Scrolling for Success: How Social Media Shapes College Planning for Students

Let us be honest: College planning is not just about campus tours and glossy brochures anymore. These days, it is about late-night scrolling. It is about finding your future in a 15-second TikTok or watching a day-in-the-life dorm vlog on YouTube, possibly squeezed between a skateboarding dog and a viral dance challenge. And let us admit it, none of this is mindless. Students make real decisions right there in the middle of the scroll, about where they belong, who they want to be, and what opportunities are out there (Astleitner & Schlick, 2025).

That is the story the 2025 E-Expectations Trend Report tells us. Social media is not a bonus channel for student outreach; it is the front door. In fact, 63% of students are on Instagram, but only 53% see college content there. That is a missed opportunity (RNL, Halda, & Modern Campus, 2025). Here is the twist: Colleges know social is powerful, too. The 2025 Marketing and Recruitment Practices Report for Undergraduate Students shows that enrollment teams rank social media, retargeted, and video ads among their most effective digital tactics. Still, when it comes time to pull out their wallets, colleges spend most of their spending on Instagram and Facebook, while TikTok and YouTube, where teenagers spend much of their time, are left underused (RNL, 2025).

Social media is where the search begins

The E-Expectations data shows that for 56% students, social media matters most when they start thinking about college. Before they ever request information or take a tour, they are watching you. They are searching for clues, hints, and maybe a sign that this could be their future home.

We know they are asking themselves:

• “Could I see myself there?”
• “Do these students look like me?”
• “Would I fit in?”

This lines up with findings from the Pew Research Center (2024), which reports that over 90% of teenagers use social media every day, and platforms like Instagram and TikTok are where they are most active. More importantly, teenagers rely on these platforms for support in decision-making, including school decisions (American Student Assistance, 2021).

For first-generation and underrepresented students, that early scroll matters even more. Social media often serves as their first “window in,” a way to explore campus life and build confidence before they ever reach out (Wohn, Ellison, Khan, Fewins-Bliss, & Gray, 2013; Brown, Pyle, & Ellison, 2022). Maybe they are wondering if the dining hall food is as good as those Instagram stories claim, or if the students in the videos hang out together.

Your social media should say:

“We see you. We want you to feel welcome before you even set foot on campus.”

Yet, the 2025 Marketing Practices Report suggests that many institutions lead with brand identity campaigns, polished facilities videos, or rankings rather than authentic student stories that help them feel like they belong (RNL, 2025). Students are looking for belonging; colleges are still showing off prestige. That gap is where connections can get lost.

What makes students follow?

The E-Expectations data makes one thing clear: Students want more than glossy photos. They want real, raw, relevant content that speaks to their life and dreams.

• 37% follow colleges for student life content.
• 31% want “the lowdown” on how to apply.
• 30% are all about content in their major

That desire for honesty is backed up by research: High school students value user-generated content for authenticity but still expect official accounts to provide reliable information. The sweet spot is when both work together (Karadağ, Tosun, & Ayan, 2024). Emotional validation from peers does not just spark a like; it deepens their sense of connection (Brandão & Ramos, 2024). In other words, students are not just following but searching for a place where they feel understood.

Not just where, but when

The E-Expectations data details a crucial truth: Social media matters most when students start college planning. More than half (56%) are scrolling and watching before picking up a brochure or visiting a website. After that, social media’s influence drops steadily as they move through applications, visits, and acceptance. By the time they are accepted, only 21% say social media still plays a significant role (RNL, 2025).

The Marketing Practices Report, however, shows that many colleges still dial up their social spend around yield campaigns (RNL, 2025). That timing mismatch means institutions may miss the critical “imagination phase” when students decide if a school even makes their list. We want to meet them at the beginning, not just at the finish line.

Other research backs this up: Universities with consistent, active presences across platforms are far more likely to stay on students’ minds (Capriotti, Oliveira, & Carretón, 2024), and aligning posts with algorithmic sequencing ensures they see the content when it matters (Cingillioglu, Gal, & Prokhorov, 2024). We want to make sure we are in their feed when they need us the most, not just when institutions need them.

