The Impact and Ethics of Artificial Intelligence on Digital Marketing for Student Admissions in Southern India

This research examines how AI-powered digital marketing affects the college application numbers and the choices of student in making decisions. Utilizing a mixed-methods strategy across four universities, we analyzed the effects of tailored advertising content—distributed through social media, search engines, and recently, Large Language Models (LLMs), generated via natural language processing and recommendation algorithms—on application volume, student demographics, and perceived institutional alignment. Results show a statistically significant increase in applications from specific demographics exposed to AI-personalized campaigns compared to control groups. Furthermore, interviews with students revealed a link between exposure to highly personalized content and a change in perceived institutional appeal. While personalized outreach correlates positively with application rates, we also observed that expressed ethical concerns regarding data privacy and algorithmic bias correlate negatively with student trust in the institution. These findings emphasize the necessity for transparent and ethically sound AI implementation in college recruitment to ensure students make informed decisions and maintain institutional integrity.