For college students who are satisfied with dating apps — which may not be many — Tinder on Wednesday announced a series of updates to Tinder U, its in-app feature that caters to current college students ages 18 to 24. This includes new badges to add to their profiles, such as graduation year, major, clubs and Greek life. Other minor updates include a more streamlined sign-up for students and a dedicated Tinder U app icon for iOS users.
Tinder is also offering US students 50% off any Tinder premium subscription (Plus, Gold or Platinum) in hopes of gaining more paying users for the platform after losing 400,000 paying users last quarter.
It’s also the time of year when Tinder hosts its annual “Swipe Off” challenge, where the college or university with the most swipes wins a free concert. The artists performing at this year’s concert are rappers Gunna and GloRilla.
The new badges replace details typically seen on profiles, such as job titles, biographies and hometowns. The goal is to encourage students to have closer conversations related to their interests on campus.
“This is perfect for new users starting out on Tinder as they prepare for their first week at college,” Stephanie Danzi, Tinder’s senior vice president of global marketing, told Tech News. “It’s a great way to ease first-day jitters, especially if they don’t know anyone at their new school or are getting used to a new city.”
Tinder has streamlined the sign-up process for students by allowing newcomers to sign up for Tinder U right away. Previously, college students had to first sign up for Tinder and then separately sign up for Tinder U. Now, Tinder U has a single sign-up process, creating a seamless onboarding experience.
Students with the iOS app have the option to navigate to their settings and then choose “App Icons.” From there, they can customize the Tinder app by selecting a new, exclusive Tinder U icon designed to reflect the student-only dating experience.
Tinder U’s Swipe Off Challenge will likely be a highly anticipated event among users. Starting today, institutions across the country can compete to win a free concert based on the highest percentage of swipe activity: right (yes) or left (no). Last year, 5,000 Arizona State University (ASU) students won free tickets to see Saweetie perform. Past winners have enjoyed performances by Charli XCX (2019) and Cardi B (2018). The challenge ends on October 2.
Tinder U’s latest update comes at a time when some college students and younger users may have given up on online dating. According to a survey by Axios and Generation Lab, 79% of college students either don’t use dating apps or only use them less than once a month. While Tinder was found to be the most common app, only 12% of students used it at least once a month.
Numerous studies have shown changes in dating behavior among young singles who are opting for non-traditional methods. For example, some are connecting on social media platforms like LinkedIn or creating resume-style dating bios that they share with others on Google Docs.
In-person meetups are also becoming popular again, with several “IRL” dating apps (Blush, Buffet, Thursday, Whim, Meet Cute and more) cashing in on the trend.
Despite the changing dating landscape, Tinder U continues to perform well. The company reports an average of nearly 90% year-over-year growth in sign-ups. Tinder also claims to be the most downloaded app among 18-year-olds.
“This is the time when students are most likely to join Tinder. We see the largest influx of new 18-year-old users during freshman orientations,” Danzi said.
Tinder U, or Tinder Uni in the UK, launched in 2018 and is available to students at accredited four-year nonprofit universities and colleges. Tinder U requires current students to enter a valid student email address: .edu for the US and .ac.uk for the UK.
