VMPL
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 12: CSB Bank in partnership with GrayQuest and Education World have launched a Knowledge Report titled “Fixing the Admissions Funnel: Research Insights on Student Acquisition and Conversion in India”. The report was unveiled at the Indian School Rankings 26-27 Awards organized in Delhi.
The report draws on responses from close to 50 educational institutions across India, alongside secondary research examining the challenges faced by educational institutions in converting student enquiries into confirmed admissions.
The report examines critical challenges faced by educational institutes in translating student interest into enrolments. It also highlights how gaps in enquiry response, follow-up processes, access to relevant information and fee payment flexibility can contribute to student drop-offs at different stages of the admissions journey.
Key Highlights
- More enquiries do not necessarily translate into more admissions
The report identifies a disconnect between lead generation and actual enrolments. It cites a full-funnel conversion rate of 20–40% for most institutions, meaning that a substantial proportion of prospective students do not ultimately enrol.
- Nearly half of institutions take more than an hour to respond to online enquiries
According to the survey, 46% of institutions take longer than one hour to respond to a new online enquiry. Only 26% respond within 15 minutes.
- Financial barriers remain an under-addressed cause of lost admissions
The report finds that 52% of institutions have not explored bank or NBFC partnerships for education loans or EMI financing. Only 7% report having an active tie-up.
Additionally, 17% of institutions cited students being unable to arrange fees, while 10% cited fees being too high as reasons for non-joining.
- Institutions are investing in acquisition without consistently measuring its true cost
The report finds that 40% of institutions do not track their student acquisition cost, while only 31% track it by channel and 5% calculate a blended acquisition cost across all spending.
- Essential admissions information is often difficult to find online
Half of the surveyed institutions identified fee structures as information that students and parents struggle to locate on their websites. Scholarship details and placement rates were also frequently cited.
Moving beyond the conventional focus on generating more enquiries, the report also provides a full-funnel approach to student acquisition, one that tracks the journey from the first enquiry to enrolment and identifies the points at which prospective students disengage. It also emphasizes the importance of measuring the cost of acquiring an enrolled student, strengthening admissions processes and aligning teams across marketing, admissions and finance.
The findings point to several areas where institutions can improve conversion. These include responding to enquiries promptly, providing clear and easily accessible information on fees, eligibility and career outcomes, strengthening counselling and follow-up mechanisms, and simplifying the application and payment experience. The report also highlights financial friction, particularly the difficulty some families face in arranging fees within admission deadlines, as an important but often overlooked reason for students not completing enrolment.
The report offers a practical framework for educational institutions to map their admissions funnel, measure conversion at each stage and prioritize interventions based on the gaps identified.
Through this initiative, CSB Bank reinforces its engagement with the education sector and its commitment to supporting institutions as they address evolving operational and financial challenges. The report seeks to encourage a shift in perspective, from focusing solely on the volume of enquiries generated to understanding how effectively institutions convert student interest into enrolments.
Link below to download the full report
https://www.csb.bank.in/pdf/admissions-funnel.pd
About CSB Bank Limited:
We are one of the oldest private sector banks in India with an existence of over 100 years. While our Bank has a long operating history as a traditional bank, we are currently focusing on implementing strategic changes in business model to function efficiently like a full service new age private sector bank. We have a strong base in Kerala along with significant presence in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. We offer a wide range of products and services to our customer, with particular focus on SME, Retail, and NRI customers. We deliver our products and services through multiple channels, including 855 branches and 826 ATMs/CRMs spread across the country and various alternate channels such as debit cards, internet banking, mobile banking, point of sale service sand UPI.
CSB Bank is listed on both NSE and BSE. For further details, please visit www.csb.bank.in
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