How to increase enrollment: A guide for arts ed programs

Natasha Wahid

December 11, 2024

Your arts education program has big goals—to make the arts accessible to everyone, to build emotional connections with the arts and our organization, and to strengthen your community.

“Education isn’t a passive experience. It’s a really active engagement with your organization. Someone who is [learning] with your organization is going on a personal growth journey … and that is a really deep connection with your organization—to be a part of their personal growth.” – Brian Rahill in “How your education program can fuel your organization in 2025”

Education is a powerful way to connect with your patrons, which means when you increase enrollment, you amplify your overall impact. But it all starts with getting students through the door. To help your program act on its mission, we’ve gathered some of our best resources on how to increase enrollment. Put even one of these 10 tips into practice this season, and watch your program grow.

1. Offer classes that engage

Your program serves a unique community. Whether you’re in rural Maine or the heart of Los Angeles, your program can thrive by offering classes rooted in culture and place. Unusual and fun classes make your course catalog more robust and show students you understand their interests. 

• Think about what sets your region or community apart
• Tap into what’s trending in your community and on social media
• Offer classes that take advantage of seasonal changes or explore local industry needs

You naturally increase enrollment when you learn how to tailor classes to fit your community and engage local students.

2. Improve your student experience 

What happens in your classes is important, but it’s just one small part of the student experience. Students are customers too. They expect an easy registration process, responsive customer service, and relevant communication. Make sure they get what they expect with: 

• Online and mobile-friendly registration options
• Autoresponders that let students know how quickly they can expect a response to customer service queries
• Customized marketing communications that match student interests and enrollment history

Keep in mind that most people won’t complain if the experience doesn’t meet their expectations. They’ll just find another class somewhere else. So even if everything seems fine, it’s worth considering how you can improve your student experience.

3.Focus on learner retention 

When you think about how to increase enrollment you probably think about bringing in new students. That’s a good start, but don’t forget about your existing students. CourseStorm customers have found that 35% percent of arts students return for another class. If you maintain a good relationship with them over time, they may enroll again and again. 

In addition to a positive in-class experience, here are a few ways to retain learners:

• Make registration easy and convenient 
• Highlight connections between courses so students know what to take next
• Ask students to opt-in to email marketing about upcoming courses

These and other student retention strategies do more than encourage students to re-enroll. They also create a community of learners who are happy to recommend your program to their friends and family. 

 4. Encourage word of mouth marketing with promotions and campaigns

Your existing students can help increase enrollment in your program through word of mouth. You might think you don’t have much control over whether your students talk to friends and family about your programs, but there are actually several things you can do. 

• Reward students with promo codes that discount their class if they bring a friend
• Include a “send to a friend” prompt in your promotional emails
• Make sure group registration is easy on your website
• Host special bring-a-friend events or open houses

These are just a few of the ways you can ask for referrals from existing students. They’re well worth implementing since 81% of people say they trust the advice of friends and family over marketing messages. 

5.Partner with a local business 

Partnering with a local business whose goals overlap with yours can interest a whole new group of people in your classes. It’s a mutually beneficial way to promote both your program and their business. You can work with a local business by: 

• Bringing guest speakers from the business into your classes
• Mentioning them on your advertising in exchange for funds to cover supplies or classes
• Holding classes at the business’ location. 

To get started, choose the right local business partner in your community and approach them with a proposal for how you might work together.

6. Make class registration mobile friendly

A mobile-friendly class registration system is convenient for students. It allows them to register while sitting at their kid’s soccer game or during their break at work. Adding this level of convenience means students are more likely to register since they don’t have to wait until they’re at their desk to do it. 

Mobile-friendly course catalogs and registration pages: 

• Keep customers engaged by improving their experience
• Break down access barriers
• Rank higher on Google search results

The quickest and easiest way to make sure your class registration works on mobile is to partner with a mobile-friendly class registration software provider, like CourseStorm. 

7. Hit the right price point 

Class pricing is a delicate balance. You need to cover your costs, but also keep classes accessible for students. Set the price too high, and enrollments may suffer. Too low, and your program may struggle with sustainability. 

There’s no perfect system for pricing, but we’ve found a simple strategy that works well for most programs. 

• Step 1: Calculate your overhead plus profit margin
• Step 2: Review the market
• Step 3: Consider the value your class offers learners

These three steps should give you a good starting point for class pricing. From there, test and see what works for your program and its students. For a more in-depth look at how to price your classes, check out our simple class pricing guide.

8. Offer lead magnet classes 

Speaking of pricing, there are some good reasons to consider offering at least a few classes for free or at a lower than usual cost. These “lead magnet” classes lower the barrier of entry to encourage new students to take a chance on your program. 

• Pick an introductory or general-interest class
• Make it free or half-price
• Follow-up by offering related classes at full price

These classes may not be money-makers in the short term, but you can think of them as an investment in a longer-term relationship with students. Free classes can really pay off for your programs. 

9. Promote classes as gifts 

Most of your marketing is probably designed to speak directly to students. If so, you may be missing a valuable market. Parents, partners, and grandparents who are looking for gifts may be persuaded to try gifting classes instead of stuff. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Lean into the idea that classes are a great last-minute gift option
• Show how they’re more eco-friendly than physical gifts
• Highlight how classes build lifelong skills — a gift that “keeps on giving” 

Once you’ve convinced people that classes are great gifts, you have to make it easy to purchase and give them. Learn how to make it easy for people to give your classes as gifts. 

10. Simplify your registration system 

A simple registration system can help you get more enrollments. No more inconvenient phone registrations or registration and payment systems. Free your team from manually managing registrations via spreadsheets and the overselling or unnecessary cancellations that come with it. Simple registration systems eliminate all these headaches. 

Look for a registration system that: 

• Integrates registration and payment in one easy, online process
• Simplifies administration so you never misplace a registration
• Is custom made for classes (not events or retail sales) 

The registration experience can either invite students in, or drive them to go somewhere else. If you think your current class registration system may be holding you back, here are some tips on How to convince your nonprofit board that you need class registration software.

Natasha Wahid

Natasha is a seasoned marketing leader with a curious mind and a passion for storytelling and community. A mission-driven person, Natasha has spent the majority of her career in industries that impact people, including HR and education technology. A firm believer in lifelong learning, Natasha is currently sharpening her roller skating skills and dusting off her Italian.