Making the most of TikTok: A guide for UK universities

TikTok for higher education in the UK has gained momentum as universities recognize the network’s influence among young people. With its fast-paced, engaging content and highly personalised experience, TikTok captures student attention in a way few other channels can. It entertains and informs, even as aspiring students explore options, engage with university content and decide where to study.

This shift has made TikTok marketing a valuable part of the student recruitment strategy for many UK universities. They’re using the network to cater to a new generation of audiences shaped by social media, and with different values, expectations and ways to engage with the world.

In doing so, universities are bridging the generational gap between themselves and the next generation. The University of Oxford, for instance, is using TikTok to show a more relatable side of the institution. Others are following suit to attract and stay relevant to Gen Z.

This article explores how UK universities are using TikTok to boost student recruitment and brand appeal, including how the University of Oxford strikes the right balance between TikTok’s casual tone and the institution’s more formal, academic identity.

The value of TikTok for UK universities

TikTok has become a crucial network for UK universities aiming to engage aspiring students. Its unique features and vibrant user base provide distinct advantages for recruitment and brand building. These can be grouped into three key areas:

• Demographic alignment: TikTok has 24.8 million users aged 18 and above in the UK, and is particularly popular among young adults (74%) between the ages of 18 and 24. Many in this age group are school leavers and university applicants seeking guidance on A-level subject choices, university entry requirements, UCAS applications, interview prep and budgeting tips. Plus, younger generations are using TikTok on top of traditional search engines to find that advice.
• Student recruitment and brand building: With its high engagement rates and algorithm-driven reach, TikTok enables universities to show up where their prospective students already spend much of their time. By meeting them on a network they trust and engage with daily, even if for entertainment, universities can boost visibility during key recruitment periods and highlight what makes them unique.
• Authenticity and peer influence: TikTok’s lo-fi style resonates with prospective students by showcasing real experiences rather than polished promotions. It also leads to students engaging more deeply when content comes from peers and academics they relate to. This peer-driven authenticity encourages honest conversations and builds a sense of community.

TikTok content strategies that work

According to The 2024 Content Strategy Report, young people turn to TikTok not just for entertainment, but also for news, study tips and connecting with like-minded peers. Plus, with TikTok content appearing in search engine results, it’s clear the network has a significant influence. UK universities need to embrace TikTok’s fast, casual vibe to cater to this audience.

We spoke with Ibrahim Akkas, Social Media Manager at the University of Oxford, to learn about TikTok content strategies UK universities can use to better reach students. The university was recently named the top UK uni on TikTok by Nonsensical. He shared how Oxford approaches TikTok to connect with a wider, more diverse audience while staying true to its brand.

Student-centric content

Student-centric content puts the spotlight on real student experiences. User-generated content (UGC), like “day in the life” videos, enables students to see campus life through authentic, unfiltered perspectives.

This content strikes a valuable balance between the formal and informal, which helps students see themselves at the university by engaging with people like them.

“We use TikTok to break down stereotypes about Oxford students by showing their diverse nationalities and backgrounds, and that they enjoy everyday things like World Music Day or World Chocolate Day,” Akkas says.

Oxford’s “day in the life” series showcases how students in different departments spend their day. This often invites comments from aspiring students, as well as alumni and staff.

“We’re mindful that, as Oxford, we can’t be overly informal like some brands. We can be easygoing and produce low-fi content, but we avoid the ‘admin’s point of view’. We want our people to be the platform, and this ensures continuity and a holistic representation of the university,” Akkas explains.

Authentic academic experiences

TikTok can help universities show what studying on (or off) campus is truly like. This includes research projects and behind-the-scenes lab work, to bring these courses to life. Featuring professors and students discussing their passions or breakthroughs also adds credibility and sparks curiosity.

For example, a TikTok post from Oxford promoting their Antimicrobial research (AMR) became very popular because they featured passionate academics who related the research to everyday life.

This strategy also helps build rapport with staff and students, enabling social teams to create a steady stream of authentic content and collaboration opportunities.

“When we talk to people within the institution, we discover hidden gems in the form of interesting students or academics with unique stories and niches. Putting a camera in front of them and asking questions can lead to viral content,” Akkas notes.

Edutainment

Edutainment mixes learning with fun, breaking down important information into short, engaging videos that connect with students.

“Remember that content should be both entertaining and educational, especially for the education sector. We often forget that TikTok is primarily an entertainment platform; content needs to keep people watching, whether through engaging academics or interesting topics, so they don’t just swipe away.” Akkas advises.

In a reaction video to a viral AI-generated kangaroo boarding a plane, Oxford tapped one of their staff members, Dr. Alex Cannock, to leverage this viral moment into a teaching one as well. “This quickly-produced content explained why the video was engaging, and it demonstrated how we can work with academics reactively to join trends before they pass,” Akkas adds.

