Case Study: Startup Institute achieves an 88% reduction in cost per completed application with Facebook

Recruiting New Students with Retargeting

Startup Institute is a higher-education program in Boston and New York that trains people for tech careers. Faced with the challenge of raising awareness and increasing completed applications, the college set out to attract and convert prospective students more efficiently.

Working with agency Social Fulcrum, Startup Institute ran a two-part Facebook campaign: awareness-focused video ads in mobile and desktop News Feed (targeting college‑educated adults 26–44 who aren’t parents, plus Custom and Lookalike Audiences), then retargeted video viewers and site visitors with link ads to the application page, using the Facebook pixel to track conversions. Within a month the campaign drove a 51% drop in cost per lead, 60% lower cost per started application, and an 88% lower cost per completed application.

Startup Institute

Dana Cordova

CMO