Accenture research has identified six learner segments. Explore the segments and how colleges and universities can better serve them. https://accntu.re/3C8fiJT
2. Changes are
accelerating in
higher education
Shrinking pool of "traditional" students
due to changing demographics
Rise of alternative
education providers
Increasing demand for lifelong
credentialing and skilling
5. Six distinct segments
of learners
Learners within a segment have
commonalities in who they are, which
programs they are in, why they enrolled
and what matters most to them.
However, those goals and mindsets can
differ or overlap with other segments,
creating a challenge for institutions that
serve multiple groups.
FINDING 1
6. Six distinct segments
of learners
Our analysis
surfaced six
learner segments
based on their
learning mindsets,
goals and emotions
31%
Junior Specialists
23%
Evolving
Professionals
16%
Campus Enthusiasts
7%
Wayfinding Intellectuals
9%
Trajectory Transformers
14%
Mid-Career Climbers
FINDING 1
7. Six distinct segments
of learners
31%
Junior Specialists
Focused learners pursuing a
credential to secure their first
job in a specific field.
Example: A commuter student
working part time who selected
a major early on and has a clear
career goal.
FINDING 1
16%
Campus Enthusiasts
Residential students actively
participating on campus—
inside and outside the
classroom—who plan to start
their first job after graduation.
Example: A student at a large
state school who evaluated
Greek life, student clubs, sports
teams and gyms before
deciding to enroll.
23%
Evolving Professionals
Successful, early-stage
workers seeking to expand
their industry knowledge
while satisfying their
intellectual curiosity.
Example: An early-career
professional going back to
school for an MBA and
interested in programs that
emphasize the theoretical and
practical sides of finance.
8. 9%
Trajectory Transformers
Full-time workers who are
skeptical about the value and
outcomes of credentials but
seek short, focused programs
for building specific skills and
being able to change careers.
Example: A full-time worker
facing uncertain job security in
their current field who is
seeking a specific web
development bootcamp
program with consistently high
job replacement rates.
Six distinct segments
of learners
14%
Mid-Career Climbers
Full-time workers looking to
advance in their careers by
obtaining a credential in a
specific skill-based area
valued by their employer.
Example: A middle manager
with a busy career whose
mentor recommended using
their company’s tuition stipend
for an executive leadership
certificate course before next
year’s promotion reviews.
FINDING 1
7%
Wayfinding Intellectuals
Full-time, intellectually curious
students seeking to explore a
broad array of disciplines and
to conduct research, with
strong interest in staying
within academia.
Example: An undecided major
at a small liberal arts college
who is making great connections
with professors through research
and is seriously considering
graduate studies.
10. Satisfaction rates
MOST
SATISFIED
MOST
DISSATISFIED
Wayfinding
Intellectuals
• Happy, hopeful,
surprised
• Would like more
opportunities
for networking
Campus
Enthusiasts
• Happy, hopeful, surprised
• Would like more
opportunities for
internships/co-ops
Evolving Professionals
• Happy, excited
• Would like more
flexibility around
coursework modality
Mid-Career
Climbers
• Excited, hopeful
• Would like more
flexibility around
coursework modality
Trajectory
Transformers
• Excited, hopeful,
stressed, anxious
• Would like lower
tuition and costs
Junior
Specialists
• Hopeful, stressed,
anxious, overwhelmed
• Would like more flexibility
around coursework
modality and ability to
move through
program faster
FINDING 2
12. Program and service delivery preferences
For certain areas, the segments
diverged in their desired delivery
method. For example, across
learning, administrative and
student life activities, Wayfinding
Intellectuals have a comparative
preference for in-person modality,
while Evolving Professionals and
Mid-Career Climbers have a
comparative preference for
remote/digital.
FINDING 3
13. Retooling student experience
Accenture proposes 4 steps institutions can take to enhance the student
experience and engage and support learner populations
Step 1
Identify
target
learner
segments.
Step 2
Manage
relationships
across the
learner lifetime.
Step 3
Allocate university
resources with a
zero-based mindset.
Step 4
Implement modern,
cloud-based
technology, such as
Enterprise Resource
Planning (ERP) or
Student Information
Systems (SIS).
14. Identify target
learner segments
Institutions need to identify the
learner segments they currently
serve and the target segments they
want to serve moving forward to
clearly understand their needs. This
could include conducting institution-
specific segmentation to understand
the students served and synergies
across segments the institution
currently serves or hopes to serve.
Step 1
15. Manage relationships
across the learner lifetime
Institutions need to be able to follow
a student beyond their journey at
the institution and through their
entire lifetime. Effective master data
management and a robust, university-
wide customer relationship management
(CRM) capability are core to being able
to facilitate a lifelong relationship
with alumni.
Step 2
16. Allocate institutional
resources with a
zero-based mindset
A zero-based mindset can help
institutions identify ways to free up
resources to invest in the initiatives
that will be required to effectively
serve new learner segments.
Step 3
17. Implement modern, cloud-
based technology, such as
Enterprise Resource Planning
(ERP) or Student Information
Systems (SIS)
Implementing leading cloud-based
technology enables a frictionless
experience for students, faculty, staff and
administration. All users are empowered
by self-service from any device, including
mobile, with a user-friendly interface
showing real-time data.
Step 4
18. Methodology
Our research was scoped around learner mindsets, from a variety of institutions, at all adult ages, specifically from
US-based respondents (n=6,536). From this data set, we conducted a Partition Around Medoids (PAM) methodology
to define clusters, resulting in six distinct learner segments.
Survey respondent programs
Which of the following best describes your most recent situation regarding post-high
school education?
19. 26 areas of satisfaction
Satisfaction was measured across three categories (learning,
student life, administrative) for 26 distinct areas
19
19
Student life activities
• Academic advising
• Career counseling
• IT support
• Tutoring
• Informal peer socialization
• Financial counseling
• Mental health/wellness
counseling
• Clubs and organizations;
organized events
• Disability support
Academic activities
• Lecture courses
• Availability and quality of
independent study materials
• Discussion sessions and/or
tutoring
• 1-on-1 interactions with
instructors
• Small-group discussion
classes/labs
• Peer study groups
• Internships/experiential
learning
Administrative activities
• Registering for classes
• Application process
• Prior to applying, researching
and understanding program
options
• Understanding institution-
specific policies
• Obtaining/viewing/modifying
records
• Orientation
• Financial aid
• Paying bills
• Resolving account holds
• Graduation
20. Authors
Contributors: Scott Fry, Gabriella Perez and Matt Luby
Learn more at www.accenture.com/highereducation
Samantha Fisher
Managing Director
Public Service,
Education
North America
Jenny Brodie
Senior Manager
Public Service
Research
North America
Phillip Pollman
Specialist
Public Service
Research
North America