2025 Trends Among College-Bound High School Students

For many students, college is the next logical step after graduation from high school. However, more students feel disenchanted with their current education, which might impact their approach to what comes next. 

Another challenge many students face regardless of their economic status? The soaring cost of postsecondary education. They and their families may recognize the value of a college degree — but sticker prices for tuition and fees continue to climb. A 2024 College Ave survey found that 44% of parents will struggle to pay their student’s first tuition bill.

For schools eager to attract the 2025 freshman class, the best way to connect with potential students remains social media. These platforms allow schools to showcase their programs and campus life — and explain that advertised costs aren’t necessarily what students and their families will have to pay.

Here are some observations we uncovered while researching the top trends among college-bound high schoolers in 2025.

Key Findings:

Gen Z students feel disengaged in their schools.

• According to a Gallup/Walton Family Foundation Gen Z survey of 4,157 students and young adults, 45% to 54% said they felt less engaged in school. 
• Fewer than half (49%) said their schoolwork doesn’t challenge them positively or align with their strengths (46%). 
• Students planning to attend college do feel more engaged, with 79% saying they’re motivated to earn good grades and 55% agreeing their schoolwork challenges them in a good way.
• 60% of students indicated they were most excited when the topic was something they wanted to learn more about.
• 60% also said their teachers made topics exciting and interesting.

The bottom line? There’s a disconnect between the value of what students think they’re learning and how well the subject matter aligns with their interests and talents — and how much it challenges them. 

Fortunately, there are other options. Many non-school-based programs ignite curiosity and encourage students to apply their unique strengths, which can help bridge the disengagement gap many teens experience in traditional school settings. Offering hands-on, real-world learning experiences tied to students’ interests keeps them engaged — and can even help them discover new passions or talents. 

Extracurricular and summer programs featuring the creative arts, STEM projects, entrepreneurial programs, and community-based initiatives, for example, can provide the relevance, challenge, and fulfillment students crave. Providers who make learning more personalized and interactive can help Gen Z find the connection between what they learn and how it can enrich their future academic and career paths. 

Students are worried about the cost of college.

• According to a Third Way/Global Strategy poll of 1,002 high school students, 86% worry about higher education costs, and 89% say the cost is “very important” or “somewhat important” in deciding whether to attend a four-year school. 
• 29% said the cost was a barrier and aren’t considering college as an option even though they’d like to pursue a four-year degree.
• Of the 290 students who said they aren’t considering a four-year college, 56% agreed with the statement, “The best path forward for me is not to attend a four-year college or university, regardless of the cost.”
• The poll found that while cost considerations vary slightly across gender and racial groups, socioeconomic class and family income significantly influence post-secondary decision-making.
  

The bottom line? Today’s high schoolers see the value of a college degree, but many worry about the costs and financial future awaiting them after graduation. Like current college students, they want to see a solid return on their investment in higher ed and ensure it improves their lives. While college remains a popular goal for many, the reality is that nearly half of high schoolers are concerned about the cost and unsure if a four-year degree is the right path for them.

Among Gen Z, social media remains king.

According to HEM5, an education marketing solutions company, over 5 billion people (64% of the planet’s population!) will have used social media in 2024. Schools and programs can leverage social media to connect with their younger audiences. 

• • Facebook facilitates community engagement and works well with retargeting campaigns.
  • YouTube helps boost enrollment by providing a platform to curate and offer structured playlists, host live events or classes to reach audiences in real-time, and execute targeted ad campaigns.
  • Instagram can also help boost enrollment by empowering schools to create short, dynamic content, reach and convert potential participants, cultivate engagement, and build community. Leveraging its Explorer tab enables schools to reach wider audiences via targeted content aligned with user interests.
  • TikTok works well for promoting brand awareness and highlighting your school’s strengths and selling points. 

Incorporate social media trends in your marketing strategy

Keep your social media strategies flexible, adapting them to the ever-evolving landscape of these platforms. Stay on top of trends, understand your audience’s preferred platforms, and tweak your content accordingly.

Embrace visuals and video, as Gen Z favors this type of content. YouTube Shorts and TickTok have made short-form incredibly popular. Use these platforms to share engaging stories, showcase program features, and highlight the fun. These dynamic formats capture prospective students’ attention.

Encourage past and current program participants to create and share content about their experiences. User-generated content adds authenticity and relatability to your brand. Gen Z’s fascination with 70s and 80s aesthetics creates a unique marketing opportunity to incorporate vintage elements into your content to connect with this demographic emotionally.

AI tools like Meta AI can automate tasks, suggest content, and enhance visual creation. As younger audiences use Instagram and TikTok for search, optimize your social media presence for search.

Finally, embrace a multi-channel approach. Google Ads target students and their families who are actively looking for schools, and social media ads facilitate precise demographic targeting. Combining these strategies widens your reach and increases your chances of piquing the interest of prospective students.