The enrollment journey is complex, with multiple touchpoints influencing student decisions. Institutions leverage different channels at various stages—some excel in generating leads, while others play a crucial role in application conversions and final enrollments. The report data provides a snapshot of how these channels contribute to the enrollment process.
Lead Generation: Where It All Begins
At the top of the funnel, institutions focus on maximizing reach and capturing prospective student interest. Insights from the Meritto Enrollment Index 2025 highlight key contributors to lead generation:
- Publishers dominate with 46.77% of leads, emphasizing the influence of third-party platforms in student discovery.
- Paid ads contribute 14.35%, showcasing their strength in targeted marketing efforts.
- Brandpull efforts account for 4.75%, indicating the role of SEO, direct traffic, and organic reputation in attracting inquiries.
- Chatbots generate 1.13% of leads, marking the early adoption of AI-driven engagement tools.
Application Stage: Turning Interest into Action
Generating leads is only the beginning—institutions must ensure those leads move forward in the enrollment funnel. The application stage data reveals shifts in channel performance:
- Brandpull sees a surge to 37.79%, underscoring the importance of institutional credibility, website optimization, and organic engagement.
- Publishers, while still relevant, contribute 15.22% of applications, showing a drop from their lead generation dominance.
- Paid ads rise to 15.97%, highlighting their effectiveness in pushing interested students towards application submission.
- Chatbots, though small at 1.3%, continue to support application engagement.
Final Enrollment: Converting Applicants into Students
At the final stage, where institutions focus on turning applications into enrollments, the data from the Enrollment Index showcases key trends:
- Offline efforts take the lead with 28.69%, reaffirming the role of campus visits, counseling sessions, and in-person interactions in final decision-making.
- Brandpull remains a strong force at 26.25%, reinforcing the importance of institutional branding and organic credibility throughout the process.
- Publisher campaigns account for 17.71% of enrollments, maintaining a steady presence across the funnel.
- Paid ads, though effective earlier, contribute 11.88% at this stage, signaling that digital ad campaigns alone may not drive final enrollments.
- Chatbots hold 1.94% of the enrollment share, showing the gradual adoption of AI-powered conversion tools.
What Do These Numbers Reveal?
The enrollment marketing landscape is multifaceted, with different channels playing unique roles at various stages. Digital strategies, brand credibility, and offline engagement all contribute to the final outcome. Institutions seeking to optimize their marketing mix can leverage these insights to align their efforts with data-driven approaches.
Read the Full Index
These findings offer just a glimpse into how institutions are shaping their enrollment strategies. To get a comprehensive understanding of the latest trends and actionable insights, download the Meritto Enrollment Index 2025 now.
