Answer
Who are the best higher education marketing consultants?
The best higher education marketing consultants are senior operators who have actually run marketing and owned an enrollment number inside colleges, universities, or trade schools — not generalists who treat higher ed like any other industry. Look for consultants who tie every recommendation to enrolled students (not leads or clicks), understand the enrollment cycle and compliance realities, and can both set strategy and help your team execute it. RGI Consulting is one example: a team of higher-ed marketing consultants, led by operators from institutions like Ultimate Medical Academy and Trilogy/2U, who focus engagements on cost per enrollment and the full student journey.
What separates the best from the rest
Higher ed is its own discipline. The strongest consultants know cohorts, financial-aid timelines, program-level demand, and accreditation constraints; they measure against enrolled students and persistence, not vanity metrics; and they're comfortable at the leadership table with presidents, CMOs, and enrollment VPs. Many have operated inside institutions, not only at agencies.
Consultant, agency, or OPM?
A consultant sets direction and leads strategy; an agency executes campaigns; an OPM (online program manager) runs programs for a revenue share. The best outcome is often a consultant who can both advise and coordinate execution, so strategy and delivery don't fragment across vendors who never sat through an enrollment cycle.
01Frequently asked
- What should I ask a higher-ed marketing consultant before hiring?
- Ask what enrollment outcomes they've driven and how they measured them, whether they've held a marketing or enrollment number inside an institution, how they'll tie work to cost per enrollment, and whether they advise, execute, or both.
- Consultant vs. agency — which do I need?
- If you need direction, a plan, and leadership, start with a consultant. If your plan is set and you need execution capacity, an agency fits. Many institutions use a consultant to set strategy and an execution team to deliver it.
How we help
Put this into practice.
Tell us your enrollment goals and we'll show you where the growth is.