The Impact of Social Media on College Choice

Abstract

Social media, defined as a platform for participants to create, share or exchange information and connect with others on a global scale, is emerging as a key marketing component of the college admissions process. The emergence of social media allows universities the ability to communicate in a voice that is familiar to the millennial generation, defined as those born after 1980. Using a quantitative research methodology, this project explored how the use of social media can impact college choice. Results show that 92% of respondents used Facebook one or more times daily and 78.9% of students joined a social network created just for admitted students. The outcome helps to answer the question of how institutions of higher education can best leverage this technology to influence college choice.