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Unpacking the “value crisis” in higher education.

Headlines tell us that confidence in the return on a degree has softened, but what does the actual evidence say about value?

The advantage of higher education remains significant.

In Canada:
87% of students said a degree positively impacted their ability to secure a job
Employees with a bachelor’s degree or higher earned approximately $44.67/hour
Those with only a high school diploma earned approximately $28.82/hour

In the U.S.:
72% say their degree prepared them well for a high-paying job
Holders of a bachelor’s degree or higher earned approximately $42.43/hour
Employees with only a high school diploma earned approximately $23.83/hour

At the same time, financial pressure is real and rising.

3 in 4 Canadian students reported affordability challenges, with 40% having skipped meals due to cost pressures.
More than 1 in 3 Canadian students expect to graduate with debt over $20,000
In the U.S., 59% students experience food insecurity, housing insecurity, or homelessness.
The average U.S. federal student loan debt for graduates was approximately $39,075.

What’s really happening?

Students and families aren’t rejecting education outright. What they are rejecting is vague value.

And with it, they’re asking sharper questions before making enrolment decisions, such as:

Is this degree worth the cost? Am I going to make my money back on it?
Will this degree actually move me forward and get me where I want to be?
Will I be provided with the support I need to succeed after I complete my degree?

Remember: In a trust-sensitive market, value will outperform volume.

The higher ed institutions performing best right now are the ones willing to say:

➡️ Here’s who we’re for
➡️ Here’s what our program leads to
➡️ Here’s what it costs
➡️ Here’s what success requires

The most underused enrolment lever isn’t a channel. It’s alignment.

When enrolment pressure increases, most institutions instinctively move in a similar direction:

➡️ More paid media
➡️ More recruitment campaigns
➡️ More visibility

Those tactics can absolutely drive momentum when used strategically.

However, some of the most meaningful lifts come from something far less visible:

Structured alignment between marketing and admissions.

For one of our higher education partners, performance improved because we slowed down and clarified shared definitions:

What does a truly qualified applicant look like?
Where are strong applicants hesitating?
What objections are surfacing in admissions conversations?
What does program “fit” actually mean here?

This is important because when marketing, admissions, and leadership operate as separate systems, prospect drop-off is more likely to hide in the middle of the funnel.

But when they operate as one system, clarity improves everywhere.

AI is changing discovery. Here’s what you need to know.

There’s a lot of concern in higher education about AI summaries reducing organic traffic.

Yes, clicks are shifting. Yes, SEO and traffic patterns are changing.

But focusing only on traffic misses the bigger shift.

The real change isn’t clicks. It’s first impressions.

When AI tools summarize your program, they’re shaping your program's perceived value and identity based on existing information and assets.

These summaries, in many cases, provide a prospect with their first impression of your institution.

This doesn’t eliminate the need for content, but it does raise the bar for content clarity so AI can comb and produce the right information.

When clarity exists, AI reflects substance.

Institutions that perform well in AI discovery answer foundational questions without ambiguity:

Who is this program for?
What does it lead to?
What does it cost?
What are the prerequisites?
How is it delivered?
What type of learner succeeds here?

For directors of marketing, deans, and enrolment leaders, this means ensuring consistency across the funnel.

Are we internally aligned on outcomes?
Are we consistent in how we describe program value?
Does our content reduce uncertainty or create more of it?
Are our FAQs, outcomes, and requirements structured for easy access?

Bottom line: Discovery is evolving. Institutions that explain what they offer, and why they’re different and valuable, will outperform institutions that publish more.

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