Education marketing
How families
choose.
Mostly through people and visits. In Independent Schools Queensland's 2025 survey of parents at its member schools, the top influences were family and friends (69%), an open day or visit (58%) and other parents at the school (51%), with the website and social media fourth at 40%. School leavers choosing a course put passion for the subject first, with graduate jobs mattering to 65.9%. Marketing works best when it feeds those conversations and visits.
Written by Dan Picken, a marketer who checks the sources. Last checked 2 November 2026.What
parents use.
ISQ's 2025 survey also asked how useful each source was, out of five: one-on-one tours 4.4, open days 4.1, the website 3.6, publications 3.3 and social media 3.1. The personal, in-person options win.
The top-ranked factor in the final choice was 'preparation to fulfil potential in later life', then teacher quality, then fit for the child. Reputation came fourth. Show what students go on to do, who teaches them, and how a child like theirs fits in.
A long
shortlist.
Families differ in how widely they look. In the same survey, 44% looked only at independent schools, while 34% compared independent, state and Catholic. 80% put their child on a waiting list, and 54% said their child's opinion was totally or highly influential.
That makes the visit a family decision. A tour that gives the child something to see or do is part of the marketing.
Shortlist check
Are you feeding what
parents actually use?
Tick what your school does now. Each line is weighted by the closest matching figure in ISQ's 2025 survey of Queensland independent school parents.
Fix first
What parents
look up first.
Before the tour, many parents check the numbers. ACARA's My School site holds detailed information on every school in the country, and its December 2025 update added 2025 NAPLAN results, enrolments, Semester 1 attendance, 2024 finances and Year 12 certificates. It also shows ICSEA, a measure of educational advantage, so results can be compared fairly between schools with different intakes.
So a parent may walk in already knowing your NAPLAN trend and your attendance rate. Don't act as if those numbers aren't public. Explain them on your own site in plain words: what's improving, and what you're doing about what isn't.
How students
choose a course.
UAC's 2025 survey of almost 18,000 Year 12 students found passion for the subject was the top influence on course choice, and graduate employment mattered to 65.9%, a five-year high.
For universities and colleges, independent data counts too. QILT surveys over 400,000 people a year, and its ComparED site lets students compare up to six institutions on satisfaction and outcomes. Make sure your own pages tell the same story your QILT results do.
What to
show them.
Each of these answers something parents weigh in the final choice: preparation for later life, teacher quality and fit for their child. Facilities matter too: 73% of parents said they were highly influential, so show them honestly.
- Where students go next: further study, jobs, apprenticeships, with numbers you can stand behind.
- The people: teachers and staff, with names, photos and what they teach.
- A normal day, not just the highlights: timetables, classrooms, the playground at lunch.
- Fees and what they cover, or at least where to find them.
- How to book a private tour, and a way to talk to a current parent.
What I see most often
What I see
most often.
- 1
Values without evidence
'Nurturing excellence' on every page, and nothing on what students go on to do.
- 2
Open days only
No way to book a private tour, which parents rate the most useful.
- 3
No role for current parents
Prospective families never get to talk to a current one.
- 4
Course pages without outcomes
No careers, graduate data or pathways on the course page.
The honest bit. Marketing can bring families to the gate. The tour, the teachers and what current parents say decide the rest.
Questions
people ask.
How do parents choose a school?
Mostly through people and visits. In ISQ's 2025 survey, family and friends, open days and other parents were the top influences.
How much does a child's opinion matter in choosing a school?
A lot. 54% of parents said their child's view was totally or highly influential.
How do students choose a university course?
Passion for the subject comes first, and graduate employment matters to 65.9% of school leavers in UAC's 2025 survey.
Where can students compare universities?
On ComparED, built on QILT surveys, which compares up to six institutions.
Related
Keep
going.
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Takes a minute. Audits come back within 1 to 2 business days. For anything else, I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
What happens next
- 1I'll ask for read-only access, or just your website for a search audit.
- 2I go through it and write up the 3 biggest fixes.
- 3A 20-minute call to walk you through it. No pitch unless you ask.