900% ROI isn’t luck. It’s Everspring.
How Chico State’s College of Business Built a High-Growth Online Program With Everspring
In 2019, California State University, Chico's (Chico State) College of Business had no online programs. Despite growing demand for online MBAs, they lacked digital infrastructure and reach—especially across rural Northern California. The school needed to act fast to stay competitive and expand access.
They weren’t just looking for an agency. They wanted a strategic partner who could:
- Validate the market opportunity
- Forecast job outcomes and community impact
- Recommend the right scale and go-to-market plan
- Drive enrollment efficiently, with flexible support and a cost-effective model
Everspring stepped in as both strategist and execution partner.
We began with deep market research—analyzing job demand, student interest, competition, and alumni insights. The result: clear proof that an online MBA would thrive. We mapped out the opportunity, differentiated positioning, and the tactics to win.
Next, we launched a full-funnel digital marketing campaign:
- Segmented targeting of high-intent prospects
- SEO-optimized microsite and custom landing pages
- Paid media campaigns (search, social, alumni outreach)
- Messaging tuned to Chico’s brand and audience
- Ongoing A/B testing and performance optimization
To turn qualified leads into enrollments, we also delivered direct admissions support—including dedicated advisors, 1:1 student engagement, and conversion-focused webinars—to drive action through every stage of the enrollment funnel.
This wasn’t off-the-shelf. Every piece of strategy, creative, and media spend was tailored to get Chico State’s program off the ground—fast.
From day one, Chico State had full visibility into every campaign, every tactic, and every outcome. Everspring’s transparent approach—backed by shared dashboards and aligned scorekeeping—created the conditions for confidence and speed. This allowed Chico’s internal teams to stay focused knowing they had a proven, expert partner driving results behind the scenes. This close collaboration was critical to delivering fast, measurable impact at scale.
Results
- 1,100+ total new students
- 500 MBA
- 500 BBA
- 30 Computer Science
- 10x return on marketing fees (900% ROI)
- Major net-new revenue across three programs
Marketing Perfomance
- 2–5x higher engagement than industry norms
- 3x better lead-to-start conversion rate
- 3x lower cost-per-start than benchmarks
From Interest to Impact
500 MBA | 500 BBA | 30 Computer Science
3x better lead-to-start conversion rate
3x lower cost-per-start than benchmarks
Significant net-new revenue across three programs
“Everspring’s support has been invaluable to the success of our online business programs. Their market research allowed us to gain institutional support to build our new programs, and they’ve worked with our internal marketing team seamlessly to develop marketing that generates strong enrollments and enhances Chico State’s brand in the market.”
