As I have already noted, the use of market research techniques has grown rapidly during the past ten years. Many market research methods have emerged during this time period.
Survey research is the most popular form of market research.
Colleges survey their inquiring students, their applicants, their admitted students and their matriculated students. The intent is to determine the perceived strengths and weaknesses of their institution and to determine how prospective students compare the institution to others they are considering. Many institutions of higher education have developed their own survey instruments, but organizations like The College Board and Maguire and Associates have also developed instruments. In addition to survey instruments, focus groups have become a popular way to study institutional image. One danger of focus groups in particular is that they appear to be simple and many institutions have used them without sufficient expertise which raises serious questions about the utility of the findings.