With 116 colleges spread out across the state, many of which conduct their own marketing, “it’s very hard to track,” he said. “We’re not saying marketing is responsible for all of that,” Feist said. Last fall, enrollment numbers increased for the first time since the pandemic began, and Paul Feist, vice chancellor of communications, said the final enrollment estimates for spring 2023 look even stronger. TV commercials are planned for both men’s and women’s World Cup matches, and at local and community events around the state, there’s plenty of new swag, like water bottles and drawstring bags. With an influx of money, the chancellor’s office launched a new campaign - called “I can go to college” - that it promoted on billboards at bus stations, over highways and at seven airports throughout California. “It’s very different from what we’ve done before,” he said with a laugh. The idea came out of conversations with current students, who said they would respond best to an advertising campaign that was fun and local, according to Jack Beresford, district spokesperson. In San Diego, the pun-filled campaign is geared toward older and working students, who left the community college system at the highest rate. ![]() “People don’t make their college choices in the same way they decide where to have dinner tonight. Before the pandemic, the marketing team spent between $200,000 and $600,000 per year, Ross said. Ross said his district expects to see a near 10% enrollment increase this fall after losing more than 18% of its students during the pandemic.īut he can’t say for sure whether the enrollment trends are a direct result of the district’s marketing blitz, which cost about $840,000 in each of the last two years. What they don’t know is whether students who see a marketing campaign and click on a college website actually enroll. Community colleges spend less on average per-student than four-year institutions too, according to the same report.Ĭalifornia colleges say their advertising campaigns lead to more awareness, and they point to increased clicks and website traffic as evidence. “On a per-student basis, for-profit colleges outspend nonprofits (private colleges) more than 4 to 1 and outspend public institutions more than 20 to 1 - a pattern that has held steady over time,” wrote a 2020 report from the Brooking’s Institute. Still, what community colleges across the country spend on marketing is a small amount compared to other colleges and universities. “We may never have this kind of influx of resources again,” said Gabe Ross, chief strategy officer for Los Rios Community College District.Ī community college advertisement at a bus stop in San Francisco on July 27, 2023. The California Community College Chancellor’s Office has spent more than $40 million in marketing since 2021, more than double what the office spent in the two years prior. When enrollment dropped, community colleges and districts started using part of that money to find creative ways to bring students back. Statewide, community colleges lost nearly 20% of students between 20, according to a memo from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office.ĭuring the pandemic, California’s community colleges received over a billion dollars in state and federal pandemic relief funds. These eye-catching stunts are part of a new marketing push to lure California community college students back to campuses after enrollment dropped to a 30-year low during the COVID-19 pandemic. The show, along with other signs and marketing efforts at the soccer stadium, cost the district $160,000. ![]() ![]() Los Rios Community College District, which encompasses four community colleges in Sacramento County, put on a drone light display at a Sacramento Republic soccer game last fall with words like “Low Cost,” “Local Careers” and “Start Your Future” suddenly appearing in blue lights across the night sky. The San Diego Community College District isn’t the only one vying for attention. On billboards, buses, and through social media posts starting this week, the city’s community college district is placing ads featuring iconic San Diego images, but scrawled over words like “zoo” and “surfing” are new ones: “community colleges,” “career training” and “affordable education.” In one ad, a picture of carne asada and corn tortillas is paired with a question: “ Are you ready to taco-bout your future?” Now, there’s a new item on your must-see list. San Diego is known for many things: surfing at La Jolla, the giant pandas at the zoo, and great Mexican food, to name a few.
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