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What can we learn from 42,000 students?
Gen Z and Gen Alpha prospective students are savvy, career-minded, and increasingly selective about where—and why—they choose to study.
Keystone Education Group’s State of Student Recruitment 2025 report was recently released and analyzes recruitment trends and student preferences in the higher education sector, based on responses from nearly 42,000 prospective students across 150 countries.
“Keystone's data, including the State of Student Recruitment Report, reveals the impact of shifting audience needs and expectations,” Mark Bennett, Keystone Education Group’s VP of Research and Insight, discussed with Terminalfour.
“For example, we see rising interest in more authentic person-to-person communication such as video conferencing and live chat, as well as the knock-on effects of financial uncertainty, with a greater proportion of audiences expecting to work during their studies and/or seeking flexible delivery to help enable this.”
All of this, he says, is happening in a global context of rapidly developing policy changes. “We can rapidly measure the impact of these but, as we do so, we mustn't forget the uncertainty and potential disorientation they can create for students attempting to make sense of them.”
As digital marketers, content is never far from our hearts, and here again, marketing and recruitment professionals have an even more important job to do in the current climate, forming meaningful connections with prospective students to inform and reassure them, Mark adds.
“Institutions should be particularly prepared to provide information on delivery options, criteria for part-time work alongside study, and, where possible, on timetabling. International audiences in particular may respond well to reassurance about the opportunities and access available to them: with so much apparently changing, institutions need to emphasise that their commitment to overseas students remains the same.
Read on to find out some of the most important insights from the State of Student Recruitment 2025 and how you can act on them to improve your student recruitment.
Students are searching with purpose—and urgency
More than half of students now research study options within six months of applying. That means the window to capture their attention is short.
And students aren’t casting as wide a net as before.
While most still apply to multiple universities, the number of students submitting just one application is increasing—especially among students in Nigeria and those pursuing postgraduate study.
So how does this translate?
Your website and program pages need to be crystal clear, engaging, and frequently updated.
Missing or unclear information—especially around fees, eligibility, and funding—is still the biggest barrier to applications.
Don’t lose a student’s trust before the conversation starts.
Cost and career value drive decisions
According to the research, students rank skills and preparedness for a specific career as their top reasons for studying.
What students want from their education is also changing.
It’s no longer just about prestige, although a significant 60% of students stated they would not consider vocational study over academic programs.
It’s about affordability, flexibility, and future employability.
At all study levels, students ranked “developing useful skills” and “qualifying for a specific career” as top motivators.
Soft skills like problem-solving, teamwork, and critical thinking ranked far above technical skills like coding or AI prompt engineering.
The report indicates that 40% percent of students who completed the survey believe that "better job opportunities" will come from studying at an academic institution, and students gravitate towards academic pathways because these programs are perceived to develop soft skills essential to progress in their careers.
So for higher ed marketers, this means course content alone won’t cut it—you need to show outcomes.
There are various ways you can showcase how your program delivers, by listing specific skills students gain, showing career paths alumni take, and highlighting any professional accreditations or certifications that can be awarded.
Emphasize internships, job placement rates, alumni success stories, and how your programs support career paths—not just degree titles.
Go program-first for doctoral students
Keystone’s data also shows that students considering their PhD choose the programs over the university.
So this means that for this cohort, you should lead with substance over brand, for example, by creating deep-dive landing pages for each PhD program, optimized for search and easy to find.
You could include faculty profiles, research areas, current projects, and funding details, as well as testimonials from current PhD candidates focused on academic mentorship and research outcomes.
Content for popular subjects needs to be front and center
Keystone’s research shows that Business & Economics is still a top choice for students, as expected, but the younger generation are also interested in Computer Science and Arts & Humanities for their Bachelors studies.
So tailoring content to reflect this interest could improve engagement.
You could feature student stories by subject, such as a day in the life of a student in those particular areas.
