Hanover’s Market Research Promotes Dramatic Rise in UGA Online’s National Rankings Placement

Case Study
University of Georgia Office of Online Learning

The University of Georgia Office of Online Learning (UGA Online) needed an objective, third-party research partner to critically inform the expansion of its online program portfolio.

Challenge

In 2013, at a time when UGA Online was surpassed in national rankings by peers and competitors, Hanover began working to methodically evaluate the markets for new programs and inform the launch of high profile opportunities.

Outcome

Hanover’s Market Research Helped UGA Online

Launch The Right Programs

Over the past three years, UGA Online has relied on Hanover’s market assessments to more than double its number of online degree and certificate programs, bringing the total to 29. For example, Hanover used IPEDS degree completions data, Bureau of Labor Statistics employment outlook data, and numerous industry-specific employment reports to quantify and analyze the markets for M.Ed. in Human Resources and Organizational Development and M.Ed. in Adult Education degree programs.

Allocate The Right Resources

Beyond helping UGA Online to identify and confirm new program opportunities, the granularity of Hanover’s market analyses allowed UGA Online to forecast future enrollments for new programs. This insight allowed the institution to accurately staff for new programs, freeing up funding to strengthen organizational infrastructures.

Jump In News Ratings

2016 US News & World Report Rankings

With this robust program portfolio, UGA Online’s Bachelor’s Programs went from #90 to #5; its Graduate Education Programs went from #22 to #3.

2015 and 2016 US News and World Report Rankings

“Hanover’s market research has been a critical component of our programs’ success. With Hanover, we’ve been able to set up quality assurance practices that allow us to gauge the viability and potential success of prospective new programs. We attribute our recent success in the rankings to this smart growth strategy.”
—Nancy Byron, Marketing Manager, The University of Georgia Office of Online Learning

The Client

The University of Georgia Office of Online Learning

Industry

Higher Education

Headquarters

Athens, GA

Website

https://online.uga.edu/

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