How Graduate Schools Compete and Win in an ROI-Driven Market

Today’s graduate students are united by a single defining motivation: career advancement. With 86% of students citing professional goals as their primary reason for pursuing a graduate degree, and that number growing year over year, graduate programs that make career outcomes visible and accessible have a measurable competitive edge. 

But most institutions have a gap between what they offer and what they promote. Data from the 2026 NAGAP & PeopleGrove Survey reveals that alumni networking and mentorship are the career opportunities students want most, yet they receive the least institutional investment.  

In this 30-minute session,  Aaron Mahl, PhD, Senior Vice President at PeopleGrove, will share key findings from the 2026 NAGAP & PeopleGrove survey and walk through a connection-centered enrollment model designed to help graduate programs attract, engage, and yield more students by making career connection a strategy, not just a feature.  

He’ll also explore how predictive analytics data across your prospective student and alumni community surfaces actionable insights for recruitment, retention, and advancement teams. 

Join us to walk away with: 

• Data-backed insights on what graduate students expect from programs today 
• A framework for closing the gap between career assets and recruitment visibility 
• Practical tactics for leveraging your most underutilized asset – your alumni 
• A self-assessment to identify where your program has the most immediate opportunity 

Who should attend: Graduate enrollment leaders, program directors, and student success professionals at institutions with master’s or professional graduate programs.