We started Boxcar Digital with an idea that students deserve a better way to discover colleges. Gen Alpha is growing up with social media, instant answers and AI, and the way they find and evaluate colleges is changing. We help institutions prepare for what’s next while continuing to reach today’s students.
13%
Fewer U.S. high school graduates projected from the 2025 peak to 2041
17%
Fewer Northeast high school graduates projected in 2041 versus 2023
27%
Fewer New York high school graduates projected in 2041 versus 2023
What we are building for
What we are building for
Every institution has a different opportunity
National projections only tell part of the story. Transfer students, adult learners, program demand, college participation and students’ willingness to travel all shape your recruitment market. We help colleges understand what’s happening in their own market, not just what the national numbers and headlines say.
01
Local insight
Understand which programs and recruitment areas have the most potential.
Markets
Markets
Programs
Programs
Demand
Demand
02
A stronger program story
Give students a clear sense of what they’ll study, campus life and where the program can take them.
Creative
Creative
Video
Video
Outcomes
Outcomes
03
Be visible where students search
Make accurate, useful program information easy to find across search, video, social and AI tools.
Search
Search
Social
Social
AI tools
AI tools
04
A better mobile experience
Help prospective students move from interest to taking the next step.
Mobile
Mobile
Landing pages
Landing pages
Next steps
Next steps
How the next generation discovers college
How the next generation discovers college
A college website matters, but so does everything students see before they get there
We consider Generation Alpha to start in 2010, making the high school class of 2028 its oldest group. They’ll begin applying to college when the Common App opens on August 1, 2027. AI is already part of the college search for many students, with 46% saying they used it during their search in a 2025 EAB survey.
Video
Video
A student’s TikTok
Students hear from social media and other students, forming opinions about colleges long before they apply.
AI
AI
An answer from an AI assistant
Students are turning to AI to find out which colleges offer certain programs, how much they cost and how admissions works.
Family
Family
A conversation with a parent
Parents will always play an important role in how students think about college and make their decision.
Website
Website
A clear explanation of tuition and outcomes
Give students a straightforward picture of what college will cost and where the program can lead.
Designed for Gen Alpha, valuable for students now
Enrollment-level learning
Enrollment-level learning
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Campaign decisions tied to applications, appointments and starts when the data is available.
Learning that connects to enrollment
Better information
Better information
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Accurate program details, costs and outcomes that students can easily find and compare.
Information that students need.
More engaging creative
More engaging creative
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Student-centered stories that help people see possibilities they may not have considered.
Visualizing what’s possible.
More thoughtful follow-up
More thoughtful follow-up
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Timely, useful updates for today’s students, shaped with admissions teams and informed by their needs.
Support today’s students while preparing for what’s next
Frequently Asked Questions
What years is Generation Alpha?
When will Gen Alpha start college?
What is the enrollment cliff?
Which states will be most affected by the demographic cliff?
How is Gen Alpha different from Gen Z?
How should colleges market to Gen Alpha?
©2026 Boxcar Digital, the enrollment practice of Manhattan Strategies LLC
