Choosing a university undergraduate programme is a life-changing decision. It is no surprise to learn that the majority of students look to their parents or caregivers for advice and guidance. According to Unifrog, 63 per cent of Year 13 students consult their parents before their teachers or peers. Parents are the most influential group in higher education for young students, making them a critical audience for a university’s marketing strategy.
Speaking at the 2025 THE HashtagHigherEd UK event, Megan Soley, higher education partnerships coordinator at Unifrog, shared the findings of the company’s parents and students survey. Both audiences shared many similarities, but some key differences highlighted the need for complementary yet distinct approaches in communications.
“The biggest difference is that 95 per cent of parents said accommodation was an important or very important consideration compared to 82 per cent of students,” said Soley. “Accommodation most likely needs to feature a lot more prominently in your parent communications.”
Parents were overwhelmingly supportive of their child’s preferences, with 81 per cent saying it was very important to them. However, UCAS data shows that the majority of students have reported feeling pressure from parents to make a good decision, suggesting that parents often have an influence on students’ choices. According to the Unifrog survey, 34 per cent of parents have actively discouraged students from choosing a university.
Safety at the university and its location came second to availability and quality of accommodation in parents’ priorities, followed by the institution’s acceptance rates and graduate employability. Parents want to know about accommodation prices, cost of living and student outcomes, Soley said.
Unifrog’s platform allows students, parents and teachers to compare universities and courses using metrics that are important to them. It enables students to manage their academic journey, from exploring their interests to drafting applications. Unifrog also works with schools and institutions to help students find opportunities and streamline the progression process.
According to the survey, university rankings were less important to parents than to students. “Only 30 per cent of parents said rankings were very important,” said Soley. “We are seeing with this survey that there are many other facts about your university that parents care about a lot more when they are helping their children to do their research and choose a university.”
Parents valued resources that presented information clearly and in one place, either online or in print. Parents want to know more about the student experience and how it relates to graduate outcomes. Emily Kay, higher education partnerships manager at Unifrog, said making information easily accessible and transparent and presenting it on user-friendly websites supports parents. On key issues such as well-being, parents want more than a mission statement. “Give them anecdotal information, an in-depth flavour of what you offer to show them what you do well,” Kay concluded.
The speakers:
- Emily Kay, higher education partnerships manager, Unifrog
- Megan Soley, higher education partnerships coordinator, Unifrog
Find out more about Unifrog.
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