The war for talent is not just in the workplace. It has arrived in higher education, and it is here to stay. Like the workplace, graduate programs must differentiate themselves from the competition to attract quality applicants that are fit for your program AND consider your program their #1 choice.

There are some challenges that are out of the control of graduate program leaders like economic downturns, social injustice/unrest, global pandemics, war, and government regulations – just to name a few. These and other ESG factors can discourage working professionals from returning to campus to further their education. Graduate program leaders must implement recruiting processes that position their program to be top of mind when prospective students find themselves still thinking about returning to school despite being faced with real reasons not to enroll.

In addition to environmental, social, and government related challenges, there is the real issue of financing graduate education. Tuition rates continue to increase despite the economic pressures caused by COVID-19 and other global issues. Graduate program leaders are required to think about tuition as an investment and thus provide prospective students with a prospectus on the potential ROI during the recruiting process.