Tag Archives: EducationDynamics

Education

StudyAbroad.com Survey Reveals Student Motivations and Concerns When Pursuing a Study Abroad Program

Leave a comment

More than half of respondents say a study abroad program’s reputation for a vibrant social and party life is at least a somewhat important factor in program selection; 20 percent indicated that a lower drinking age was also at least somewhat important.

Chester, PA, March 12, 2012 – Recent research shows cultural experiences, the opportunity to live abroad and the ability to travel are very important to college students when it comes to potentially studying abroad. These motivators, along with other findings, were revealed in a February 2012 survey of college-aged students across the U.S. conducted by StudyAbroad.com, the Internet’s leading resource for information on study abroad programs.

The survey, which was completed by 380 students who visited StudyAbroad.com, took note of the factors students find important as they consider selecting a study abroad program, what motivates him or her to do so and what might prohibit him or her from realizing a study abroad experience.

Twenty percent of survey respondents cited a study abroad program’s reputation for a vibrant social and party life as an “important” factor in the selection process. Just over one-third (35.8 percent) consider it at least “somewhat important.” When surveyed about how important a lower drinking age is when evaluating what study abroad program to select, one in five respondents felt it was at least “somewhat important” (nearly 10 percent (9.3) indicated it was “important,” 11.8 percent indicated it was “somewhat important”).

In addition, when asked, “What is your motivation for pursuing a study abroad experience?” and given a selection of reasons, respondents indicated the following were “very important”:

* Cultural (63.1 percent)
* Live Abroad (58.5 percent)
* Travel-Related (51.6 percent)
* Academic (45.3 percent)
* Professional/Resume Booster (45.3 percent)

More than half (53.1 percent) indicated social reasons were “important,” with nearly 30 percent saying they were “very important” (27.2 percent).

The survey also asked students to identify the factor that has the biggest impact on their ability to make a study abroad experience a reality. Nearly 70 percent of respondents indicated it is money; 50 percent of those who indicated that money was the biggest obstacle said they’ll only be able to study abroad if they figure out how to pay for it, one-third are afraid they won’t be able to afford it.

Additionally, the survey asked respondents about graduate study abroad as well. For those considering graduate school in the future, more than one-third of respondents (34.2 percent) indicated it was very likely they would pursue their graduate degree abroad instead of in the U.S.; 10.8 percent said they are planning on earning their master’s degree abroad.

StudyAbroad.com is a web resource of EducationDynamics, which offers information on more than 12,000 study abroad programs. For more information about study abroad opportunities visit www.studyabroad.com.

About StudyAbroad.com
StudyAbroad.com is a web resource of EducationDynamics and the Internet’s leading source of information on educational opportunities for students to study in other countries. It is a comprehensive directory of study abroad and intensive language programs organized by subject and destination. Currently information on more than 12,000 study abroad programs is available and more than two million students visit StudyAbroad.com annually. StudyAbroad.com also offers Destination Portal Pages, a handbook serving as a guide to traveling abroad; Blog Abroad, a blog that chronicles the experiences of students as they study abroad; and financial aid information. To learn more, visit www.StudyAbroad.com.

About EducationDynamics
EducationDynamics is higher education’s leading marketing information and technology services company dedicated to helping institutions find, enroll and retain students. Its content-rich and highly visible education websites, including ChristianEducation.com, EarnMyDegree.com, EducationConnection.com, eLearners.com, GradSchools.com, StudyAbroad.com, TestDriveCollege.com, TestDriveGradSchool.com and its special interest microsites, make EducationDynamics the premier provider of qualified prospective students for colleges and universities. In addition, the company offers a full suite of Web-delivered services proven to drive enrollment growth and reduce student attrition, as well as other innovative solutions including LeadWatchLive, its Web-based inquiry management system. Through Aslanian Market Research, the company brings decades of proprietary research, unparalleled market and student intelligence and best practice insights to clients. For more information, visit www.educationdynamics.com.

Contact:
Lindsey Mikal
Communications Strategy Group
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
303-433-7020
lmikal@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com

Education

EducationDynamics Releases 2011-12 eLearning Index; Reveals Compelling Trends in Online Education

Leave a comment

Annual Report Provides Unmatched Insights into Prospective Student Demand for Online Degrees and Opportunities for Growth in Sector

Hoboken, New Jersey, January 25, 2012 – EducationDynamics, higher education’s leading marketing information and technology services company, today released its 2011-12 eLearning Index, complete with five-year trends and analysis. The annual report delivers the most comprehensive review of the online education market currently available, providing unparalleled intelligence to help colleges and universities as they consider entering the market or expanding their catalog of online programs. The index evaluates data from more than 3,400 degree programs offered by more than 200 accredited institutions, and not only reveals the most popular online degrees, but also highlights growth opportunities related to areas of study where prospective student demand is not yet met.

