Colleges Use Podcasts to Reach Students

College students say they’re inundated with social media pings and emails from their institution, making it hard to cut through the noise and absorb important information. Increasingly, colleges are turning to podcast conversations to deliver timely and necessary content to students.

What’s the need: Podcasts are an increasingly popular medium for college students. In fact, young people make up the largest share of podcast listeners—59 percent of all U.S. adults ages 12 to 34 listen to podcasts; it’s 55 percent of 35- to 54-year-olds, according to data from online podcast studio Riverside.

About 47 percent of Gen Z adults who spend time online listen to podcasts, according to data from Edison Research and SXM Media. A majority of Gen Z listeners who engage with podcasts at least monthly tend to binge episodes, listening to multiple episodes in a single sitting.

Students also value having information at their fingertips, particularly in a format that accommodates their busy schedules.

A 2025 survey from transistor.fm found that 58 percent of Gen Z listeners (n=102) consume podcasts at home and about 30 percent while moving in some capacity, whether riding on public transit, walking, cycling or driving. In general, audience members of all ages listen to podcasts while doing household chores (49 percent) or commuting (42 percent), according to Riverside.

Inside Higher Ed compiled six reasons why a college might create a podcast channel to reach students, their families or the greater campus community.

1. Demystifying admissions: Bucknell University helps incoming and prospective students navigate the college admissions process through the College Admissions Insider podcast, hosted by the marketing and communications office. Listeners receive insight into navigating wait lists, receiving support from community-based organizations and participating in precollege programs, among other admissions information.
2. Community building: The University of South Florida’s Judy Genshaft Honors College hosts two podcasts, the Honor Roll and Dorm Room Dialogues, to share students’ experiences as members of the Honors Learning Living Community and more general information about the college, respectively.
3. Spanish outreach: Pacific Oaks College in California hosts a bilingual podcast, Tu Sueño, Tu Realidad! The podcast is aimed at adult students, family members or members of the community who may be unfamiliar with higher education and how it can support students’ goals. Tacoma Community College in Washington offers a Spanish-language podcast, Tu Guía al Éxito, which highlights stories from students and faculty at the university and imparts advice on how to succeed in college.

4. Academic and social support: Wichita State University’s Office of Adult and Online Learning offers students a way to engage with helpful information and resources through a podcast called Shockers Learning Out Loud. Podcast content includes how to handle online courses and build intellectual wellness, as well as application and admissions myths.
5. A peek behind the curtain: The University of Pittsburgh’s Office of the Provost produces a podcast series that breaks down operations at the institution and universitywide initiatives to enhance student success.
6. Wellness education: Eastern Michigan University offers a monthly podcast on mental health for students, entitled Enlighten U. Staff members host episodes, which feature alumni, students or subject matter experts discussing topics such as financial wellness, body positivity, impostor syndrome and self-care. Similarly, the University of Miami’s department of student affairs created the Student Well-being Podcast series, hosted by a student and featuring student voices.

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