Community College Marketing: Beyond Affordability

What makes students choose a community college beyond affordability? Explore how community college marketing can communicate academic quality, flexible pathways, campus experience, and career and transfer opportunities. In “Beyond Affordability: Messaging the Full Value of Community College,” Carnegie shares findings from research involving more than 3,300 teens ages 13–18, including students interested in community college. Pope Mobley of Carnegie and Brad Henderson of Allen Community College explore how student priorities differ, what those differences mean for recruitment messaging, and how Allen brings its value story to life. You’ll learn: • How priorities differ between students committed to community college and those comparing other options. • Why affordability messaging needs to address more than tuition. • How academics, flexibility, campus experience, and brand recognition influence college choice. • Why parents, family members, and counselors need to understand your value proposition. • How social media, search engines, and AI tools shape student discovery. • How Allen Community College is strengthening its readiness for answer engine optimization (AEO). CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome and webinar introduction 04:15 Research background: understanding next-generation learners 05:15 Meet the presenters 06:45 Two community college audiences and their priorities 08:45 Affordability messaging beyond tuition 11:15 Academic quality as a differentiator 12:15 Connecting flexible options to clear pathways 13:45 Allen Community College: bringing the value story to life 18:15 How campus experience shapes college choice 19:45 Building confidence through brand recognition 20:45 Reaching parents, families, and other influencers 21:15 Allen Community College: student-informed branding 24:15 Student discovery across social media, search, and AI 25:15 How AI is changing the college search 26:45 Allen Community College’s approach to AEO readiness 29:45 Q&A PRESENTERS Pope Mobley AVP, Community College Solutions, Carnegie Brad Henderson Director of Marketing and Communications, Allen Community College Learn more about Carnegie: https://www.carnegiehighered.com/ #CommunityCollege #HigherEducationMarketing #StudentRecruitment