Higher Education DEMAND Trends
Demand Trends May:
Results Through April
Leading post-secondary institutions rely on the Gray Higher Education Demand Trends for current data on student demand and employer requirement trends. Every month, we release the latest data on a free webinar. Gray covers on-campus and online programs ranging from undergraduate certificates to doctoral degrees. Gray’s data includes academic program and location, student inquiries, Google search volumes, and job postings.
Monthly Highlights
U.S. Google searches for academic programs declined year-over-year, continuing the recent pattern.
- International searches for U.S. programs were flat.
Job postings fell year-over-year, reversing a recent trend
In general, first-time enrollments in Bachelor’s programs are a strong predictor of completions.
- Initial majors in Biology and Engineering, General are most likely to change majors.
Psychology is the biggest parachute program.
- Some “parachutes” appear to be simply increased specializations: Accounting, Finance, Marketing
- Liberal arts programs also often function as parachutes or late-choice majors.
Program of the month: Associate degree in Economics (for transfer)
- Mandatory seamless transfer arrangements can drive dramatic program growth.
- Using the data to identify and then answer the right questions can drive important insights.