Human connections start with digital ones

Behind every follow, like, and story tap is a student looking for an exciting and safe future. Research on elite universities shows the highest engagement comes from Instagram content that blends professionalism with authenticity (Bonilla Quijada, Perea Muñoz, Corrons, & Olmo-Arriaga, 2022). Prospective students use social media to assess fit, culture, and belonging in admissions (Jones, 2023).

When we lean into authentic stories on students’ platforms, we can transform social media from a megaphone into a welcome mat. The 2025 Marketing and Recruitment Practices Report shows that social ads are effective, but they work best when they align with the raw, real, and relevant content students say draws them in (RNL, 2025).

This is what we should be doing

Institutions should aim to do more than hope students do not scroll past. Encourage exploration, curiosity, and the search for stories that sound like their own. Teenagers are not interested in polished perfection alone; they are looking for something real that feels possible for them.

You, as institutions, need to show up where students are. Meet them in their late-night scroll, not just in a campus brochure. Answer their questions about laundry machines and dining hall mysteries, as well as the questions about belonging and opportunity. When you share genuine stories and welcome every curiosity, no matter how unusual, you help students see themselves on your campuses.

Our collective mission goes beyond applications and acceptance rates. We want students to find their people, place, and purpose. We care about more than numbers; we care about each student’s journey. Let us help them write the next chapter, not just enroll for the next semester.

Be the reason a student stops scrolling and starts imagining a future with you!

Students are already scrolling. The question is: Will they stop on your story? Get the data, benchmarks, and practical recommendations in the 2025 E-Expectations Report. The late-night scroll is real. Let’s make sure students find you there! Explore the 2025 E-Expectations Report for practical strategies to build authentic, high-impact connections with prospective students.

References

• American Student Assistance. (2021). How Gen Z approaches decision-making: Education and career.
• Astleitner, H., & Schlick, S. (2025). The social media use of college students: Exploring identity development, learning support, and parallel use. Active Learning in Higher Education, 26(1), 231–254.
• Bonilla Quijada, M. del R., Perea Muñoz, E., Corrons, A., & Olmo-Arriaga, J.-L. (2022). Engaging students through social media: Findings for the top five universities in the world. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 32(2), 197–214.
• Brandão, A., & Ramos, Á. S. (2024). “Your comments boost my value!” The mediator role of emotional brand attachment between brand equity and social media engagement. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 34(2), 1220–1249.
• Brown, M., Pyle, C., & Ellison, N. B. (2022). “On my head about it”: College aspirations, social media participation, and community cultural wealth. Social Media + Society, 1–14.
• Capriotti, P., Oliveira, A., & Carretón, C. (2024). A model for assessing the active presence of institutions on social media: Application to universities worldwide. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 34(2), 1035–1055.
• Cingillioglu, I., Gal, U., & Prokhorov, A. (2024). Social media marketing for student recruitment: An algorithmically sequenced literature review. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 34(2), 1101–1123.
• Jones, S. A. (2023). Student perceptions of social media in the admissions process (Publication No. 543) [Doctoral dissertation, Abilene Christian University]. Digital Commons @ ACU.
• Karadağ, H., Tosun, P., & Ayan, B. (2024). User-generated and brand-generated content as indicators of university brand personality and business strategy. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 34(2), 646–668.
• Pew Research Center. (2024, December 12). Teens, social media and technology 2024.
• Ruffalo Noel Levitz. (2025). 2025 marketing and recruitment practices report for undergraduate students. Ruffalo Noel Levitz.
• Ruffalo Noel Levitz, Halda, & Modern Campus. (2025). 2025 E-Expectations trend report. Ruffalo Noel Levitz.
• Wohn, D. Y., Ellison, N. B., Khan, M. L., Fewins-Bliss, R., & Gray, R. (2013). The role of social media in shaping first-generation high school students’ college aspirations: A social capital lens. Computers & Education, 63, 424–436.