Vanity vs Value: Measuring What Matters in Student Engagement

Universities have access to more data than ever, from event registrations and email open rates to student conversations and conversion figures. But how much of it tells us what prospective students actually need?

At our Powered by Peers conference, Carly from Manchester Metropolitan University joined Unibuddy to explore how institutions can move beyond surface-level metrics and use student insights to make more informed recruitment decisions.

Look beyond the numbers

For Carly and her team, some of the most valuable insights come from combining engagement data with the questions students are asking.

Unibuddy’s Insights reports help Manchester Met identify popular discussion topics, frequently asked questions and emerging concerns throughout the recruitment cycle. This is particularly valuable during busy periods such as August, when students need timely answers about accommodation, enrolment and what happens next.

By understanding both what students are doing and what they are talking about, teams can build a more complete picture of the student journey.

Turn student insights into action

At Manchester Met, these insights are shared across teams, including accommodation, admissions and student support. This means colleagues can understand student concerns in real time and work together to address them.

Rather than responding to individual enquiries in isolation, the university can proactively improve targeted communications, create relevant community content and inform its social media activity.

Repeated questions can also highlight quick wins, such as updating website content, adding information to emails or creating FAQs around topics students regularly raise.

The result is a more joined-up approach, with decisions informed by genuine student feedback rather than assumptions.

Measure confidence, not just engagement

One of the session’s key messages was that high engagement does not necessarily mean students feel informed or reassured.

Registrations, attendance and clicks remain useful indicators, but they do not tell the whole story. A well-attended webinar, for example, might still leave students with unanswered questions or uncertainty about their next steps.

Carly encouraged higher education teams to pay closer attention to student confidence, understanding and sense of belonging throughout the recruitment journey.

Students want to know what university life will really be like, whether they will feel supported and how their degree will help them in the future. These concerns deserve attention alongside traditional recruitment metrics.

From data to meaningful impact

The takeaway is simple: data is most valuable when it helps universities understand students and do something differently. By combining quantitative metrics with authentic student conversations, sharing insights across teams and focusing on the questions that matter, institutions can create more relevant experiences and support students in making confident decisions.

Want to turn student insights into meaningful action?

Discover how Unibuddy Intelligence helps universities understand student engagement, uncover emerging concerns, and make more informed decisions throughout the recruitment journey.