Nation's Most Innovative Colleges and Universities Recognized at Eduventures Summit 2026

Award Winners Announced at Eduventures Summit Include Claremont Graduate University, Georgia State University, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Southeastern Louisiana University, University of Cambridge, and University of Maryland Global Campus

CHICAGO, June 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Encoura®, an industry-leading educational technology, marketing, and research organization, today announced the winners of the annual Eduventures® Research Innovation Awards Program at Eduventures Summit 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. The Innovation Awards Program honors institutions that exemplify Encoura's commitment to advancing innovation and improving outcomes in higher education. This year's submissions reflected bold, forward-thinking initiatives addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing colleges and universities today.

Encoura and its Eduventures Research division celebrated the award winners, selected by Encoura's panel of judges, at a ceremony that took place during the Summit. Innovation Award winners were announced by Todd Boullion, Chief Marketing Officer at Encoura, and Brittany Leiva, Senior Director of Communications and Events at Encoura.

The 2026 Innovation Award winners and categories include:

• Claremont Graduate University — Excellence in AI, for transforming graduate education through human-centered AI competency intelligence
• Georgia State University — Next Generation Recruitment, for its data-informed yield marketing and student experience strategy for first-year student conversion
• Southeastern Louisiana University — Next Generation Recruitment, for leveraging dual enrollment programs as a primary admission pipeline
• University of Maryland Global Campus — Adult Learner Recruitment, for awarding academic credit for military rank
• Metropolitan State University of Denver — Student Success, for bridging critical gaps between diverse, first-generation students and Denver-area industry professionals to foster equitable career access
• University of Cambridge — Program Innovation, for "Learning by Doing," an evidence-based pedagogical framework that redesigned the rhythm of learning in undergraduate economics

Two winners were selected by the judges for the Next Generation Recruitment category: Georgia State University and Southeastern Louisiana University. Representatives from University of Cambridge and Metropolitan State University of Denver were unable to attend the ceremony but were recognized as award recipients.

About the Innovation Awards Program

Now in its 11th year, the Eduventures Innovation Awards Program honors organizations and teams that are shaping the future of higher education. Entries are submitted in five categories and are designed to identify higher education institutions that have demonstrated significant innovation when developing and implementing programs that impact these areas:

• Next Generation Recruitment (Traditional Students): A new enrollment management or marketing strategy in a fast-changing environment
• Online or Adult Learner Recruitment (Undergraduate or Graduate): A new target audience or marketing strategy for these learners
• Student Success: A new effort to define and improve student outcomes
• Excellence in AI: A new means of leveraging AI to better systems or student experience
• Program Innovation: A new approach to teaching and learning, student support, or new programs

Judges select winners from written applications and, if needed, conduct follow-up interviews. Entries are scored on value to the institution, innovation, and relevance to the mission of the school and are announced in conjunction with the annual Eduventures Summit.

"This year's winners show what's possible when institutions stop treating innovation as a separate initiative and start building it into the core of how they operate — from how they recruit students, to how they recognize learning, to how they prepare graduates for an AI-driven world," said Cara Quackenbush, Executive Vice President of Eduventures Research at Encoura. "Each of these institutions saw an opportunity, backed it with data, and proved it works. That's exactly what these awards are meant to celebrate."

About Encoura, LLC
Encoura is an educational technology, marketing, and research organization serving over 2,000 higher education institutions across the nation. Since 1972, Encoura has been a leading provider of strategic consulting, data science, and engagement solutions that connect institutions to the communities they serve. In 2025, Encoura expanded its capabilities with its acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL). This combined expertise now spans enrollment, marketing, student success, and advancement, providing institutions with comprehensive solutions to achieve their goals throughout the student lifecycle.

For more information, visit https://encoura.org.

Members of the media can contact Todd Boullion at [email protected].

SOURCE Encoura