Case Study: St. Ambrose University achieves 52% enrollment growth with Ruffalo Noel Levitz

St. Ambrose University - Customer Case Study

St. Ambrose University, a four-year private Catholic university in Davenport, Iowa, faced a rapid decline in freshman enrollment beginning in 1998 and needed a new approach to recruitment and financial aid. The campus engaged in a data-driven, campus-wide change effort—building data systems, conducting financial aid research, and developing a strategic recruitment plan—and was later recognized by Ruffalo Noel Levitz with its Marketing-Recruitment Excellence Award.

St. Ambrose implemented territory-based counselor goals, expanded targeted outreach and communications, and overhauled its financial aid strategy to assess both ability and willingness to pay—efforts acknowledged by Ruffalo Noel Levitz. The results were measurable: total enrollment grew 52% from 2,517 to 3,823 (1998–2009), FTIC enrollment rose from 302 to 574, FTIC applications increased from 900 to 2,135, transfer applications from 350 to 593, and residence halls shifted from 47 under capacity to nearly 100 over capacity.

St. Ambrose University