This will come as a shock to some, but the oldest members of Generation Z are old enough to rent a car. This wide-ranging generation is at a pivotal moment culturally, with members ranging from current middle schoolers to young adults pushing 30.
Currently 21 percent of the U.S. population, Gen Z is the newest age group to enter the workforce, get married, and become parents. With many of these young families choosing to pursue an independent education for their children, it becomes imperative to understand how these parents are choosing private schools.
Schools who understand the demographics and motivations of Gen Z will be in the best position to convincingly market to and recruit this age group as they increasingly become important to court.
RELATED: Marketing to Generation X and Y Parents: Tips & Tricks
Who Are Generation Z?
Born between 1997 and 2012, the Gen Z cohort grew up well after dial-up, flip phones, and phone books went the way of dinosaurs, instead coming of age surrounded by iPhones, tablets, and social media.
Research from EMarketer shows Gen Z as true digital natives, spending on average more than six hours a day on their phones. As a result, they expect seamless tech experiences, convenience, and short-form communications.
As the second-largest generation in the country, Gen Z holds significant buying power, but overwhelmingly prefers online experiences to properly research each decision and conveniently purchase.
How Schools Can Reach Gen Z Parents
As a digital-first generation, Gen Z tends to gain initial trust through online experiences with brands (here, your school is a type of brand), as opposed to older generations who place more value in face-to-face events. To best resonate with these young parents, private schools can focus on key social media channels to develop interest: Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Reddit, Pinterest, LinkedIn.
Instagram: Sell Your School’s Image
A highly visual and lifestyle-oriented platform, Instagram hosts 76 percent of Gen Z adults, making it ideal for showcasing the atmosphere and values of your private school. Schools can tell their story through images, shareable Reels, and temporary Stories.
Gen Z parents often use Instagram to explore lifestyle choices, including parenting and education, and are drawn to content that feels aspirational yet authentically reflects their values. Private schools can use this platform to share day-in-the-life stories, highlights of student achievements, campus visuals, and behind-the-scenes content.
Engagement features like polls, Q&As, and interactive Stories allow schools to connect meaningfully with prospective parents on their platform of choice. Create a unique, searchable school-branded hashtag to organically spread visibility, and periodically list relevant, popular existing hashtags for the same effect.
Advertising takes on a unique look beyond traditional image and video. Capitalize on the prioritization of video in the Instagram algorithm and partner with relevant influencers in parenting and education spaces. This allows your school to target relevant audiences with content from a trusted source for maximum impact.
Snapchat: Share the Small Moments
While more commonly associated with teens, Snapchat still has relevance among Gen Z adults (65 percent) due to its real-time nature. The platform is built around disappearing photos and videos, encouraging authentic, low-pressure sharing. While discoverability is limited to mostly map and location tools, Snapchat is useful for creating direct connections and showcasing candid moments.
Private schools can leverage this platform to deliver personal content, such as:
- Private School “Day in the Life” Takeovers: Let teachers do Snapchat takeovers for a behind-the-scenes look at a day at the school.
- Geofilters for Events: Use location-based filters for open houses, sporting events, or performances to build community buzz.
- Quick Parent Updates: Create short-form video answers to common questions about the school, process, or values.
- Snap Ads: Use targeted ads with messaging that appeals to Gen Z values—e.g., innovation, inclusivity, or purpose-driven education.
It’s less about polished marketing and more about offering a genuine glimpse into school life and personal connection to school culture, which resonate with Gen Z’s preference for authenticity.
TikTok: Become the Trend
TikTok is the most dynamic and trend-driven platform, thriving on short-form video, creativity, and authenticity. It operates on an algorithm that surfaces content based on interest rather than followers, allowing private schools to reach new audiences quickly.
The 59 percent of Gen Zers on TikTok tend to seek entertainment, life hacks, and learning, perfect for quick admissions tips, parent testimonials, myth-busting content, and fun school spotlights. Unique content that aligns with popular trends or uses humor and storytelling tends to perform well.
Additional ideas include:
- Parent Testimonials: Young parents speaking authentically about their decision-making process.
- Myth Busting Series: Dispel common myths about private education (“Private Schools are only for the rich”).
- Admissions Tips Series: Provide quick, valuable content for parents considering private school (“3 questions to ask on your school tour”).
- Behind-the-Scenes: Casual, real looks into classrooms, events, or extracurriculars.
- Informational Listicles: Create short, attention-getting content aimed at creating quick bonds (“3 signs your child might thrive in Montessori”).
Schools that can balance informative content with creativity have the opportunity to go viral and build real emotional connections with young parents. Casual, sincere, and funny content performs better than polished promos.
Reddit: Build Authentic Relationships
Reddit is a discussion-driven, anonymous platform where users seek honest, in-depth information and community feedback. It’s not a traditional marketing space, with users turning to it for unbiased advice and deeper understanding, rather than quick likes, especially around important topics like education. Gen Z parents often use Reddit for advice when choosing private schools for their children.
Private schools should approach Reddit carefully by participating in relevant subreddits (such as r/Parenting or r/Preschool) and hyperlocal but active subreddits, contributing value rather than promotion.
Content ideas include:
- Host AMAs (“Ask Me Anything”): Have a school head, teachers, or admissions officer answer questions in a transparent, authentic forum.
- Share Success Stories Thoughtfully: Engage in storytelling threads, especially about student experiences or unique school features.
- Reddit Ads: Use subtle, informative sponsored posts to guide users to more detailed content like a blog or video.
