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 review focuses on how social media shapes college choices for first-generation students, emphasizing three key areas. First, it examines how students use platforms to research colleges and access authentic insights into campus life. Second, it explores how social media influences their decision-making process by expanding access to information and social capital. Third, it highlights what motivates their engagement with higher education marketing. By analyzing these aspects, the review underscores the growing role of social media in shaping educational pathways for underrepresented groups.
Publication Date
Spring 4-15-2025
Recommended Citation
Balderrama, Richard and Hjermstad, Rosymar, "Social Media's Influence on First-Generation College Decisions: A Systematic Literature Review of Its Effects on College Selection" (2025). Student Scholarship. 5.
https://metroworks.metrostate.edu/student-scholarship/5
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Comments
Spring 2025: Student Research Conference- "Most Inspiring Research" Poster Award