Student recruitment strategies in higher education: promoting excellence and diversity? Nicoline Frølich and Bjørn Stensaker Norwegian Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education (NIFU STEP), Oslo, Norway Abstract Purpose – This paper seeks to analyse how excellence and diversity are addressed in student recruitment strategies, and how these strategies are developed in eight Norwegian higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach – The study utilises a theoretical perspective that asserts that strategy is developed through practice. The authors have combined document analysis with qualitative interviews to investigate the development of institutional student recruitment strategies, their characteristics and their links to the individual institution’s profile and ambitions. Findings – The study reveals that student recruitment strategies are often grounded in inherent institutional identities, while at the same time responding to external ideas about excellence and diversity. The study also finds that higher education institutions show significant creativity in trying to adapt to these ideas and general trends, while at the same time maintaining their own characteristics and traditions. Findings suggest that student recruitment strategies are also used for accountability purposes. Given the importance of student recruitment, many higher education institutions attach surprisingly little importance to this issue. Research limitations/implications – The study encompasses only a small number of institutions in a single country, limiting the possibility of generalising aspects of the profile and content of the student recruitment strategies. Nevertheless, the analysis indicates that the processes associated with the development of student recruitment strategies are quite similar, with more emphasis on specific quantitative analytical schemes and less emphasis on other ways of organising strategy development. Originality/value – The paper reveals the importance of placing greater focus on the ways in which strategic processes are organised and identifying the potential for improving the creative organisation of the strategising process. Keywords Students, Higher education, Universities, Recruitment, Norway Paper type Research paper 1. Introduction Higher education institutions (HEIs) throughout the world are facing multiple expectations as to how they should respond to a rapidly changing environment. Deregulation and increased competition within the public sector and between public and private providers are creating a more market-like environment, which influences how universities and colleges profile themselves and compete for students (Gibbs, 2008). For HEIs in this situation, excellence and diversity are key issues for consideration when developing their institutional profile. The promotion of excellence is currently framed as a central strategy that will help HEIs to prosper in an increasingly open and competitive environment, primarily due to advantages HEIs will gain through knowledge transfer, high enrolment and prestige within the scientific community and among the public at large. The striving for The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0951-354X.htm Student recruitment strategies 359 International Journal of Educational Management Vol. 24 No. 4, 2010 pp. 359-370 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0951-354X DOI 10.1108/09513541011045281