Marketing in higher ed is a make-or-break factor for institutional sustainability and growth. Enrollment pressures are mounting, acquisition costs are rising, and institutions are losing ground to more agile competitors.
That’s why we took a deep dive into what’s working in higher ed media right now. In a recent webinar, we examined the biggest shifts shaping student recruitment, the marketing strategies delivering real ROI, and the opportunities institutions can’t afford to overlook.
If you’re rethinking your approach or trying to prove marketing’s value as a growth driver, this recap distills the most important trends into actionable takeaways you can use right now.
Higher education marketers are in a fight for relevance and revenue. Rising costs, shifting student expectations, and digital saturation have made it harder than ever to attract, convert, and retain students. Meanwhile, marketing budgets aren’t keeping pace with what it now takes to compete. A fundamental shift in strategy has never been needed more.
The global e-learning market is projected to double by 2027, and 70% of institutions plan to increase digital marketing budgets in 2024. Why? Because online programs aren’t just an option anymore — they’re an expectation. Students today want affordability, flexibility, and career-ready education. They want not just a degree, but a clear ROI on their time and money when looking to advance in their current jobs or transition to new ones. Short-term, stackable credentials that provide immediate career benefits while building toward larger degrees are especially attractive to career-focused learners.
Between 2021 and 2023, operational costs surged 12% for private colleges, largely due to rising tech infrastructure and employee benefits. At the same time, larger universities with robust online and hybrid programs are aggressively expanding their market share. This isn’t just a challenge, it’s an existential threat to many institutions’ existence.
You have about three to eight seconds to capture a prospective student’s attention. If your message doesn’t immediately cut through the noise, you’ve lost them. Today’s students are media-savvy and constantly bombarded with content, making authentic storytelling the only way to break through. Schools that fail to create engaging, human-centered messaging risk declining application rates, lower yield, and long-term enrollment struggles.
The cost of acquiring students has skyrocketed. CAC is up 70% over the last five years, but most institutions have only increased marketing budgets by 10% in that same period. Institutions now need to allocate 60-70% more of their budget just to achieve the same acquisition results as five years ago. But marketing budgets haven’t kept pace with rising costs. While everything (from media buys to student outreach) is more expensive, budgets have effectively fallen by 50% compared to their proportional value five years ago. It’s a double-edged sword: higher costs and tighter budgets. Impossible to still meet the same digital objectives.
Tight budgets and fierce competition make a cohesive marketing strategy non-negotiable. Without a clear, unified roadmap, campaigns become disjointed, messaging gets diluted, and enrollment efforts underperform. Schools that align institutional goals with marketing activation (creating a seamless student journey across every touchpoint) will outperform those still treating digital media as a fragmented afterthought.
The challenges facing higher ed marketing aren’t going away any time soon but institutions that adapt strategically can still find ways to reach students effectively and grow enrollment.
While no single tactic is a silver bullet, these emerging trends are shaping how institutions engage with prospective students. Understanding them can help you refine your approach, optimize your budget, and make smarter decisions about where and how to invest in marketing.
AI has seeped into many different areas of our life already and advertising isn’t excluded. AI-powered tools like chatbots deliver 24/7 engagement, addressing prospective students’ questions in real-time while collecting valuable insights for campaigns. When used strategically, AI can also improve ad performance and efficiency. Marketers can leverage machine learning in Google Ads and Meta to analyze audience behavior, test creative variations, and adjust placements based on performance data. Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT and DALL-E further enable the creation of tailored ad content that resonates more effectively. But it’s important to remember that AI is only as effective as the strategy and data behind it, so it’s better to use it to enhance personalization, not replace human connection.
Students are cutting the cord on traditional TV, making CTV platforms like YouTube, Hulu, and Netflix the go-to channels for targeted video ads. CTV combines the flexibility of streaming with precision targeting, allowing universities to engage prospective students with interactive content. Expanded reach is a key factor as approximately 70% of TV viewing time now occurs via streaming services, signaling a major migration from traditional TV to these digital platforms. Additionally, CTV enables hyper-targeted messaging, allowing institutions to tailor ads based on household composition, income level, and educational background to better connect with diverse student segments. Universities can also include direct CTAs such as scheduling campus tours or registering for virtual open houses in some ad formats like shoppable ads. Advertisers using CTV have reported a 60% increase in brand awareness, a 49% boost in brand engagement, and a 25% rise in conversion rates.
