Georgia State University Earns CASE Circle of Excellence Award for Undergraduate Enrollment Campaign

ATLANTA - Georgia State University was recently honored with the 2026 Bronze Circle of Excellence Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) for its innovative undergraduate enrollment campaign, a data-driven marketing initiative designed to help admitted students successfully transition to enrollment.

The award recognizes excellence in the Marketing Initiatives category and highlights the university's strategic use of digital communications to engage prospective students during the critical period between admission and the start of the fall semester.

The campaign delivered sequenced messaging to admitted students and their parents across multiple digital platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and Google. Messaging evolved throughout the enrollment journey, reinforcing Georgia State's status as a highly active R1 research university, its campus transformation initiatives and the career outcomes of its graduates, before encouraging students to complete key enrollment milestones such as orientation registration.

"With a focus on reaching students with the right message at the right time, this campaign demonstrated the power of data-informed communications to support student success and enrollment goals," said Jo Ann Herold, vice president for Public Relations and Marketing Communications. "Supporting students during this critical time in their transition into higher education is paramount and at the core of our Panther values."

The results were significant. The campaign's $125,000 investment generated $3.2 million in attributed tuition revenue and achieved a 28-to-1 return. The initiative also reduced "summer melt," a term used to describe students who enroll but ultimately do not begin classes in the fall, from 22 percent to 8 percent and contributed to the university's lowest post-admission drop-off rate in 13 years.

CASE judges praised the campaign as a "strong, data-driven enrollment strategy" that demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of the student decision-making journey. Judges specifically cited the campaign's audience segmentation, targeted messaging and carefully timed communications as key strengths. They noted that the initiative showcased how thoughtful targeting, behavioral insights and sustained engagement can successfully influence enrollment outcomes.

The CASE Circle of Excellence Awards recognize outstanding achievement in advancement services, alumni relations, communications, fundraising and marketing across educational institutions worldwide.