A fresh look at market segments in urban higher education

Urban schools segment students into Direct from High School (DHS) or "Traditional" and adult or "Nontraditional" based on presumed scheduling and program preferences and media access. Grouping enrollment and survey data from one institution by permanent residence, class schedules, and campus participation produced a modified picture: local DHS students are more like adults than out-of-town DHS students. "Campus-centered" and "community-centered" are proposed to replace "traditional" and "nontraditional" concepts. Implications of this reconceptualization are developed.