With the attention economy shrinking, short-form videos are the emerging hero. Videos under 90 seconds retain 50% of viewers, making them a powerful format for delivering key messages quickly. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts allow universities to showcase their programs, highlight student experiences, and answer common enrollment questions in a way that feels natural and engaging. Short-form videos also drive action with 75% of consumers preferring video over text when learning about a product or service, and these clips generate 2.5 times more engagement than long-form content. For higher ed, this means an opportunity to connect with adult learners and career-focused students in an easily digestible, mobile-friendly format. Authentic storytelling, such as faculty spotlights, alumni success stories, and user-generated content from current students, helps build trust while reinforcing an institution’s value.
Programmatic advertising delivers data-driven, real-time ad placements, allowing institutions to connect with students at different stages of their decision-making journey. Dynamic creative optimization (DCO) takes this a step further, automatically tailoring ad visuals and messaging to individual users based on their behavior and preferences. Programmatic audio ads are also gaining traction, particularly on podcasts and music streaming platforms.
And just when you think you’ve caught up with the latest marketing strategies, the landscape shifts again. New platforms, new algorithms, new audience behaviors. Higher ed marketers barely have time to breathe before the next “must-do” tactic appears. But instead of chasing every shiny object, the key is knowing which trends have staying power and the ability to solve problems for student recruitment.
Virtual campus tours, immersive classroom experiences, and interactive program previews give prospective students a real sense of campus life no matter where they are. As more students research schools remotely, offering AR/VR experiences can set your institution apart, particularly for online, hybrid, and out-of-state prospects. Platforms like Snapchat and Instagram have already introduced AR features, but universities can take it further with custom immersive experiences that showcase their unique academic and campus environments.
Search habits are shifting, and more prospective students are turning to social media instead of Google to research degree programs, career pathways, and universities. TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram are now key discovery channels where people seek real, unfiltered insights into education options. If your institution isn’t optimizing content for these platforms, you’re missing a major visibility opportunity. Creating content that answers common enrollment questions, highlights career outcomes, and showcases student experiences keeps your university part of the conversation where prospects are actively searching.
Google’s shift toward displaying answers directly on search result pages means traditional SEO strategies need to evolve. Rather than relying solely on website traffic, institutions must create high-value content that delivers impact even if a user never clicks through. This means optimizing for featured snippets, crafting compelling knowledge-based content, and using platforms like Google Business Profile and LinkedIn to provide essential program details upfront.
We can all look at the trends and emerging media shifts, but what can you start doing today to improve your marketing outcomes? It’s not just about what tools you use, but how you use them to drive real results. Here are three strategies that can help you maximize ROI, improve efficiency, and make an immediate impact on student engagement and enrollment.
Students don’t need more content. They need answers. If your content isn’t helping them understand their career options, compare programs, or navigate the admissions process, you’re losing them. The institutions that win are the ones creating the most useful content. Audit your existing content and shift your focus from what you want to say to what students need to know.
Most institutions invest in marketing technology (MarTech), but few are using it to its full potential. The key is knowing how to connect data, track meaningful metrics, and optimize for real outcomes and ROI rather than vanity KPIs.
Too many institutions still measure success by Cost Per Inquiry (CPI) but CPI alone doesn’t tell you whether those inquiries lead to enrollments. Instead, use your MarTech stack to track:
Integrating your CRM, marketing automation, and analytics platforms, helps you connect these dots, optimize campaigns based on full-funnel performance, and reallocate budget to the strategies that drive enrollment.
It takes an average of 20 touchpoints across 12 channels and 5 devices to convert a single student. So if your strategy is focused only on clicks and lead forms, you’re missing the bigger picture. Map out your digital ecosystem so that remarketing, email nurturing, and on-platform engagement work together to guide students from initial interest to enrollment.
It’s clear there’s a lot to digest with higher education marketing. But while we outlined many trends, it’s important to remember that reacting to every trend isn’t a strategy. Success comes from intentionally aligning marketing efforts with institutional goals, leveraging the right tools, and focusing on what really moves the needle.
For leadership teams, the priority must be building a resilient digital ecosystem. One that goes beyond generating leads to achieve measurable ROI and drive long-term enrollment growth. Marketing cannot be treated as a cost center. It should be a strategic revenue driver that fuels an institution’s sustainability and competitive edge.
Not every trend will fit every institution’s strategy, and that’s okay. The key is knowing which shifts matter to your audience and how to execute them effectively. Looking for a strategic partner? If you’re ready to refine your marketing approach with a team that knows higher ed inside and out, explore how Oodle can help you maximize impact.
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