2025 Survey Report

Connecting Through the Journey: What 100+ Higher Ed Leaders Reveal About Student Lifecycle Communications

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đź‘€  About this Report 

Mongoose partnered with Higher Ed Dive to survey 100+ higher ed leaders across North America about their student communication strategies—from inquiry to alumni engagement. The findings? Institutions are moving beyond blast messages to embrace real-time, AI-powered conversation at scale.

This is your inside look at how modern teams are transforming engagement across Admissions, Student Success, and Advancement.

 

đź’Ą Why It Matters

Broadcasting ≠ belonging.

The data is clear: one-way messaging can’t keep up with modern student expectations. Institutions that adopt two-way, mobile-first conversations are 34x more likely to drive application completion and significantly improve enrollment, retention, and fundraising outcomes.

If you’re still relying on email blasts and gut instinct, you’re missing the conversations that matter most and losing your competitive edge.

 

đź“Ą Instant Download
No gate. No catch. Just insights from your peers—and the blueprint for what's next.

 

students smiling looking at phone

34
x

Higher application completion rate when institutions use two-way conversations instead of static notifications.

83
%

Student engagement rate with AI-powered chat—most questions resolved without human intervention. 

63
%

of leaders have extensive insight into student conversation topics with AI-powered platforms.

50
%

of higher ed leaders say two-way communication at scale would significantly improve their ability to do their jobs.