Instagram Adds College Class Listings on Student Profiles

08/26/25
Source: Social Media Today – Latest News by Andrew Hutchinson. Read the original article

TL;DR Summary of Instagram Introduces Campus Verification to Connect College Students

Instagram now offers a Campus Verification feature, allowing students to confirm their enrollment via UNiDAYS. Verified users can showcase their college and class year on their profiles, facilitating connections among peers. This feature aims to enhance student networking and provide new opportunities for brand engagement within college communities. Similar to TikTok’s approach, Instagram hopes to ensure authenticity and prevent misuse with this verification process.

Optimixed’s Overview: Instagram Enhances Student Connectivity with Verified Campus Profiles

New Verification Feature Targets College Communities on Instagram

Instagram has introduced a Campus Verification feature to help college students identify and connect with peers through their profiles. Partnering with the student verification platform UNiDAYS, students can validate their status by submitting their official college or university email addresses. Once confirmed, users gain the ability to display their academic institution and class year directly on their Instagram accounts.

How the Verification Process Works

  • Students enter their college or university email through the Instagram interface.
  • UNiDAYS verifies enrollment status to confirm authenticity.
  • Verified students can view expanded listings of peers from the same school and graduating class.
  • Non-student access is restricted through this secure verification method, reducing spoofing risks.

Benefits and Potential Impact

This initiative aims to foster stronger connections among students, easing transitions into new educational environments and encouraging collaboration. Additionally, it presents new marketing avenues for brands targeting specific college demographics. While Meta previously experimented with similar tools like Facebook Campus, challenges with verification and expansion led to its discontinuation. Instagram’s partnership with UNiDAYS may provide a more reliable system to overcome these obstacles.

Currently rolling out with U.S. colleges and universities, the success of Instagram’s Campus Verification will depend on widespread adoption and continued enhancements to safeguard student communities.