“For more than five years, the eLearning Index has been required reading for colleges and universities as they develop their online program and course offerings,” said Carol Aslanian, Senior Vice President of Aslanian Market Research at EducationDynamics. “This incredible resource takes the guess work out of the online education market, enabling institutions to better determine what program levels, fields of study and majors will serve students best, while also providing ROI.”

EducationDynamics first published the eLearning Index in 2007; since then, several interesting trends have emerged regarding the shape of demand for online programs. Among the findings:

Associate’s level Health Programs have risen from number three to being number one, replacing Business, which has fallen to number two.

Bachelor’s level demand has remained relatively unchanged with Business degrees maintaining the largest percentage of market demand, followed by Humanities, Social Sciences and Health Professions.

MBA and other Business masters degrees have seen the most precipitous decline in demand as a percentage of market-share, dropping from number one to number four.

Education degrees have seen the greatest demand growth, relative to percent of market share, moving from number three in the 2007 report, to number one in 2011.

Doctoral degrees in the field of Education have remained the largest field of study demanded by prospective students. In the same period, degrees in the Health Professions dropped from number two to number four, with Social Science jumping from number four to number two.

The 2011-12 eLearning Index analyzes data collected in 2010 from eLearners.com, an EducationDynamics web resources that connects prospective students with online degree programs. During each quarter of 2010, EducationDynamics examined prospective student interest in more than 3,400 degrees listed on eLearners.com offered by more than 200 colleges and universities of all institutional types and categorized into one of four degree levels (e.g., associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate), across eight fields of study (e.g., education, engineering and science, visual and performing arts, etc.) and 96 majors (e.g., business administration, design, music, etc.).

Three core indices drive the analyses and resulting identification of degrees with high student interest and opportunity for growth: the eLearning Demand Index, eLearning Supply Index and eLearning Growth Index. Each index score provides an evaluation of degree level, field of study and major as it relates to demand, supply and growth in the online education marketplace.

Below are the top-line results of the 2011-12 eLearning Demand Index by degree level:

Rank Associate’s Bachelor’s Master’s Doctorate
1 Health Professions Business Education Education
2 Business Humanities
& Social Sciences Health Professions Humanities
& Social Sciences
3 Humanities Health Professions Humanities
& Social Sciences Business
4 Education Education Business Health Professions
5 Criminal Justice Computer & Criminal Justice Criminal Justice
& Law Information Sciences & Law & Law

EducationDynamics has made an executive summary of the 2011-12 eLearning Index available online; however, to order a complete copy of the report, colleges and universities should contact Carol Aslanian at 201.377.3321 or caslanian@educationdynamics.com.

About EducationDynamics
EducationDynamics is higher education’s leading marketing information and technology services company dedicated to helping institutions find, enroll and retain students. Its content-rich and highly visible education websites, including EarnMyDegree.com, EducationConnection.com, eLearners.com, GradSchools.com, StudyAbroad.com, TestDriveCollege.com, TestDriveGradSchool.com and its special interest microsites, make EducationDynamics the premier provider of qualified prospective students for colleges and universities. In addition, the company offers a full suite of Web-delivered services proven to drive enrollment growth and reduce student attrition, as well as other innovative solutions including LeadWatchLive, its Web-based inquiry management system. Through Aslanian Market Research, the company brings decades of proprietary research, unparalleled market and student intelligence and best practice insights to clients. For more information, visit http://www.educationdynamics.com/.

Contact:
Lindsey Mikal
Communications Strategy Group
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
303-433-7020
lmikal@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com

Education

New Online Resource for International Students Launched; Releases Report for Colleges Recruiting Abroad

Leave a comment

UniversitiesAbroad.com features a directory of educational opportunities throughout the world; offers research to help colleges and universities recruit international students

Chester, PA, January 17, 2012 – UniversitiesAbroad.com, an online resource for international students interested in studying outside of their home country, was launched today, making information about educational opportunities at colleges and universities throughout the world, including those in the U.S., more readily available. The site features a comprehensive directory of more than 150,000 degree and certificate programs that is searchable by desired location of study and program subject, format or level; from undergraduate and graduate degree programs to certificate and associate’s level programs. For international students looking to learn in the U.S., it also provides tools and resources to help them better understand the American university system and college application process.

“Going abroad for a degree is incredibly attractive to many international students. It offers the opportunity to gain a global professional network and a diverse educational experience, as well as can help graduates become more competitive in the job market,” said Joshua Irons, Director of Product Marketing at UniversitiesAbroad.com. “However, finding the right university and program abroad can be time consuming and difficult, so to help international students we’ve compiled the information and resources they need in one convenient location.”

