Advertising in Higher Education & Why Universities Are Doing It 

Advertising in higher education isn’t necessarily anything new. It actually started as far back as the early 20th century when Harvard, in Boston, Massachusetts, and Columbia University, in New York City, feared declines in enrollment due to increasing competition from Yale and Princeton for affluent students. In response, they issued press releases announcing a 500-student limit on their freshmen classes.

While these early marketing efforts were devoted to creating the appearance of exclusivity, the practice has evolved over time. Schools now use various types of marketing efforts to stand out in a sea of options. As best practices continue to shift and change, institutions are incorporating digital strategies and social media marketing along with optimizing their sites to perform well in today’s artificial intelligence (AI)-driven search results to boost enrollment.

Why Are Colleges Advertising for Students? 

Student enrollment in higher education grew steadily from 1970 through 2010, reaching a peak of 18,082,427 students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). After that point, enrollment began to decline, dropping roughly 15% between 2010 and 2022, before showing early signs of recovery in 2023 and beyond.

However, the nationwide decline in enrollment is only one of the factors in play. Colleges and universities are also facing rising competition from the growing number of institutions offering online learning options. In fact, online learning has grown exponentially since its inception in 2000. From 2011 through 2021, the number of students opting to take advantage of massive open online courses (MOOCs) grew by 190,000 learners. Additionally, online degrees are typically significantly cheaper to earn — a savings of $30,545 on average, according to the Education Data Initiative.

Demographics are shifting, as well, with a decline in the number of college-age students that will last through at least 2041. Data from the Western Commission for Higher Education suggests that there will be 13% fewer high school graduates in 2041 than in 2025. 

All the changes in the higher education landscape create a unique need for institutions to work harder to grab prospective students’ attention. When it’s done correctly, higher education marketing helps do just that.

Advertising in Higher Education — What It Looks Like 

Ads for colleges and universities aren’t significantly different from other types of advertisements. Print campaigns, which once relied heavily on ads in newspapers and magazines, remain part of the strategy for many schools. In some markets, billboards, brochures, and printed materials can still be effective.

However, today’s higher education marketing efforts are increasingly digitized, which allows schools to meet potential students of all ages online. 

Digital Campaigns & Retargeting Ads 

Students (and their parents) don’t wait around for information to come to them — they actively seek it out. A strong digital strategy ensures schools appear in web searches, social media platforms, and AI-driven search results where prospects are already looking. 

Paid search, display banners, social media targeting, and retargeting ads allow colleges and universities to engage prospective students across multiple touchpoints. Retargeting plays a key role in this mix by re-engaging visitors who showed interest but didn’t take action. The process is cost-effective and helps nurture leads by providing more information and guidance throughout the decision-making journey. 

Using data and audience segmentation, schools can tailor messages to meet prospects at each stage of their higher education journey. For example, showing one message to someone who visited a program page and a different one to someone who abandoned a partially completed application. That’s why it’s important to retarget for higher conversions. 

Best Practice: Optimize visibility and personalization by tailoring digital and retargeting ads to student behaviors for higher conversions. 

Content Marketing 

Creating relevant, informative, valuable content engages audiences to increase brand recognition for the institution. Blog posts, student stories, career outcomes, podcasts, and videos all provide prospective enrollees with the details needed to drive decisions. These tools also help direct them to the school’s website and other resources to help them throughout their learning journeys. 

Best Practice: Lead with authenticity.

SEO for Universities 

Search engine optimization helps schools gain visibility online. What is SEO and why is it important for universities? The 2025 Engaging the Modern Learner Report from EducationDynamics suggests that 58% of students begin their searches with the names of specific colleges and universities. “Best colleges for [program]” searches are also popular.

But here’s the challenge: 60% of searches related to higher education end up yielding zero clicks. Instead, searchers are using the AI-generated answers from search engines that appear at the top of the page. Institutions that aren’t mentioned in the AI results are often excluded from consideration altogether.

Best Practice: Create SEO- and AI-optimized content to increase visibility.

The Student Perspective — Why Ads Work 

Ads targeting college students help build a connection and define the value of an education from that institution. At their heart, schools want to attract students who will benefit from what they offer and talented faculty members capable of delivering a quality education. 

Higher education marketing is highly effective for various reasons, including: 

• Meeting prospective students where they are: Today’s learners spend their time online and on popular social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. 
• Personalization using data and AI: Embracing technological advances and harnessing available data drives tailored messaging. For example, schools might show students ads based on their searches for majors or degrees. 
• Building trust: Using elements like testimonials, virtual tours, and case studies improves students’ and families’ confidence in the school’s educational value. 

Case Studies in Higher Education Advertising (E-E-A-T) 

In 2021, Auburn University collaborated with higher education marketing specialists to broaden its reach. Using a mix of varied messaging and responsive marketing across various channels resulted in a 73% increase in applications and strengthened the school’s brand recognition.

Other notable examples of higher education advertising in action include:

• University of Houston: Among its various marketing efforts, the university uses its YouTube channel to shine a spotlight on esteemed faculty and alumni like Brené Brown. 
• University for the Creative Arts: Recognizing its audience’s desire for authentic storytelling, UCA utilizes immersive videos that bring student stories to life for optimal engagement. 
• Huston-Tillotson University: This Austin, Texas, school experienced a 30% decrease in applications after the pandemic. After implementing strategies like digital and social media marketing, the school recovered and achieved a record high for enrollment among first-time students. 

Why Universities Partner with Agencies Like E10K 

Partnering with an agency allows colleges and universities to keep pace with the rapidly evolving market, and the higher educational landscape is increasingly complex. In addition to the challenges that institutions face, such as an increasingly competitive market and declining enrollment statistics, the ways students search have evolved.

To remain competitive, it’s essential to partner with experts who understand the nuances of higher education marketing and how to connect data-driven strategies with measurable enrollment results. At E10K, the team takes a robust and holistic approach using a mix of SEO, paid media, content marketing, and creative execution. Schools that partner with E10K receive access to data-driven dashboards, which demonstrate the return on investment and enrollment trends. Contact us today to start building a strategy that helps your institution stand out and grow enrollment.