Overspending on channels that don't convert
We make sure your strategy is aligned to real student behavior and measurable opportunity.
Institutions that run on data, not assumptions, are far more likely to lift inquiry volume and conversion efficiency than those marketing on instinct.
Before we recommend any tactic, we build the evidence base: what students actually search for, how competitors are positioned, where demand is shifting, and what is converting on your site today. Strategy follows data, not the other way around.
From open questions to a prioritized roadmap.
Discovery
Stakeholder interviews with admissions, marketing, IR, and enrollment leadership to surface goals, constraints, and prior assumptions worth testing.
Data synthesis
We pull from search-query data, College Scorecard and IPEDS, third-party demand tools, your CRM and Google Analytics, and qualitative student and parent research to build a single fact base.
Competitive & demand modeling
Side-by-side competitor positioning, share of voice across paid and organic, and a forward-looking demand model by program and segment (built on BLS field-demand and ACS earnings signals).
Strategic recommendation
A prioritized roadmap with sequencing, expected impact, resource needs, and a measurement plan, built for adoption, not for the shelf.
What's included
- Stakeholder discovery and goal-alignment workshops
- Search-demand and keyword landscape analysis by program
- Competitor positioning and share-of-voice benchmarking
- Student decision-journey research (qualitative and quantitative)
- College Scorecard, IPEDS, and market-data integration
- Strategic roadmap with phased recommendations
Who it's for
- Institutions launching new programs or modalities (online, hybrid, certificates)
- Marketing leadership building the case for budget reallocation
- Enrollment teams entering unfamiliar geographic or demographic markets
- Boards or cabinets requiring evidence-backed strategy presentations
What you can expect.
- A clear picture of which programs and segments have real growth potential
- Documented competitive positioning and gap analysis
- A prioritized investment plan with expected return per initiative
- A shared fact base that aligns marketing, enrollment, and academic leadership
Frequently asked questions.
How long does a research engagement take?
Will you use our existing data, or do we need to buy more?
Do you present to boards and cabinets?
Ready to start with evidence?
Begin with a research and insights assessment. Zero upfront cost, and you keep every finding.