Services Tailored for Higher Education

Develop a strategic enrollment plan (SEM) that will exceed goals, address target populations and funnel gaps, and leverage AI and new technologies. Our work includes competitive analysis, yield analysis, predictive modeling, scholarship strategy and design, market research and segmentation, and comprehensive recruitment planning. Our projections are developed with a realistic approach to enrollment forecasting.

Partner with our team to develop a clear, evidence-based Strategic Plan that is aligned with the mission and market position of your institution, and that demonstrably serves the needs of your diverse stakeholders and competing imperatives. Achieve short-term goals and long-term sustainability.

We help institutions implement CRM solutions tailored to their unique needs, ensuring a smooth transition from discovery to adoption. Our customized approach prioritizes operational alignment, resource readiness, and future scalability while providing comprehensive support and training for successful long-term use. We prioritize client understanding and successful use of the tool.

We specialize in customizing existing CRM platforms to help institutions optimize their recruitment and student success operations and data management. Our tailored solutions have a range of benefits from giving you access to the critical data needed for strategic decision-making, to improving your overall student experience.

Identify key drivers of attrition through both qualitative and quantitative research to improve retention and graduation rates. Our work includes focus groups and Interviews, predictive modeling, competitor analysis, academic advising strategy, climate, and sense of belonging.

Drive online enrollment growth while planning for sustainable technology investment and faculty development resources. We help teams build internal capacity for administering online programs via business plan and roadmap development, readiness assessments, marketing maturity models, peer benchmarking, and student needs/perception surveys.

Ensure your tuition and fee structure is both clear for today’s college students and effective for your institution’s business purposes. Our statistical modeling, enrollment forecasting, and competitive research will help your team with tuition resets, pricing studies for new programs and divisions, and fee simplification processes.

Institutions must balance the imperative to make education accessible with the need to maintain financial sustainability. Antiquated aid models based on outdated two-factor grids have fueled unsustainable discount rates and a costly “arms race” to the bottom. At Kennedy & Company, our aid leveraging philosophy is rooted in our experience as practitioners as we aim to help colleges and universities increase net tuition revenue while enhancing access for students with financial need.

Institutions embarking on strategic initiatives to launch new academic units or programs must be equipped with data-driven projections for these investments. Our primary research, modeling, and industry insights combine to inform Boards, administrators, and stakeholders as they weigh the financial and mission alignment of these important investments.

Improve stewardship of resources by operating more efficiently and effectively. Our work in this area includes process mapping and design, organizational review, technology optimization, governance, master planning, workforce solutions, space utilization, service delivery design, revenue and cost-sharing agreement development, and more.

Align your institution’s academic programs with key goals of enrollment growth, raising your brand profile, or community impact. Our work includes market research and segmentation, competitive analysis, rankings assessment and strategy, business plan creation, enrollment modeling, analysis for accreditation support, naming and curriculum considerations, launch sequencing, and marketing strategy.

Execute for long- and short-term financial health. Achieve optimal resource allocation with analyses, assessment, and strategy creation in areas including revenue optimization and net tuition revenue modeling, tuition pricing, structural alternatives, and budgeting methodology.

We guide institutions through the process of selecting the best technology solution to meet their admissions and student success goals. Our unbiased, platform-agnostic approach ensures that we match your institution’s specific needs with the most suitable tools, helping you optimize communication, engagement, and conversion.

We help academic institutions refine their CRM strategies by auditing their system's functionality, data accuracy, and operational alignment. Our comprehensive approach will help you identify gaps and prioritize improvements, ensuring your CRM supports both student and staff needs effectively.

We utilize a data-informed approach to develop and tailor solutions for business schools with consideration for their distinct needs, populations, and communities while remaining compliant with accreditation requirements.

Law schools face a dynamic market and competitive landscape. We work with law schools to develop data-informed solutions to address challenges around rankings improvement and program expansion.

We help institutions revitalize their communication strategies to boost engagement and drive enrollment. Our student-centric approach ensures that communications are personalized and aligned with each stage of the student journey.

Make data-driven enrollment decisions through specialized surveys that analyze student choice factors. Better understand yield, enabling strategic recruitment and scholarship planning through consistent use of surveys. Whether it’s surveys of admitted students, incomplete unsubmitted applicants, or prospective student market surveys, we help you make data-informed decisions.

We provide personalized CRM support and training to help institutions maximize their CRM’s potential. From ongoing system maintenance to tailored coaching sessions, we empower teams with the knowledge and confidence needed to effectively manage and navigate their CRM tools for long-term success.

One of the biggest issues in higher education is a perceived cost barrier for students and their families. Increasingly, there are questions about the value of a college degree. Our net price calculator – called 1stAid – addresses both. It provides cost transparency while also demonstrating why college is a sound investment.