Community college marketing Has A discovery problem

Community college enrollment grew 3% in fall 2025. The cost advantage has never been wider. Public trust is higher than it's been in a decade. And a prospective student asking ChatGPT where to start her healthcare career probably didn't find you. The way students discover institutions has been fundamentally rewired by AI search — and most community college marketing teams are still running a 2018 playbook. Here's what changed, what the stealth applicant trend actually means for your funnel, and what to build next.