Department
Management, Entrepreneurship, and Human Resource Management
Document Type
Poster
Abstract
Social media has transformed how students choose colleges, becoming a vital tool for information and connection. Its rise has reshaped student recruitment by influencing behavior, decision-making, and perceptions. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok now dominate as sources for sharing information, fostering peer influence, building communities, and supporting institutional marketing. These digital spaces significantly impact students’ decisions through mechanisms, such as branding, online engagement, and social influence. This research explores how social media influences college choices for first-generation students in the U.S. The study focuses on three key areas.First, it examines how first-generation students use social media platforms to research colleges and access authentic insights into campus life. Second, it highlights how social media influences their decision-making process by expanding access to information and social capital. Third, it stresses what motivates their engagement with higher education marketing. By analyzing these aspects, the research analyzes the growing role of social media in shaping educational pathways for this group.
Publication Date
12-4-2025
Recommended Citation
Hjermstad, R. (2025, December 4). Social media’s influence on first-generation college decisions: a qualitative study on its effects on college selection, part 1 [Poster presentation]. Student Research Conference Fall 2025, Saint Paul, MN, United States. https://metroworks.metrostate.edu/student-scholarship/27
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.