Campus tours

Campus tours on TikTok give prospective students a quick, immersive look at university life. They highlight key spots and hidden gems in bite-sized videos. Using fun editing, trending sounds or student hosts makes these tours feel lively and authentic, and helps viewers imagine themselves on campus and gauge if it’s right for them.

Take this “Walking around on campus” TikTok video from Oxford, which resonated with potential students and current ones alike. While many reminisced about how they spent time on campus, others expressed their desire to study at the university.

Share alumni achievements and career journeys

Showcasing alumni success stories on TikTok enables students to see the real-world impact of a university degree. Highlighting graduates who secure impactful roles or launch innovative ventures reinforces institutional credibility and inspires prospective students.

The University of Edinburgh Business School successfully uses TikTok to highlight alumni achievements and career paths. For example, their “How it started vs. How it’s going” series puts the spotlight on graduates’ professional journeys and experiences after leaving university.

This content not only celebrates alumni success but also offers valuable social proof, particularly when featuring alumni who are influencers in their fields.

As Akkas puts it, “Using alumni is on our radar because they can help us reach new audiences, especially those [alumni] who are active and well-known on social media.”

Build a TikTok community

Creating a strong TikTok presence goes beyond posting videos. It’s about building a community where students feel heard and valued, and can bond with others. This engagement helps universities connect with students on a deeper level and foster lasting relationships.

“We encourage healthy conversations on our channels, where people can express differing views confidently without abuse. We aim to make our channels a platform and community for everyone, regardless of their connection to Oxford,” Akkas adds.

Building a TikTok community means encouraging interaction, responding to comments and creating content that invites students to join the conversation. Universities can foster a sense of belonging when they highlight diverse voices, celebrate student achievements and share sentimental moments.

For example, in this TikTok post from Oxford, a third-year student of history shares a poem reflecting on her final term at Oxford. The post compelled many people to share their feelings as well.

Over time, a strong community cultivates a loyal and engaged audience that feels personally tied to the university experience beyond recruitment. They become emotionally invested in their peers’ experiences and the broader community.

Targeted paid promotion

TikTok offers a bunch of paid promotion options, like TikTok ads, that go beyond just in-feed ads. For example, you can use Spark Ads to boost student-made videos, making the ads feel more authentic than traditional ads.

Similarly, TopView Ads capture attention with full-screen videos when users open the app, while Collection Ads can showcase courses or campus highlights in a swipeable format. You can also use Branded Effects to create custom filters or stickers to add a playful, interactive touch.

Branded Hashtag Challenges offer a fun and effective way to raise awareness and educate audiences about your institution.

For instance, the University of Greenwich ran a TikTok campaign promoting its Priority Clearing service, which provides students with an exclusive phone number on results day. This helps them skip the usual queue and secure their university place faster, creating a clear benefit that resonates with aspiring students.

All these tactics together give you many ways to connect with students through targeted and creative social media marketing campaigns on TikTok.

Best practices for engaging UK students

From embracing authenticity to spotting UK TikTok trends and staying active, these best practices can help UK universities create content that truly resonates.

Authenticity over polish

On TikTok, authenticity always beats polish. This is especially useful when it comes to universities trying to connect with youth. “TikTok is a great testing ground for new and different content ideas, as its audience is more receptive to novelty compared to traditional platforms,” Akkas says.

Instead of perfect, scripted videos, students want to see raw moments, honest stories and a bit of personality. Whether it’s a quick, unedited clip of campus life or a casual chat with a student or professor, that genuine vibe is what builds trust and engagement.

Trying to be too polished can actually come off as out of touch, so keeping it natural goes a long way in making your content stand out.

Consistency and active presence

Staying consistent and active on TikTok is key for keeping students engaged. Posting regularly, whether it’s a few times a week or daily, helps build momentum and keeps your content showing up in feeds.

It’s important to remember that it’s not just about quantity or even posting. Being responsive, jumping into comments, and staying attuned to what your audience cares about shows you’re actually listening and invested in them.

“Social media is a two-way street; we listen to our communities and we join conversations when we can add value,” Akkas says. That kind of ongoing presence makes students feel connected and more likely to come back, turning your TikTok from a one-off video into an actual conversation.

Student and staff involvement

Getting students and staff involved is one of the easiest ways for UK universities to make their TikTok content feel real and relatable. This mix of voices adds personality and trust. Plus, giving students a creative role helps content feel more in tune with what resonates on the app.

According to Akkas, short, informative videos from academics on various topics resonate well with audiences.

“We’ve learned that educational content featuring our professors and academics doing reaction videos or discussing interesting topics performs exceptionally well. This kind of content, which we didn’t explore before TikTok, has exceeded our expectations. For instance, an academic talking about the importance of sleep over all-nighters or mathematicians discussing their favorite toys have been very successful,” he explains.

