A new program, a new market, an upcoming class or a fresh look at the entire enrollment experience. We would love to hear what you are planning.
The first Gen Alpha enrollment agency
Enrolling the next generation of college students.
Boxcar Digital is a higher education enrollment marketing agency built for Gen Alpha recruitment. The pool of high school graduates is shrinking, and the colleges that grow will be the ones students find first and choose on purpose. We're the first enrollment marketing agency designed around Gen Alpha.
Found you in search
Watched a student video
Asked an AI assistant
Opened the program page
Booked a campus visit
Enrolled for fall
A new chapter for college recruitment
13% fewer
U.S. high school graduates projected from the 2025 peak to 2041.
Source: WICHE, 2024
27% fewer
New York high school graduates projected in 2041 versus 2023.
Source: WICHE, 2024
46% of students
Surveyed high school students reported using AI during their college search.
Source: EAB, 2026
Make enrollment marketing your competitive advantage
Fewer students to reach means every recruitment dollar has to work harder. Knowing exactly who you’re trying to enroll is no longer a nice-to-have.
You’ll see where your students come from, which programs they’re weighing and where they drop off between a first visit and a deposit. Then you can focus your budget on the programs and markets with the most room to grow.
ALREADY HAPPENING!
Give your President and Board of Trustees confidence
Closures, mergers and shrinking graduating classes make the news every month. Campuses that plan recruitment now have more room to choose their own path.
Closure
Hampshire College will close after the fall 2026 semester
Read at source ↗
Closure
Anna Maria College ends academic operations after 80 years
Read at source ↗
Trend
At least eight nonprofit colleges have announced 2026 closures
Read at source ↗
Demographics
U.S. high school graduates expected to peak in 2025, then decline
Read at source ↗
The Common App opens for the class of 2028 on August 1, 2027. It's the first class with Gen Alpha.
Is your campus ready for them?
280
Days
09
Hours
41
Minutes
27
Seconds
Built for Gen Alpha
Be the college Gen Alpha explores first
Today’s middle and high school students form opinions about college long before they apply. They look for answers on their phones, take cues from other students and ask AI tools what’s possible. Your programs should be easy to find in every one of those places.
That doesn’t mean chasing every new platform. It means clear program information, honest stories about student life and a next step that makes sense on their phone.
Meet the next generation →What students ask AI assistants now
Which colleges have this program?
What does it cost?
Can I study at night?
How does admission work?
We know the student journey, and it’s different
For Gen Alpha, five moments help turn a curious prospect into your next alum.
01
Be part of the search
Show up where students look: search, social, video, AI-assisted discovery and well-placed paid media.
02
Show what makes the program special
Bring its people, opportunities and practical details to life.
03
Make it easy to learn more
Give students a fast, clear path from an ad or search result to the information they came for.
04
Stay in touch
Work with admissions on timely, useful follow-up that helps students take the next step.
05
Learn from enrollment results
Look past clicks and inquiries to see which efforts actually contribute to enrollment.
Enrollment strategy
Paid recruitment media
Creative and content
Websites and program pages
AI discovery
Student communications
Enrollment analytics
For community and technical colleges, four-year institutions, career schools, graduate and continuing education programs.
Proof
Our approach is tested and proven.
Higher Ed in the Trades
Simplifying Enrollment, Amplifying Results Through Customized Digital Experiences
214
ad variations tested across search and social
18
program landing pages
10.65%
landing-page conversion, up from 2.6%
−32%
cost per lead
$3M
in additional tuition revenue the client reported in the first 11 months, with marketing spend unchanged.
PROCUREMENT READY
Security your IT office can trust
Student data deserves the same level of protection as any other campus system. Security requirements are covered from the start.
Audited
SOC 2 Type II
Independently audited security controls. Our report is available to your IT team under NDA.
No contractors
Full-time, New York–based
Everyone working on your campaigns and your data is a full-time Boxcar employee in New York State.
Certified
NYS Small Business Enterprise
Certified by New York State, with the documentation public institutions ask for at contracting.
Compliant
Privacy and accessibility
Consent-aware tracking across state lines, including New Jersey and Connecticut, and ADA-aware web work.
Fits into the systems your campus already uses
No need to replace your existing systems. We work with your IT and admissions teams to make sure each integration fits before it goes live.
IN USE WITH CLIENTS TODAY
Salesforce
Google Ads
Meta Ads
Google Analytics 4
BigQuery
Zapier
READY FOR INTEGRATION
Slate
HubSpot
Element451
Ellucian
Microsoft Dynamics 365
Oracle
Industry-Leading Partner
Award-winning creative, working for your campus.
Adweek
2024 Fastest-Growing Agency
Inc. Power Partner
2025 Best US Power Partner
Marcom Awards
2025 Platinum and Gold
Inc. 5000
2024 Fastest-Growing Private Company
Who we help recruit
Community colleges
Four-year publics
Private colleges
Career and trade schools
Graduate programs
Continuing education
Online programs
Transfer students
Adult learners
Out-of-state recruits
Parents and families
Admitted students
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©2026 Boxcar Digital, the enrollment practice of Manhattan Strategies LLC