August 26, 2025 — Instagram has announced a new “Schools” experience aimed at helping college students connect more easily with classmates.

With this update, students in the U.S. can add their college or university to their Instagram profile as a banner, making it visible to others based on their privacy preferences. To ensure authenticity, Instagram has partnered with UNiDAYS, a global student verification platform, to confirm enrollment before the school banner is displayed.

Key Features of Instagram Schools

1. Add Your School

   Students will now see an “Add School” option on their profiles. Once verified through UNiDAYS, they can display their institution as a banner and control who can view it.
   

2. Student Directory

   After verification, students gain access to a dedicated directory of confirmed peers. The directory allows browsing by school or filtering by class year, making it easier to connect with classmates.
   

   
   

3. Safer Connections

   According to Jon Hawley, CEO of UNiDAYS, the partnership ensures digital trust and safety by making student verification a foundation of the feature. He emphasized that this technology helps students form authentic, meaningful, and secure connections online.

Why It Matters

Instagram has long been a hub for connecting with friends, and this new student-only space extends that mission by creating a private environment specifically for campus networking. It provides a way for students to explore shared interests, strengthen campus communities, and build friendships during an important stage in their academic journey.