Case in point, a TikTok video of Professor David Spiegelhalter explaining card shuffles in his Mathematics lecture garnered nearly 55,000 likes and 5,000 shares.

This content also helps make professors approachable and break down barriers, making the university feel more accessible and inviting.

“The goal is to humanize Oxford professors, showing they are normal people with curious interests. When we post these videos, we often see a surge in comments, which is what TikTok is all about for us. People want short, educational information that they can share, learn from or debate,” Akkas says.

Trendspotting

Trendspotting is about keeping an eye on what music, formats or jokes are becoming popular quickly—and then jumping on them in a way that still makes sense for your brand. But there’s a caveat. According to The 2025 Sprout Social Index ™ UK, 93% of consumers think it’s important for brands to keep up with online culture and keep track of the latest trends, but 32% say they’d be embarrassed if brands jumped on a trend blindly.

If there’s viral content students are loving, try using it to share something fun about your university. The key is speed and relevance. And when done right, trends can be a smart shortcut to making your content feel current and in tune with social media culture.

Oxford uses trendspotting in a way that fits their brand voice and personality to dispel myths about the university and connect with students.

Trending challenges or popular formats, such as the one below, also help them show how approachable and welcoming they are.

Uni hashtags

Popular student-led hashtags like #studentlife, #campuslife and #graduation[year] offer aspiring students an organic way to join ongoing conversations. Since the TikTok algorithm promotes content based on engagement, not follower count, institutions can reach wider audiences.

Like this example, where the University of Lancaster gives a shout-out to the graduating class of 2025, along with popular hashtags such as #graduation2025 and #unistudents, plus personalized tags like #gradcaster.

Similarly, TikTok’s learning-focused hashtags like #LearnOnTikTok and #LearnWithMe show there’s strong demand for quick, engaging educational content. Universities can tap into this by sharing bite-sized lessons or insights from faculty experts, especially in areas where they have unique strengths.

Discoverability optimization

Discoverability on TikTok isn’t just about hashtags. It’s also about making content that the algorithm wants to show people. For UK universities, that means leaning into the topics students are already engaging with, like university prep, moving out, or mental health and packaging tips, in ways TikTok users are expecting. This includes using quick cuts, subtitles and trending audio.

For example, the University of Lancaster created this TikTok video following the popular unboxing trend for their 2026 Prospectus. With trending music, clear subtitles and relevant hashtags, the video is set up for maximum discoverability.

The more students watch, rewatch or comment, the more the algorithm picks it up. Even small things like using a strong hook in the first few seconds or encouraging interaction, such as “which uni are you heading to?” can make a big difference in helping the right audience find you.

Cross-channel promotion

Cross-channel promotion is key to reinforcing messages and maximizing reach. That means taking a successful TikTok video and sharing it on other channels, like Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts, or vice versa, so it reaches students wherever they’re scrolling.

This strategy worked well for Oxford when one of its videos went viral on Instagram. The post showed an AI robot having a conversation with Oxford students.

“Our AI campaign in 2024 was highly successful, especially a video featuring an interview with the robot Sophia. This video, which garnered billions of views on TikTok and Instagram, brought our AI research and academics to life in an entertaining way. It showed us that combining education and entertainment with good storytelling is key,” Akkas explains.

The key is to keep the tone and look consistent while adjusting the message and format slightly for each network. This strategy also helps in linking back to the content in emails, student newsletters or even on the university’s website for a smooth user experience.

UK universities smashing it on TikTok

Several UK universities, including Oxford, are already making the most of TikTok by creating content that’s both engaging and authentic. Here are a few examples worth noting:

University of Oxford

Built on centuries of tradition, intellectual rigour and academic distinction, the University of Oxford has embraced TikTok as a dynamic network to engage with the student community and meet them where they are. They’re using TikTok to highlight the more relatable, human side of the university.

The university sees the network more as a means of fostering a deeper relationship with the outside world, and not just for recruitment. Their TikTok content often showcases a more relaxed approach to student life, marked by a blend of academic insights, student experiences and cultural highlights.

Videos often show students sharing their favourite foods or music, playing sports or participating in trends. Content also includes curated playlists featuring mental health tips, study techniques and campus tours, for an immersive experience of student life at the university.

“We want to make our students seem more accessible, and that’s the aim for us. We want to showcase that Oxford’s a really welcoming university. It’s not just for a certain group of people in the world, it’s for everyone,” he notes.

Lancaster University

Lancaster University is another example of how UK universities can take advantage of TikTok effectively. Their TikTok went viral thanks to their campaign promoting online open days, where they used UGC from current students to create short, trend-aware clips.

