Billboards for Schools, Colleges, and Education Providers: Enrol More Students with Local Visibility

Enrolment is competitive. Parents and students have more choices than ever — from private schools and tutoring centers to online courses and trade schools. Digital ads are crowded and expensive, and word-of-mouth alone won’t fill your classrooms.

Billboards put your school front and center in the community. They build trust, visibility, and awareness in a way online ads can’t — making them one of the most powerful school advertising strategies available today.

Why Billboards Work for Education Providers

• Local enrolments depend on visibility
Families usually choose schools, tutoring, and training within a 5–10 mile radius. Billboards target exactly that catchment area.
• Trusted, credible medium
Education is about reputation. A billboard signals permanence and reliability in ways that fleeting online ads cannot.
• Proven category
Educational institutions already appear in the Top 25 billboard-spending categories in the U.S. (OAAA 2024 Facts & Figures).
• Cost-effective compared to digital
Billboard advertising costs average $7–$20 CPM (cost per thousand views) — rivaling Facebook and Google, but with guaranteed roadside visibility (TastyAd, Broadsign).

Case Studies: Billboards Driving Education Enrolment

• Community Colleges and Trade Schools
A Midwest trade school reported a 20% lift in enquiries during a 6-week billboard campaign promoting job-ready programs (OAAA case studies, 2023).
• Private Schools
Independent schools in Texas and Florida used billboards ahead of open enrolment and reported record attendance at open days, attributing visibility to roadside campaigns (MarketingSherpa, 2022).
• Tutoring Chains
National tutoring brands like Kumon and Sylvan advertise on billboards in suburban areas to build recognition. Smaller tutoring centers can replicate the same strategy locally.
• Universities
A southern U.S. university tracked a 15% increase in graduate program applications after a 10-week billboard campaign promoting its MBA program (OAAA member library, 2022).

Market Threats and Why Billboards Are the Solution

• Declining enrolment pressure
U.S. higher education enrolment has dropped by 7.7% over the past decade (National Student Clearinghouse, 2024). Schools must fight harder to attract students.
• Digital ad inflation
Google Ads CPC for education keywords like “tutoring near me” or “private school” often costs $5–$15 per click (Wordstream Education Benchmarks).
• National and online competitors
Chains and online universities dominate search. Without strong local brand presence, smaller providers risk invisibility.
• Parents don’t trust digital ads
Nielsen’s Global Trust in Advertising study shows OOH ads outperform digital in both trust and recall — a major advantage when your reputation is on the line.

Cost Comparison: Google Ads vs Billboard Advertising

Channel Typical Cost What You Get
Google Ads (Education Keywords) $5–$15 per click Expensive, competitive, and fleeting. You pay even if there’s no enquiry.
Billboards (OOH / DOOH) $7–$20 per 1,000 views Thousands of guaranteed impressions in your catchment area, 24/7 exposure, and stronger recall.

For the price of two clicks on Google, your school could reach 1,000 local families every day.

How Schools and Education Providers Can Use Billboards

• Private and Charter Schools: Promote open enrolment, highlight achievements, and showcase school values.
• Colleges and Universities: Drive applications for flagship programs, build brand reputation, and attract donors.
• Tutoring Centers: Capture urgent parent demand for math, reading, or SAT prep.
• Trade Schools: Advertise job-ready programs like nursing, IT, or skilled trades.

Example Campaigns

Campaign Type Best Format Goal Example Billboard Message
School Enrolment Season Static 12 weeks Increase applications “Now Enrolling – [School Name]”
College Programs 8-week static + DOOH Drive applications “Apply Now – Nursing & IT Programs”
Tutoring Centers 4-week DOOH Capture urgent demand “Math & Reading Tutoring – Call Today”
Trade Schools Static 12 weeks Attract job-seekers “Train for Your New Career – Apply Now”

What It Costs

• Static billboards: $500–$1,500 per month (Dash Two Cost Guide).
• Digital billboards: Flexible bursts, ideal for enrolment seasons.
• ROI: Even a handful of new enrolments can cover the cost of an entire campaign.

Why Now Is the Time

• The U.S. education market is worth over $100B annually (IBISWorld, 2023).
• OOH ad spend hit $9.13B in 2024, up 4.5% YoY; digital OOH grew 7.5% (OAAA 2024 Facts & Figures).
• Enrolment is shrinking, making visibility a survival issue (National Student Clearinghouse, 2024).
• Digital ad costs keep rising while prime billboard locations are being snapped up.