For many universities, 2026 has been a year of tighter budgets and closer scrutiny on student recruitment spend. So, if your institution still has marketing budget available to invest this year, you’re in a strong position.
The challenge now is making sure that remaining budget goes towards activity that can still deliver value - whether that’s driving enquiries, supporting event attendance, increasing visibility for priority courses, or helping shape future strategy.
At FindAUniversity, we work with postgraduate students at every stage of their decision-making journey through our websites FindAMasters.com and FindAPhD.com. That means we can help universities put remaining budget in front of a highly engaged and trusted audience actively researching their next step.
Here are some of the ways universities are making the most of their remaining marketing spend in 2026.
Prospective postgraduate students are researching more carefully than ever. They’re comparing courses, checking funding options, attending events and looking for reliable sources they can trust while making big decisions about their future.
In our recent survey, 54% of prospective students rated FindAMasters and FindAPhD as “very” or “extremely” trustworthy, second only to universities themselves (77%). Compare that to AI tools (33%) or social media (29%), and it’s clear: students turn to us for credible information before they even start considering applications.
That’s why visibility on trusted postgraduate platforms matters. For institutions looking to maximise the impact of remaining budget, this creates opportunities to support both brand visibility and conversion-focused activity.
One area we’ve seen perform particularly strongly is university open day and event promotion.
Students using our platforms are actively exploring postgraduate options and planning their next steps, making them highly engaged audiences for university events - whether those are on-campus open days, virtual events, webinars or subject-specific sessions.
If your university has recruitment events still planned for this cycle, remaining budget can be used to increase visibility and drive registrations among relevant prospective students already searching for courses in your subject areas.
The FindAUniversity network offers a range of flexible marketing solutions designed to help institutions reach the right audiences at the right time.
Whether the objective is increasing brand awareness, improving visibility in key markets, driving event attendance, or supporting recruitment for priority courses, campaigns can be tailored around specific student recruitment goals.
Universities can target activity by:
This targeted approach can be particularly effective for:
By combining targeted audience reach with the credibility and trust of established postgraduate platforms, universities can deliver focused student recruitment activity that is both flexible and measurable.
While digital activity remains essential, face-to-face student recruitment opportunities continue to play an important role in postgraduate student decision-making.
Our postgraduate study fairs give universities the opportunity to connect directly with prospective students who are actively exploring further study and want to engage with institutions in person. At our Autumn 2025 fairs, 46% of attendees were international students currently studying in the UK, reflecting the breadth and diversity of the postgraduate audience attending our events.
For universities with remaining budget available, study fairs can complement wider digital campaigns by creating meaningful in-person conversations with students at a critical stage in their recruitment journey. If you have not attended a Postgrad LIVE event before, speak to us about our latest introductory offer.
Remaining budget doesn’t just have to go directly into advertising spend.
Many universities are also using available funding to support professional development and future planning through sector events and training opportunities.
Our LovePG Postgraduate Marketing Conference brings together postgraduate marketers and student recruitment professionals from across the sector to share ideas, insights and best practice around postgraduate recruitment strategy.
For teams already thinking ahead to 2027 planning, LovePG offers valuable opportunities to:
learn from sector experts
explore emerging student recruitment trends
hear new campaign ideas
strengthen postgraduate marketing strategy
If your university still has marketing budget available this year, there’s still time to invest it in activity that supports meaningful student recruitment outcomes.
Whether you’re looking to:
promote upcoming open days
increase visibility for key courses
reach high-intent postgraduate audiences
support international recruitment
attend study fairs
or invest in team development
FindAUniversity offers a range of ways to help you make the most of your remaining spend before the end of the cycle.
Get in touch with the team to discuss the best options for your student recruitment goals.