For colleges and universities interested in recruiting these international students, UniversitiesAbroad.com today released the report, “Recruiting International Students: How to Succeed With This Expanding Market Opportunity.” The report features findings of a UniversitiesAbroad.com survey of 600 colleges and universities throughout the U.S. about their current marketing practices. Among the findings:

More than half (54.8 percent) of the schools allocated 10 percent or less of their marketing budget to international recruiting, an amount expected to continue.

The top three approaches to recruiting were international student fairs, independent international recruiting agents and online lead generation sites that target student prospects. Respondents indicated that the latter two provide the greatest ROI.

Half the respondents were planning to use online lead generation sites that targeted international student prospects for their future recruiting.

The research offers these results and more, as well as best practices to help schools better recruit international students. According to recently released data from the Institute of International Education, during the 2010/2011 school year 214,490 new international students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities, an increase of 5.7 percent over the previous school year; the total number of international students enrolled in U.S. institutions was 723,277.

“We expect international student interest in programs outside of their home country will continue to increase as more and more countries determine that an educated workforce is their most effective way to compete in the global economy,” continued Irons. “This presents a valuable window of opportunity for institutions around the world to benefit from recruiting abroad.”

To request a copy of the complete UniversitiesAbroad.com research report, contact Joshua Irons at jirons@educationdynamics.com.

For more information about UniversitiesAbroad.com or to search its directory, visit www.UniversitiesAbroad.com.

About UniversitiesAbroad.com
UniversitiesAbroad.com is a service of EducationDynamics and a leading website for international students interested in studying outside of their home country. The site features a comprehensive directory of more than 150,000 available degree and certificate programs offered by colleges and universities throughout the world, including in the U.S., and is searchable by desired country and program subject, format or level; from undergraduate and graduate degree programs to certificate and associate’s level programs. UniversitiesAbroad.com also provides tools and resources to help international students better understand the U.S. university system and college application process. For more information visit www.UniversitiesAbroad.com.

Contact:
Lindsey Mikal
CSG PR
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
303-433-7020
lmikal@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com

Education

EducationDynamics Names Bruce Douglas Chief Marketing Officer

Leave a comment

Veteran Marketing Executive Joins Top Higher Education Marketing Information and Technology Services Company

Hoboken, New Jersey, January 17, 2012 – EducationDynamics, higher education’s leading marketing information and technology services company, announced today the appointment of Bruce Douglas as Chief Marketing Officer. Mr. Douglas is a seasoned marketing professional with more than 20 years of extensive marketing and management experience. As Chief Marketing Officer, Douglas will cultivate EducationDynamics’ marketing strategy and head its Product Development, Media, Operations, Marketing and Business Intelligence teams.

“I am delighted to welcome Bruce to EducationDynamics. As an accomplished marketer with a record of consistent achievement across a number of direct response businesses, Bruce is a tremendous addition to our executive team,” said Tom Anderson, CEO of EducationDynamics. “His impressive track record of delivering results and successfully implementing a wide array of directly related marketing strategies will prove valuable as we continue to grow and evolve in support of our mission to help connect the right students with the right educational programs.”

Previously, Mr. Douglas served as general manager at Vertrue, the premier marketer of affinity and loyalty membership programs, where he had complete profit and loss responsibility for four different divisions. During his 15-year tenure at Vertrue, Douglas was deeply involved with all aspects of online marketing and lead generation, including: search engine optimization and marketing, affinity marketing, product management, new product development, client services and market research, among others. He also served as an executive committee member helping to develop corporate strategy. Prior to Vertrue, Douglas spent five years in the consumer marketing division of Time Inc. magazines.

“I’m excited to join EducationDynamics as Chief Marketing Officer,” said Douglas. “Higher education is critically important to success in the modern workforce and I look forward to being part of an organization that is committed to offering resources and information to make education more accessible to prospective students.”

Douglas holds an MBA in marketing from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor of Arts in history from Brown University.

About EducationDynamics
EducationDynamics is higher education’s leading marketing information and technology services company dedicated to helping institutions find, enroll and retain students. Its content-rich and highly visible education websites, including EarnMyDegree.com, EducationConnection.com, eLearners.com, GradSchools.com, StudyAbroad.com, TestDriveCollege.com, TestDriveGradSchool.com and its special interest microsites, make EducationDynamics the premier provider of qualified prospective students for colleges and universities. In addition, the company offers a full suite of Web-delivered services proven to drive enrollment growth and reduce student attrition, as well as other innovative solutions including LeadWatchLive, its Web-based inquiry management system. Through Aslanian Market Research, the company brings decades of proprietary research, unparalleled market and student intelligence and best practice insights to clients. For more information, visit www.educationdynamics.com.

Contact:
Lindsey Mikal
Communications Strategy Group
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
(303) 433-7020
lmikal@csg-pr.com
http://www.csg-pr.com