You could also update your site with articles that answer common student questions by subject area (e.g., “What can I do with an Arts & Humanities degree?”), which not only serves the prospective student but also helps with AI search results.
Cross-link these articles from your subject landing pages to support SEO and user journeys.
Students expect a human response
Email is still the most popular communication channel, but its dominance is waning.
Instant messaging and video calls are gaining popularity—especially in Asia and South America.
But in-person communication has increased the most in its place (by 200%!).
And response time is still critical.
Twenty percent of students stated that institutions taking too long to reply would negatively impact their decision to apply, and students now expect a reply within 24 hours.
The time it takes students to research their higher ed institution is also shortening, with more than half of students taking less than 6 months to research study options before applying.
Information is more accessible, and this impacts this research time.
So it’s time to streamline your admissions communications.
Use tools like live chat, messaging apps, and autoresponders to reassure students someone is listening.
Take the time to ersonalize responses, even in automated systems.
Destination trends reflect policy shifts
While the U.S. and U.K. remain popular study destinations, their market share is slipping.
The US has maintained the top position in the survey for 2025 (13% of top international study destinations), but its percentage of the total has been decreasing each year.
(For example, at the Bachelor's level, the US accounted for 20% of international destinations in 2024 and 16% in 2023, while it was 13% in 2025)
Policy changes are a big factor.
Canada (which was previously the top destination in 2023) and Australia saw dips due to student caps.
In contrast, the U.K.’s relatively stable policies helped it climb to the top for Master’s and PhD students.
While the UK, US, Australia, and Canada remain popular, they’re losing ground to European and Asian countries.
South Korea made a surprise entry into the top 10 destinations, pointing to growing regional diversification.
If your higher ed institution is in a rising destination—or offers programs in multiple regions—make sure your international messaging reflects current student perceptions.
One way to address this is to offer information: consider addressing policy concerns upfront with clear content on visas, dependents, and post-study work options.
And with countries tightening policies on student dependents and with over a quarter of Bachelor's and a third of Master's students (particularly for PhD students) stating that missing family and friends is a significant obstacle to studying abroad, it’s time to revisit how your content can support them.
For example, you could highlight student support services, cultural groups, family-friendly spaces, and peer communities.
Or run virtual meetups for admitted students to connect with peers, mentors, and local ambassadors before they arrive.
You could also showcase hybrid and flexible program learning options that cna ease the transition for students who are hesitant to relocate right away.
Students make their program selection with several considerations
According to the report, affordable fees remain the most important factor for both international (62%) and domestic (51%) students.
Academic networking opportunities are still highly valued (as are work placements or internships as mentioned above).
Flexibility is increasingly important, especially for Bachelor's students, with 14% saying it's the most important factor in a program, likely due to a desire to work part-time.
So how can you address this?
Lead with affordability messaging, and make tuition, scholarships, and cost-of-living info prominent and transparent across your website and campaigns.
Showcase academic networking opportunities, and segment your campaigns by student level, personalizing messaging based on whether you're targeting Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD students.
Social media matters—but reviews matter, too
Nearly 60% of students say social media influences their study decisions, with YouTube and Instagram leading among undergraduates (with 27% of students t the Bachelor's level saying it’s the most influential channel).
Instagram is a close second for Bachelor's students, influencing 17%.
TikTok’s reach is growing fast, especially for brand awareness.
But here’s the real clincher: 82% of students said peer reviews influenced their choices (specifically, 40% said they take reviews into consideration 'a lot', and 42% said 'a little'.
Older students and domestic learners are especially review-conscious.
So why not let your current students do the talking?
Showcase student testimonials, day-in-the-life videos, and real reviews on your site and social media.
Don’t delete negative reviews—respond to them. It shows authenticity and builds trust, which are the essential currency for Generation Z and Generation Alpha.
Want to get more details on any of these insights? Use Keystone’s dashboard or register for their webinar on June 18.
What changes are you making to better connect with prospective students in 2025?