Higher education is full of rich, powerful content that can be used to tell stories when attracting prospective students and engaging with alumni. Infographics allow people to understand a message through eye catching, shareable and easily digestible information.
A typical infographic is an image with graphics and text, including statistics about a certain subject. Not only have infographics grown in popularity in higher education, but according to the volume of searches in Google Trends, the popularity of infographics has increased by 800% over two years since 2010.
So what are some of the most popular uses for infographics in higher education?
- Class Profile
- Rankings
- Showcase Outcomes
- Showcase Trends/Thought Leadership
- Answer Questions
Class Profiles
One of the most frequent uses for infographics in higher education (especially with all of the competitive and data-driven B schools) is imparting information about the incoming class profile. Sylvia Haas at UCLA-Anderson provides stats on the incoming EMBA class. Not only do infographics show the diversity of the incoming class, but they also highlight unique stats, such as the industries students are working in and their professional experiences.
Click here to view entire infographic.
Rankings
Interpreting the college ranking systems and categories, from U.S. News and World Report to Princeton Review and Forbes, can be confusing and overwhelming for students, alumni and employers. Even U.S. News has started using infographics — below, they showcase the 30th edition of the U.S. News Best Colleges, decoding the ever-important question of how colleges are ranked.
Click here to view entire infographic.
IE Business School does a great job of showcasing their specific rankings through various sources, from the Financial Times to Bloomberg Business Week and TheEconomist.
Showcase Outcomes
Whether you are talking about your alumni — jobs they’ve landed and graduate programs they’re attending — or making the case for a specific degree, an infographic is a great tool to show the value of a degree and what you can do with it.
This example from UNC Kenan-Flagler not only shows the ROI of an MBA, but it is also rich with data on salaries, income growth, tuition and debt payback. It incorporates information from leading data sources, all in one place.
Click here to view entire infographic.
On the other hand, this infographic details a less popular topic, low-paying masters degrees, but it is still interesting to read.
Click here to view entire infographic.
Showcasing Trends/Thought Leadership
UNC Kenan-Flager presents a compelling infographic on the trend of women leaving the workforce to start their own businesses. The infographic addresses the rise of women in the workforce and incorporates sound bites from women leaders, including Arianna Huffington, Sheryl Sandberg, Rachel Sklar and Sara Blakely. This is a perfect example of taking a trend and putting together useful information to align your institution’s brand with data that interests business leaders and influencers in the marketplace and media.
Click here to view entire infographic.
Answer Questions
The best part of an infographic is not only the clear, scannable and visually interesting content, but the chance to answer questions and generate inbound SEO power by responding to a popular question. As you think about what infographics you want to create, think Google Search Trends and the larger questions students might have about a specific area.
This infographic provides awesome information for any student considering studying abroad.
Click here to view entire infographic.
As you think about creating strategic content and engaging your prospective students and alumni, consider using compelling infographics. If you have powerful examples you would like to share, email me your thoughts.