They also ran in‑feed ads, which helped them gain massive engagement (10 million impressions, 9 million engagements and 90,000 clicks) to their landing page. This approach amplified their brand visibility and demonstrated the impact of peer-led, authentic content on student recruitment.

University of Manchester

The University of Manchester blends utility with personality to engage Gen Z audiences on TikTok. Their TikTok channel delivers a mix of practical advice, from study support, student discounts and personal statement guidance, to light-hearted content on local culture.

The account features a “life as…” series that explores diverse student experiences, such as commuting and distance learning, and has helped aspiring students relate and envision life at the university. They take it a step further with graduate-driven content that looks back on their time at uni and spotlights what’s next for their newest alumni.

Measuring and optimizing higher education TikTok performance

Tracking TikTok performance is essential to ensure you’re meeting your goals and can pivot when necessary to match what’s resonating with students. Understanding this data helps you refine your strategy, test new formats and amplify high-performing posts that show strong organic engagement.

To make the most of your TikTok strategy, it’s important to track the right TikTok metrics and know what to look for. Here are some important areas.

Defining key performance indicators (KPIs)

KPIs for TikTok higher education institutions in the UK can vary widely depending on the university’s brand identity and larger objectives. Perhaps you want to increase awareness about a certain program, then you’ll want to measure engagement, shares and follower growth. Similarly, if your mission is to widen access, you’ll want to track metrics like reach and saves to ensure your content resonates with your target audiences.

TikTok analytics in Sprout makes it easy for you to see these various metrics. For instance, you can see total followers, net followers and audience growth.

Other TikTok metrics you can measure in Sprout include:

• Reach: The total number of unique users who viewed your video during its lifetime. Organic and paid activity are included in this metric.
• Engagements: TikTok engagement refers to the number of times users liked, commented on or shared your posts during its lifetime. Organic and paid activity are included in this metric.
• Reactions: The number of likes a video has received during its lifetime. Organic and paid activity are included in this metric.
• Comments: The number of comments a video has received during its lifetime. Organic and paid activity are included in this metric.
• Shares: The number of times a video has been shared during its lifetime. Organic and paid activity are included in this metric.
• Video Views: The number of views of a video during its lifetime. Organic and paid activity are included in this metric.

Ultimately, what you decide as your KPIs will stem from your unique goals. For example, Oxford’s goal is to blend in with TikTok’s culture rather than just broadcasting their own messages. This helps them build meaningful engagement with younger audiences.

“A key KPI for us is focusing on younger audiences. Ultimately, we want to join existing conversations on TikTok and be part of its fabric, rather than pushing our own agenda. Promoting the university and achieving positive engagement with younger audiences are our core KPIs,’ Akkas notes.

Analyzing content performance

Measuring and optimizing content performance isn’t only about chasing viral moments, but rather about using insights to build long-term impact. You can do this in several ways. Track how content performs across different audience segments, such as prospective undergrads and current students. Or, compare organic versus paid reach and analyze when your followers are most active.

Sprout’s TikTok reporting enables you to easily see which posts are doing well with your audience.

Sprout’s custom tagging further helps you track what matters by tagging posts, inbox messages and campaigns so you understand what content resonates with your audience the most. It also helps you monitor opportunities to engage with your audience.

“While we have content on student life, we segment by category using Sprout, looking at educational news and student news to determine average engagement for each area on TikTok. Overall, we monitor the average number of likes and DM shares on our channel, as that’s very important to us,” Akkas explains.

The Smart Inbox gives you a holistic view of audience feedback, questions and concerns by showing you various message types, such as direct mentions, story mentions, replies, comments and wall posts. This enables you to quickly identify trending topics, common issues and develop personalized content that fosters stronger relationships with aspiring students.

“We use the inbox to see brand mentions and tags, and this helps us be reactive to ongoing conversations,” Akkas adds.

Similarly, A/B testing different formats such as voiceovers, captions or content themes can uncover what content drives the most interest and action. The goal is to turn performance data into smarter strategies that boost engagement, plus support student recruitment, reputation and community-building efforts over time.

Using social listening to measure sentiment

Social listening on TikTok enables UK universities to tap into what students are thinking, saying and engaging with in real time. You uncover valuable insights by monitoring mentions, comments and trending hashtags. This also includes understanding student sentiment, identifying frequently asked questions, spotting emerging trends, and benchmarking against peer institutions.

These insights will help you shape content that resonates as well as give you soft metrics to evaluate relevance, reach and opportunities for improvement.

Making TikTok work for your university’s future

TikTok is by far where your next generation of students are forming opinions, exploring options and deciding where they belong. UK universities that show up with purpose, creativity and consistency are the ones building trust and visibility where it counts.

Stay ahead of the curve and ensure your social strategy stacks up with our 2025 Content Benchmarks Report: Schools & Education for the data that can help sharpen your edge.