Reddit’s culture rewards thoughtful, non-salesy engagement, making it a powerful tool for building credibility among skeptical but curious parents.
Pinterest: Sell the Dream of Attending Your School
More search engine than social feed, Pinterest is a unique long-term, visual discovery platform. It’s often used for planning, organizing, and saving ideas rather than real-time engagement. For Gen Z parents, especially moms, it serves as a resource for parenting tips, educational tools, and even school-related decision-making.
Private schools can create content such as:
- Curated Boards: Create boards around school lunch ideas, educational activities, or “preparing for private school” tips.
- Infographics & Checklists: Share visually appealing content on the benefits of private school, admissions timelines, or FAQs.
- Campus Aesthetic & Uniforms: Share images that highlight the school’s atmosphere, campus design, and student life in a visual way.
- Content for Families: Offer content like “Top 10 Questions to Ask at a School Tour” or “Private vs Public: What’s Right for Your Family?”
- Dive Into Niche Identity: Schools with a unique value proposition, such as bilingual education or a successful sporting academy, can target certain interested families with thematic content.
Because content on Pinterest has a long shelf life, it’s ideal for evergreen resources that parents return to as they move through the school decision process.
LinkedIn: Connect With Value-Driven Parents
LinkedIn offers a very different environment, a professional platform where users expect thought leadership, credibility, and purpose-driven messaging. For Gen Z parents who are early in their careers or value educational ROI, LinkedIn can be an important research touchpoint.
Use this platform to highlight school achievements, alumni outcomes, and other high-intent content marketing school prestige. Gen Z parents will use LinkedIn to evaluate how well your school fits career-family plans, researching the vision, staff, leadership, and values of your entire organization.
LinkedIn also has many uses for market research. For example, if you understand your school’s proximity to major employers, you’ll be able to tap into a new segment of parents choosing private schools based on their daily commute.
Share content that promotes credibility:
- Thought Leadership Posts: Share articles from school leadership on education trends, child development, or curriculum innovation.
- Alumni Success Stories: Highlight graduates’ success to show long-term ROI of private education.
- Career-Focused Programs: Emphasize STEM, entrepreneurship, or leadership programs that appeal to ambitious young professionals.
- Employee Culture Posts: Show the quality and training of teachers. Gen Z values transparency and wants to trust the people educating their children.
Rather than polished marketing, LinkedIn thrives on informative, mission-aligned content that showcases the school’s role in shaping future-ready students.
Additional Channels to Reach Parents Researching Private Schools
Despite social media holding great importance to the younger age groups, the average Gen Z parents choose private schools through additional online channels. Compliment social media outreach with search engine optimization (SEO) and paid advertisements.
Gen Z is highly skeptical and less prone to impulse purchases than other generations, meaning you will have to anticipate where and how they will research. Google search remains king among search engines, with over 90 percent of total traffic. If your school doesn’t appear in key searches, families may not even learn it exists.
SEO encompasses efforts to make your website more visible in searches through webpage content, keywords, and site health. A keyword here refers to the anticipated search terms a parent will use, such as “Jewish schools in my city” or “college prep schools.” The keywords you believe they will type into search engines are what you should include on your website, so it becomes associated with these terms. Done well, SEO strategies rank your school site high on search engine results, basically creating free advertising.
In a similar vein, search engine marketing (SEM) anticipates families’ thought processes to buy ad spots for key search terms. With paid SEM campaigns, your school’s website rises to the top search results on the page, so target high-intent queries, regardless of length, to optimize return on the investment. These efforts compliment additional advertising channels, whether digital or traditional. Learn what channels your ideal families use to ensure every dollar spent goes toward increasing interest.
Through a combination of organic and paid search strategies, your school can ensure relevant families find your website naturally. Learn more SEO tactics and digital marketing ideas for schools here.
How to Communicate With Gen Z Parents
As a diverse, socially conscious generation, Gen Z parents are unsurprisingly concerned with their and their children’s long-term success. Yet, they also have a preference for short-term convenience. To address both, use the following messaging and communication strategies:
- Embrace Authenticity and Transparency: Be as formal as your school identity dictates, but ensure the meaning behind each message is clear and true. Warn of upcoming deadlines and major updates well in advance, and be approachable with any questions or requests.
- Adopt a Digital-First Approach: While some young families may prefer traditional face-to-face meetings and phone calls, most will opt for the ease of email and text messages. Get these preferences early on to promote high engagement, especially once enrolled. Seek to meet families where they’re at, which includes extending school update channels to social media.
- Show Your Impact: Communicate school value beyond education. Show on your website and social media how your school contributes to sustainability, gender and racial equity, or another cause your community cares about.
Adapt to Gen Z Parent Preferences: Offer an Easy, Online Experience
Once your school attracts the interest of young families and convinces them to apply, don’t drive them away with a confusing, multiple-login process. Help parents choose your private school with an online application portal that requires only one login, has a straightforward submission process, and prioritizes digital communications.
Ravenna® offers prospective families all this and more, with the Ravenna Hub offering one-click applications to participating private schools in their area. With such an easy experience, it’s no wonder why schools using Ravenna see a 25-percent boost to submissions in just the first year.
Once accepted, one crucial hurdle remains as families complete final enrollment steps. With Ravenna, families complete this phase in the same portal as their application, offering a seamless experience with one less password to remember. An online, mobile way to integrate financial aid awards, sign contracts, and make tuition payments, encourages more families to complete tasks on time.
