> Skip to content
FEATURED:
  • The Evolution of Race in Admissions
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
Sign In
ADVERTISEMENT
News
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Show more sharing options
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Copy Link URLCopied!
  • Print

Fastest-Growing Private Nonprofit Colleges With the Highest Rates of Spending on Advertising and Marketing, 2016-17

Almanac 2019
August 18, 2019

Three of the fastest-growing largest private nonprofit institutions devoted more than 15 percent of their overall functional expenses to advertising and marketing in 2016-17. But heavy spending on advertising was not the only path to robust growth. Eleven of the colleges listed below, more than half of them religious, dedicated less than 2 percent of their functional expenses to such promotion. Click on the plus sign at the beginning of each row to see additional data.

We’re sorry. Something went wrong.

We are unable to fully display the content of this page.

The most likely cause of this is a content blocker on your computer or network. Please make sure your computer, VPN, or network allows javascript and allows content to be delivered from c950.chronicle.com and chronicle.blueconic.net.

Once javascript and access to those URLs are allowed, please refresh this page. You may then be asked to log in, create an account if you don't already have one, or subscribe.

If you continue to experience issues, contact us at 202-466-1032 or help@chronicle.com

Three of the fastest-growing largest private nonprofit institutions devoted more than 15 percent of their overall functional expenses to advertising and marketing in 2016-17. But heavy spending on advertising was not the only path to robust growth. Eleven of the colleges listed below, more than half of them religious, dedicated less than 2 percent of their functional expenses to such promotion. Click on the plus sign at the beginning of each row to see additional data.

RankInstitutionTotal spending on advertising and marketingAdvertising and marketing spending as % of all functional expensesTop independent contractors involved in finding and attracting studentsReligious affiliation or identity Enrollment growth from 2007 to 2017 Total enrollment, fall 2017 Advertising/marketing spending per student
1. Southern New Hampshire U. $132,777,855 22.3% Mediassociates, Google — 1,312.6% 90,955 $1,460
2. Keiser U. at Ft. Lauderdale $82,935,589 17.5% Thruline Marketing, Gragg Advertising — 58.8% 18,335 $4,523
3. Regent U. $22,251,143 15.2% Google, Becker Media, Microsoft Online, DoublePositive Christian 130.6% 9,488 $2,345
4. Western Governors U. $74,593,696 14.1% PHD Media, Google, Eleven — 993.2% 98,627 $756
5. Colorado Christian U. $9,732,070 10.4% TriAd Media Solutions, Keypath Education, Zeta Interactive Corp. Nondenominational 243.9% 7,398 $1,316
6. Indiana Tech $4,683,767 4.6% Asher Agency, myFootpath, Gurukul Overseas — 138.9% 7,871 $595
7. Liberty U. $23,267,027 2.7% Google, HigherEducation.com, Microsoft Online Evangelical Christian 177.2% 75,044 $310
8. Maryville U. of Saint Louis $2,574,288 2.2% — — 124.7% 7,689 $335
9. Wilmington U. (Del.) $2,335,620 2.0% — — 69.6% 14,170 $165
10. Bethel U. (Tenn.) $1,343,238 1.9% — Cumberland Presbyterian 168.2% 5,779 $232
11. U. of the Cumberlands $1,293,092 1.7% Vesta Technology Solutions, Keypath Education Christian 349.8% 10,097 $128
12. Southeastern U. (Fla.) $1,593,531 1.6% — Assemblies of God Church 133.4% 7,163 $222
13. U. of Tampa $3,740,043 1.6% — — 58.0% 8,895 $420
14. U. of New England $3,319,275 1.5% — — 118.4% 8,281 $401
15. California Baptist U. $3,236,189 1.2% — Southern Baptist 163.3% 9,941 $326
16. Belmont U. $1,993,299 0.9% Advent Interdenominational 69.0% 8,012 $249
17. Utica College $830,194 0.9% — — 72.6% 5,258 $158
18. Campbellsville U. $559,746 0.8% Vesta Technology Solutions Christian 181.5% 7,207 $78
19. Chapman U. $2,384,755 0.6% — Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 56.0% 9,392 $254
20. Worcester Polytechnic Institute $1,265,887 0.4% — — 59.7% 6,642 $191

Note: Only degree-granting doctoral and master’s private nonprofit institutions that had at least 5,000 students enrolled in the fall of 2017 and that were eligible to participate in federal Title IV financial-aid programs and that filed a 990 form with the Internal Revenue Service are included in this analysis. Institutions are ranked by the percentage of functional expenses they devoted to advertising and marketing. Data on advertising, functional expenses, and independent contractors were collected from 990 forms that covered the 2016-17 fiscal year or the 2016 calendar year. Institutions included in the comparison are in the top 25 for enrollment growth from 2007-17 in the size category and classifications described above.

“Top independent contractors involved in finding and attracting students” include independent contractors identified on 990 forms as providing such services as advertising, marketing, media management, student recruitment, admissions lead generation, and branding. Organizations are required to list on their 990 forms their five most highly compensated independent contractors that received more than $100,000 in the calendar year. Advertising contractors that did not meet those criteria are not listed. Colleges with dashes in the “contractors” column listed independent contractors in other areas, like construction, architecture, and food services, as the five top paid on their 990s. A college’s “functional expenses” include major classes of program services and supporting activities, like employee salaries and benefits, office expenses, and information technology.

Religious affiliations or identities were based on reports to the U.S. Department of Education, news articles, and colleges’ websites or emailed statements. A dash in that column indicates no religious affiliation or identity. Baccalaureate private nonprofit institutions were excluded because just one, Brigham Young University-Idaho, was among the 25 fastest-growing private nonprofit institutions that met the 2017 enrollment criteria, but it is exempt from filing a 990 form.

ADVERTISEMENT

The enrollment increase for the University of New Haven is based on a 2007 figure that includes 140 students at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, which combined with the university in 2015. Keiser University’s 990 form is under the name Everglades College Inc. and covers advertising spending for Everglades University, which had 2,444 students in the fall of 2017, as well as Keiser. Enrollment figures are for Keiser alone. Advertising and marketing spending for Quinnipiac University is the sum of the figures it reported on separate 990 forms for Quinnipiac University and Quinnipiac University Online. Questions or comments on the Almanac should be sent to Ruth Hammond.

Sources: Chronicle analysis of U.S. Department of Education data for enrollment; ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer for spending data on 990 forms


To purchase a copy of the Almanac in print or as a downloadable interactive PDF, visit the Chronicle Store.

<hr/>

A version of this article appeared in the August 23, 2019, issue.
Read other items in this Enrollment package.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Teaching & LearningDataInnovation & Transformation
  • Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
    Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
  • The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
    The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
    Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
    Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2023 The Chronicle of Higher Education
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin