Increasing Enrollment Through Benefit Segmentation

Abstract

Benefit segmentation is a market research technique which groups people according to benefits expected from a program offering and identifies each group's program offering preferences and demographic characteristics. This information facilitates responsive program design and effective communication of programs to appropriate target audiences. Applicability of benefit segmentation to enrollment generation was tested at the College of DuPage. A random sample from about 20,000 participants completed the "course improvement survey." The 989 respondents' reasons for par ticipation were grouped into nine motivational orientations through factor analysis. Then respondents were grouped into five benefit segments through cluster analysis. Benefit segments were distinguished by significant (α≤.10) program offering preferences and demographic characteristics, and membership in each benefit segment was predictable through discriminant analysis. Although no causal relationship is implied, enrollment increased about 20 percent a year for the three years following the study.