Lansing Community College (LCC) desired to consolidate its multiple off-campus programs into fewer facilities, called Learning Centers, to offer better and more consistent service than could be provided when using facilities owned and operated by third parties. Anderson Economic Group was retained to provide a market analysis and location strategy to identify locations that offer the best access to potential students, and fulfill the requirements of the college.

As the baseline of our analysis, we completed a demographic assessment of the Lansing Community College service area using our Geographic Information System (GIS) and historical LCC student data. We then conducted a rigorous analysis of 25 regions in the college’s service area. We narrowed the list of potential markets based on population thresholds and projected student penetration rates, as well as other factors like transportation linkages, highway visibility, access, and proximity to other urban areas. We then assessed specific sites, and were able to recommend a location strategy aligning the college’s facility requirements with market opportunities and available sites.

We documented our market analysis, methodology, and findings in a report for the college. This included an executive summary, sections to detail our findings and recommendations, and a full data appendix with market demographics and trend information that the college can use in other planning efforts. The report was provided to the college’s director of learning centers, and used in their expansion plans.