5 Ways Students Use Social Media When Choosing Universities

The student recruitment landscape has transformed completely over the past year. The pandemic has shifted the entire higher education community online, taking with it traditional recruitment activities like on-campus events, tours, and high school visits. 

This has meant the role of social media as a source of information has exploded, with 83% of students now relying on social channels to help them pick their college. 

Marketing leaders in higher education have adapted their strategies to suit the new landscape. But to make these activities count, a better understanding of how students are using social media to make their decisions is needed.

We’ve analyzed Brandwatch data alongside Unibuddy data to get a full view of what students are discussing when researching universities. Brandwatch is able to analyze 10 years of historical data across over 100 million sources, while Unibuddy provides a unique lens on anonymous direct messages sent between prospective students and college ambassadors. 

Let’s jump in!