Encoura

Encoura is the National Research Center for College & University Admissions (NRCCUA), an educational data platform and research organization based in Lee's Summit, Missouri, and Austin, Texas. For 44 years, it has provided data, technology, and programs to public and private colleges and universities to enhance their marketing and recruiting efforts. It operates as part of Sterling Partners' Education Opportunity Fund.

The company serves over 2,000 higher education institutions across the United States, including universities like George Mason University and Tarleton State University. Their solutions cover the entire student lifecycle, from understanding the market to advancing the institution through retention and alumni engagement. They offer proprietary research, actionable insights, and strategic consulting to help colleges improve search, recruitment, and funnel management.

Encoura offers a comprehensive suite of services including market understanding, search and class shaping, student engagement, funnel optimization, and retention strategies. Specific products include the Encourage app for K-12 students and educators, the Encoura Platform for data-enabled enrollment offices, and Eduventures research division for industry insights. They also provide omnichannel marketing services with data-driven campaigns and personalized messaging.

Encoura has been operating for 44 years, consolidating strong teams from across the education industry over the past 50 years. They have a history of working with institutions to improve student search, recruitment strategies, and funnel management, leveraging expertise from traditional student demand, adult learner demand, and academic program innovation.

According to the company's own website, their programs increase the likelihood for a student to enroll in college by 38%. They claim to provide a comprehensive, free college and career planning program called Encourage that supports students and families in planning their post-high school journeys.

Encoura integrates Eduventures research, data science, strategic enrollment services, and multichannel marketing into their solutions. They use proprietary data and actionable research to help institutions make informed decisions at every stage of the enrollment funnel, from first interest through long-term alumni engagement.

Reviewers consistently praise Encoura for their exceptional services, attention to detail, prompt responses, and professional team. They highlight the company's ability to help achieve goals and their readiness to assist, with many noting that the team goes above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction.

Encoura provides a free college and career planning program called Encourage that is available to over 7,000 high schools. This program equips educators with data regarding their students' postsecondary plans, allowing them to conduct more informed conversations and focus on critical student needs.

Encoura's omnichannel marketing services include inquiry generation, application generation, and yield enhancement campaigns. They use award-winning creative designs and multi-channel outreach to reach students through various touchpoints, ensuring consistent messaging across print, digital, and email formats.

The company provides detailed, real-time reporting and analytics to help institutions track campaign successes and make strategic changes. They emphasize a research-backed approach that informs smart strategies based on data science and student experiences, motivations, and behaviors.

Encoura's team includes dedicated media experts who work alongside clients to design creative, develop strategy, and adjust campaigns. They offer professional design and copywriting services, as well as streamlined, integrated campaigns that maintain consistency across all marketing formats.

Encoura's mission is to empower students and institutions by providing custom technology solutions that combine research, data science, and strategic services. They strive to make the link between prospective students and higher education institutions stronger through expert technologies and services.

The official website of Encoura is encoura.org.

On Trustburn, Encoura has a rating of 4 out of 5 based on 8 reviews.