Degree
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Major(s)
Agricultural Education; Leadership and Communications
Document Type
Immediate Open Access
Abstract
As the higher education landscape continues to become more competitive, adapting our marketing strategies to affordably recruit students will be imperative to maintaining both relevance and financial stability. Research has predicted an increase in tension as institutions weather the enrollment cliff, a period characterized by a steep decline in the number of college-age students in the United States. While this research is useful in informing our outlook in the coming years, there is little research surrounding the most efficacious methods for recruiting college students. Using data from Mississippi State University's Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness on student status and residency, each College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) major's composition was analyzed based on first-time/transfer and in-state/out-of-state students to compose a list of recommendations for CALS administration. This set of recommendations was formulated to decrease the use of blanketed marketing tactics and improve the cost-per-acquisition of each student in the college. Although the recommendations have not been implemented, the research shows that there were previously undiscovered trends in the college's recruitment and areas of low return that could be reevaluated in the coming months to create a more cost-effective set of campaigns for the college departments and programs.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.54718/NFTQ2565
Date Defended
5-1-2025
Funding Source
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Thesis Director
Professor W. Cory Gallo
Second Committee Member
Dr. Darrell Sparks
Third Committee Member
George Dunn
Recommended Citation
Cherry, Hayden, "Reap What You Sow: Using Historic Enrollment Data to Strategically Recruit Students" (2025). Honors Theses. 144.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/honorstheses/144
