Short answer
Focus marketing efforts on enhancing the core academic offering, improving accessibility and location, and streamlining administrative and academic processes, as these are the most influential factors for student enrollment.
- Field
- Innovation & Markets
- Source
- Journal of Entrepreneurship (2025)
- Method
- Quantitative survey and regression analysis
- Sample
- 360 participants
- Evidence
- Strong effect (for product, place, and process)
Product, place, and process are key drivers of student enrollment in higher education faculties, indicating that the core offering, accessibility, and operational efficiency are more influential than promotional activities or pricing strategies. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Journal of Entrepreneurship. Using Quantitative survey and regression analysis with 360 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Focus marketing efforts on enhancing the core academic offering, improving accessibility and location, and streamlining administrative and academic processes, as these are the most influential factors for student enrollment.
Strategic Marketing Mix Elements Significantly Drive Student Enrollment in Higher Education
Product, place, and process are key drivers of student enrollment in higher education faculties, indicating that the core offering, accessibility, and operational efficiency are more influential than promotional activities or pricing strategies.
Journal of Entrepreneurship · 2025
Key Findings
- 01Product, place, and process positively and significantly influenced student enrollment.
- 02Promotion, people, and physical evidence had a positive but insignificant effect on enrollment.
- 03Price had a negative but insignificant impact on faculty selection.
Application
Design takeaway
Focus marketing efforts on enhancing the core academic offering, improving accessibility and location, and streamlining administrative and academic processes, as these are the most influential factors for student enrollment.
How to apply
Review and enhance curriculum, faculty expertise, campus facilities, online learning platforms, admission procedures, and student support services to align with the identified key drivers of enrollment.
Project actions
- 01When researching marketing strategies for educational institutions, consider segmenting the marketing mix to identify which elements have the most significant impact on target audiences.
- 02Use quantitative methods like surveys and regression analysis to establish statistically significant relationships between marketing variables and desired outcomes like enrollment.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Utilizes quantitative methods to establish relationships.
- +Focuses on specific, actionable elements of the marketing mix.
Limitations
The findings might not apply to private universities or institutions in different countries due to varying market conditions and student expectations. The study focused on a specific faculty, so results may not be representative of the entire university.
Reliability & validity
Reliability could be enhanced by using standardized survey questions and ensuring consistent data collection procedures. Validity is supported by the use of statistical analysis to confirm relationships between variables, though it may be limited by self-reported data and the specific context of the study.
Think critically
Given that price had a negative but insignificant impact, to what extent should institutions consider aggressive pricing strategies versus investing in the core product, place, and process?
Design Principles
"In higher education marketing, prioritize the optimization of the core offering (product), accessibility (place), and operational efficiency (process) to drive enrollment."
Understanding the specific components of the marketing mix that resonate most with prospective students allows educational institutions to allocate resources more effectively. Focusing on the product (curriculum, faculty), place (campus accessibility, online options), and process (admission, student support) can lead to more impactful strategies for attracting and retaining students in a competitive landscape.
What This Means for Your Design
For universities, what you teach (product), where you are (place), and how easy it is to get things done (process) matter most to students signing up. Other things like ads or how nice the staff are are less important.
How to use in your project
- 1.This study provides a framework for analyzing the effectiveness of marketing strategies in the education sector, which can inform the design of marketing plans for new educational programs or institutions.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research highlights that in the competitive higher education market, the strategic implementation of the marketing mix is crucial for student enrollment. Specifically, the study found that product (curriculum quality), place (accessibility and location), and process (efficiency of admissions and support) significantly influence enrollment decisions, suggesting that institutions should prioritize these areas for maximum impact.
Source
Journal of Entrepreneurship
MARKETING MIX AND STUDENT ENROLLMENT IN THE FACULTY OF ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT IN A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY
journal · 2025
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about strategic marketing mix elements significantly drive student enrollment in higher education?
- Focus marketing efforts on enhancing the core academic offering, improving accessibility and location, and streamlining administrative and academic processes, as these are the most influential factors for student enrollment. Evidence: Journal of Entrepreneurship (2025).
- Why does "Strategic Marketing Mix Elements Significantly Drive Student Enrollment in Higher Education" matter for design?
- Understanding the specific components of the marketing mix that resonate most with prospective students allows educational institutions to allocate resources more effectively. Focusing on the product (curriculum, faculty), place (campus accessibility, online options), and process (admission, student support) can lead to more impactful strategies for attracting and retaining students in a competitive landscape.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Focus marketing efforts on enhancing the core academic offering, improving accessibility and location, and streamlining administrative and academic processes, as these are the most influential factors for student enrollment.
- What were the main findings?
- Product, place, and process positively and significantly influenced student enrollment.. Promotion, people, and physical evidence had a positive but insignificant effect on enrollment.. Price had a negative but insignificant impact on faculty selection.
- What research method was used?
- Quantitative survey and regression analysis with 360 participants.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect (for product, place, and process), based on a 2025 journal from Journal of Entrepreneurship.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- Review and enhance curriculum, faculty expertise, campus facilities, online learning platforms, admission procedures, and student support services to align with the identified key drivers of enrollment.
- What are the limitations?
- The study was conducted at a single public university in Cambodia, limiting generalizability to other contexts or types of institutions. The focus was on a specific faculty, and findings may differ across disciplines.