University strategic planning and educational institution growth can involve many different decisions. You may be considering a new location, adding curriculum areas, entering new markets, expanding the use of facilities, developing new revenue streams, or strengthening your position against competitors. Education research gives you the information you need to understand demand, audiences, competitors, perceptions, and opportunities before you make those decisions.

Education research can also support companies that market products and services to educational institutions. Understanding how faculty, students, administrators, and other stakeholders perceive your brand and make decisions can help you identify opportunities and refine your marketing strategy.

Higher education research answers the important questions

When thinking about opportunities, university and school leaders need answers to a long list of questions. At the top of that list are concerns like:

  • Which new curriculum areas and markets offer the strongest growth potential?
  • How much demand exists, and which student groups are most likely to enroll?
  • What do students want, and how do they choose a university or program?
  • Who are your competitors, and how do their programs, pricing, and positioning compare?
  • How well does your university’s reputation and current strengths fit the new opportunity?
  • What barriers, requirements, and resources could affect your ability to launch and grow?
  • What risks should you address, and what opportunities might you be overlooking?

Companies that market products in this industry have an additional list of questions.

Working with a market research firm with experience in education research will use the right methodologies, reach the right people, and get the right answers.

Education research methodologies

Assessing expansion, growth, revenue, or marketing opportunities often requires more than one research approach. Using multiple methodologies gives you a broader view of the market and the people who influence decisions.

Desk research

Finding and reviewing publicly available information about markets, students, programs, and competitors is the ideal place to start. Without investing too much time and money, you can quickly estimate market size, enrollment trends, demographic changes, competitor offerings, tuition levels, and other factors that can affect demand.

In-Depth Interviews

Talking directly to relevant audiences, such as current and prospective students, alumni, parents, faculty, administrators, and employers give you a broad perspective and a deeper understanding of attitudes, values, wants, and other factors that influence perceptions, motivations, and the “why” behind decisions.

Focus Groups

Group discussions are invaluable for exploring thoughts around reputation, value, potential programs, course concepts, messages, and ideas for entering new markets.

Quantitative Research

When you need to measure demand for specific courses, events, interest in your university or school, or perceptions about products used on campus, quantitative research can provide a broader view. Surveys with statistically valid sample sizes can support strategic planning, expansion, new revenue opportunities, and marketing decisions.

Education research cases

Education research can support decisions about expansion, new programs, facilities, revenue opportunities, competitive positioning, and marketing. These cases show how research can provide the information organizations need to make those decisions.

Private School Site Feasibility Study

Investors were evaluating two potential locations for a new private school in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. They needed to determine whether the market could support a new school, understand what parents wanted, and identify which location offered the stronger opportunity.

The project included desk research, in-depth interviews with parents, and focus groups. The research examined local demographics, school-age population trends, private school demand, competitive offerings, tuition levels, perceptions of the two sites, and parents’ priorities when choosing a school.

The research identified strong demand for a school offering an academically competitive curriculum, smaller classes, qualified teachers, and a diverse, international educational experience. More than half of respondents reported a high need for a school like the one under consideration. Parents also placed high value on preparing students for a global economy and creating a strong connection between school and home.

Demand analysis found a significant gap between the number of students seeking private school placements and available places in the Upper East Side. The research projected that this gap would continue to grow as the school-age population increased.

Parents preferred the East 59th Street location because of its access to transportation, businesses, restaurants, shopping, and parks. The East 61st Street location was quieter, but raised concerns about safety, transportation, and its distance from major hubs.

The findings supported focusing on East 59th Street and identified clear expectations for the new school, including academic quality, a diverse curriculum, reasonable student-to-teacher ratios, strong facilities, security, transportation, and other student services. The research gave investors a clearer view of the opportunity and the factors to address before moving forward.

Public Events Market Research for The New School

Event marketing and promoting fuller use of its facilities promised a significant income stream for The New School. To better understand how New Yorkers discover and choose events, what motivates them to attend, and how the university could strengthen its position in a crowded public events market, decision-makers invested in market research.

Through a series of focus groups with event-goers, researchers explored their information sources, attendance motivations, terminology, perceptions of The New School, and awareness of competing events and venues.

It uncovered insights into how event-goers used multiple sources to discover events. Facebook, Instagram, word of mouth, Twitter, and email lists all played a role. People also followed venues, performers, speakers, and artists directly, creating multiple paths to event information.

The speaker or performer was often the main reason people chose to attend. Well-known speakers could attract attendees from farther away and command higher ticket prices. Networking was another major motivation, particularly for professional events. Attendees also valued learning, new ideas, social connections, and experiences they could share with friends and family. Free food, drinks, and convenient locations mattered, but usually played a secondary role.

The research also revealed a perceived distinction between “event” and “public program.” Participants generally saw “event” as a single talk, performance, or experience. They associated “program” with multiple sessions or a longer series. Adding “public” made it clear that an offering was open to everyone.

Participants viewed The New School as a place for liberal and forward-thinking ideas. It was not, however, a top-of-mind destination for public speaking events. Few participants knew about programs like the Nth Degree Series, creating an opportunity to build awareness and establish a clear position for it.

The research also identified strong competition from universities, cultural institutions, libraries, media organizations, and entertainment venues. To attract audiences, The New School would need to give people a clear reason to attend and communicate the value of each event.

Selling technology solutions to universities

A company marketing engineering solutions to institutions of higher learning around the globe wanted to understand its position versus top competitors. It specifically wanted to investigate faculty and student brand awareness, perceptions, supplier preferences, and differences across key international markets.

Researchers fielded a quantitative online survey of 525 students and 525 faculty members in top engineering schools in the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Germany. To qualify, participants needed to have had recent experience with electronic test and measurement instruments or software. They also needed to be involved in using, recommending, specifying, or purchasing these products.

The research measured unaided and aided brand awareness, brand perceptions, supplier preferences, product usage, and purchasing behavior. It also identified differences by country and between students and faculty. Key findings:

  • The research sponsor enjoyed moderate brand awareness, with 30% of students and 26% of faculty aware of the brand. Awareness was stronger in Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia than in other markets.
  • The brand was associated with positive attributes including effectiveness, innovation, quality, usefulness, and high standards.
  • Among competitors, Philips, Chroma, and Fluke were among the most recognized brands, while IBM and Keysight had strong unaided awareness among US students.
  • The research sponsor ranked fourth in supplier preference among both students and faculty, behind leading competitors. The findings showed how the company could focus its sales and marketing efforts in engineering schools and where stronger brand awareness could support future purchasing and preference.

With these insights, the company sponsoring the research knew where it needed to concentrate its sales and marketing efforts. Improving its performance in engineering schools has an impact on the brand overall. It builds early familiarity that influences potential future purchasing. It can shape technical preferences and ultimately brand preference. Investing in this segment is an effective way to strengthen the company’s market position.

Education research supports better decisions

Whether you are planning expansion, developing new programs, creating new revenue opportunities, or strengthening your position in the education market, research gives you the insights to make informed decisions. By understanding your audiences, competitors, and opportunities, you can move forward with greater clarity and less risk.