The days of glossy prospectuses and stuffy open days being the only way to attract students are over. Today, the most powerful tool for student recruitment isn't a leaflet, it's social media. Specifically, it's TikTok. 

If your institution is still on the fence about the platform, you could be missing out on engaging the next generation of students where they live, search and make decisions.

TikTok has over 30 million monthly users in the UK alone. Crucially, 74% are aged 18 - 24, the exact demographic universities are trying to reach. On top of that, the average user opens the app 20 times per day so the opportunity for visibility and engagement is undeniable.

Marketing to younger generations isn't about traditional advertising. It’s about authenticity, community and meeting your audience on their terms. TikTok, with its short-form, interest-based algorithm, is the perfect channel for this. It allows universities to show their personality in a way that feels genuine, not polished.

A new era of higher education marketing
For a long time, universities have relied on formal, information-heavy marketing. However prospective students today want to see the real student experience. Increasingly, Gen Z uses TikTok as a search engine, with 40% of young people now turning to TikTok or Instagram instead of Google when looking for information. They’re using TikTok to get a feel for a university's campus, social life and academic culture.

This is a global trend that is only growing every year. In the US, the viral phenomenon of "RushTok" perfectly illustrates this. Colleges like the University of Alabama have seen their sorority recruitment process explode into a cultural moment, with millions of people following along; even Netflix is creating a documentary about the process. 

While this might be a US-specific example, it highlights a crucial point: students are using TikTok to document and discover university life in a way that feels raw and unfiltered. For UK universities, this means that instead of just telling students what life is like, they can show them - and that’s a strategy that's far more compelling.

How do universities use TikTok for recruitment?
A great TikTok marketing strategy for universities goes beyond simply posting videos. It's about becoming a part of the conversation. The most successful accounts are the ones that feel like they're run by students, for students, and most importantly, understand students. This could mean featuring a 'day in the life' video from a current student or a quick-fire Q&A with a lecturer that answers questions in a fun, accessible way. 

However, with every university doing similar things, you need to make sure your personality and what makes your campus different really shines through. The content that performs best on the platform is often low-fi and spontaneous, so there's no need for big-budget productions.

By embracing this style of content, universities are able to provide a real look at life on campus and build a community long before a student even applies.

The importance of TikTok for student engagement
The value of TikTok isn't just in higher education marketing and attracting new students; it's also about engaging your current student body. It helps build a sense of community and belonging. When a university uses TikTok to share relatable content or celebrate student success, it reinforces the feeling of being part of the 'university family'. This kind of ongoing student engagement can be a powerful tool for retention and community building.

Ultimately, TikTok is no longer a "nice to have" for universities, but a necessity. It’s where prospective students are researching their futures and where current students are sharing their experiences. By creating content that's authentic, useful and fun, universities can leverage the platform's power to connect with their audience in a meaningful way.

If you're still sitting on the sidelines, it's time to get on TikTok. The future of student recruitment is already scrolling on their For You Page.