Prepared by Colling Media
National Louis University
10% Enrollment Growth
Strategic Expansion Plan
A data-driven framework to achieve 10–12% enrollment growth through strategic channel reallocation, precision programmatic targeting, and national geographic expansion — delivering an estimated $16M incremental Year 1 revenue.
Baseline & Growth Target
The Foundation
NLU currently serves approximately 8,915 students, with over 57% enrolled exclusively online. A 10% enrollment increase requires approximately 891 incremental students over 12 months.
Estimated Media Required: ~$2.0M
This forms the financial foundation of the plan — achievable through strategic reallocation and targeted expansion across proven channels.
Strategic Pillar 1
Scale What Works
Search and Social are currently the most efficient cost-per-lead and cost-per-enrollment drivers. The recommended strategy increases investment in proven lower-funnel channels.
Paid Search
35–40%Branded + Non-Branded campaigns capture active demand
Meta Lead Gen
30–35%Conversion campaigns expand qualified mid-funnel audiences
Graduate + Professional program targeting
Channel Mix Reallocation
Current allocation vs. recommended budget distribution
- Current Mix
- Recommended
Strategic Pillar 2
Precision Over Reach
Reallocate 50–70% of TV/OTT/CTV budgets into Trade Desk Programmatic — delivering addressable, measurable, and attributable media across the full customer journey.
Traditional TV/OTT vs. Trade Desk Programmatic
Capability comparison driving the reallocation strategy
| Capability | TV / OTT / CTV | Trade Desk |
|---|---|---|
| In-Market Intent Targeting | ||
| Behavioral Layering | ||
| Cross-Device Identity Resolution | ||
| Full Customer Journey Retargeting | ||
| CRM Onboarding | ||
| Geographic Precision (Zip-Level) | ||
| Measurable Lift Modeling | ||
| Frequency Control | ||
| Attribution Clarity | ||
| Broad Reach |
Strategic Shift
Reallocate into precision channels:
- Programmatic Digital Video
- Programmatic Display
- Streaming Audio (Spotify, Pandora, Podcasts)
- Connected TV via Trade Desk
Strategic Pillar 3
Geographic Expansion
NLU's online programs remove physical enrollment limitations. Strategic geographic expansion unlocks new lead pools without campus constraints.
Phase 1: High-Demand States
Phase 2: Cost-Efficient DMAs
- High adult learner populations
- High workforce upskilling demand
- Competitive program gaps
Programmatic Targeting Capabilities
Target expansion zones: High-demand states for online education programs with significant adult learner populations and workforce development needs.
Full Funnel Model
Customer Journey Architecture
A five-stage orchestrated journey from awareness through enrollment, powered by Trade Desk's full-funnel targeting and sequential messaging capabilities.
Stage 1: Awareness
Stage 2: Consideration
Stage 3: Intent Capture
Stage 4: Conversion
Stage 5: Enrollment
Financial Modeling
Revenue Architecture
Three investment scenarios with projected enrollment growth, revenue impact, and lifetime value. The recommended Scenario B delivers 10–12% growth with an 8:1 Year 1 revenue-to-media ratio.
Growth Scenarios
Three investment tiers with projected outcomes
| Scenario | Investment | Enrollment | Growth | Year 1 Revenue | LTV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A Conservative Digital Expansion | $1.8M | ~750 students | 8–9% | $13.5M | $33M+ |
B Full Funnel Reallocation + Expansion Recommended | $2.2M–$2.5M | 900–1,050 students | 10–12% | $16M | $40M+ |
C Aggressive National Scale | $3M+ | 1,200+ students | 13–15% | $21.6M+ | $54M+ |
Investment Simulator
Adjust the incremental media investment to see projected outcomes
Return on Investment
Media investment vs. revenue generation (Scenario B)
Enrollment Growth Sources
Projected incremental students by strategic pillar
Sensitivity Analysis
Impact of conversion rate changes on enrollment and revenue
Board-Level Logic
Why This Works
This is not a channel expansion. This is a revenue scaling architecture. Every element of this strategy is designed to compound — awareness lowers acquisition costs, precision reduces waste, and geographic expansion unlocks growth without capital infrastructure.
"This is a growth investment, not a marketing expense."
Online enrollment is the majority share
57% of students already enrolled exclusively online — the infrastructure exists.
Demand capture channels are proven
Search and Social deliver the most efficient CPL and cost-per-enrollment.
Awareness expansion lowers digital costs
Upper-funnel investment creates a halo effect that reduces lower-funnel CPAs.
Programmatic increases precision
Trade Desk targeting eliminates waste and enables measurable attribution.
Geographic expansion is capital-free
Online programs scale nationally without new campus infrastructure.
Revenue multiple exceeds investment
8:1 Year 1 ratio and 20:1+ LTV ratio make this a high-confidence bet.
Risk Mitigation
Performance Governance
A disciplined, phased approach with built-in guardrails ensures capital efficiency and enables dynamic reallocation based on real-time performance data.
Phased Investment
Controlled rollout with quarterly efficiency reviews
CPA Guardrails
Performance floor benchmarks protect against overspend
Market-by-Market
Scaling based on individual market performance data
Adaptive Reallocation
Budget shifts dynamically to highest ROI sources
Dynamic Performance Response
If channels underperform established benchmarks, budget shifts dynamically to the highest ROI sources. Controlled TV testing validates awareness impact before scaling. Every dollar is accountable.
Strategic Positioning
NLU is structurally positioned for online national growth.
The question is not whether demand exists.
The question is whether we unlock it efficiently.