The industry sees a record season. Students see a value test. The National Retail Federation expects back-to-college spending to reach $103.5 billion in 2026, surpassing $100 billion for the first time. Many of the headline studies shaping back-to-school marketing plans focus on parents and households. Fizz focused specifically on verified college students making their own purchase decisions.
In July 2026, Fizz surveyed 6,844 verified college students nationwide. They described a season defined less by abundance than by scrutiny: 45% expect to spend less than last year, 50% are buying fewer products, 33% are shopping secondhand, and 19% are borrowing or sharing instead of buying.
College students are still spending, but brands need to work harder to earn every dollar. Four findings define the opportunity:
· 72% make most or all of the final purchase decisions.
· 54% are waiting for sales, while 50% are buying fewer items.
· 68% say a student discount would make them try a new brand.
· 43% say a free sample or campus event could drive trial.
1. Parents may fund the cart. Students control it.
Back-to-college is often marketed as a parent-led purchase occasion. The data reveals a more important distinction: payment and decision-making have separated.
Nearly half of students pay for most or all of their back-to-school purchases themselves. Parents cover most or all of the cost for 36%, and another 12% expect an even split. Yet 72% of students say they personally make most or all of the final purchase decisions.
Even when parents provide the budget, students decide what deserves it. Research focused only on the household can capture spending power while missing the person a brand ultimately needs to persuade.
MARKETER TAKEAWAY Treat the student as the primary decision-maker. Price and durability help justify the purchase, but relevance, identity, and campus utility close it.
2. A record season does not mean students are spending indiscriminately.
Students still expect to spend meaningful amounts this fall: 42% expect to spend between $250 and $1,000, 41% expect to spend less than $250, and 14% expect to spend more than $1,000.
The bigger change is the value test applied to every purchase. More than half are waiting for sales. Half are buying fewer products. One-third are shopping secondhand, and nearly one in five is borrowing or sharing products instead of purchasing them.
These behaviors can coexist with a record retail forecast. Record category spending does not necessarily reflect a less price-conscious student. Higher prices and major technology purchases can push the total upward while individual students become more selective.
The “essentials” list is shrinking
When students identified last year’s biggest waste of money, school supplies ranked first, followed by kitchen gadgets, dorm decor, and organization products. Clothing and technology accessories were least likely to be considered wasteful.
Technology was also the leading category worth splurging on, selected by 32%, followed by clothing and shoes at 26%. Still, one in five students said nothing is worth splurging on because they are trying to save.
MARKETER TAKEAWAY “Back-to-school essential” is no longer enough. Prove why the product will matter after move-in, why it is worth buying new, and why students should buy now instead of waiting, sharing, or skipping it.
3. Creator influence does not automatically translate into trial.
Creator marketing remains part of the back-to-school journey. LTK’s 2025 study reported that 86% of Gen Z consumers look to creators to help inform purchases. Fizz asked a narrower, more action-oriented question: What would actually make a college student try a new brand?
The hierarchy was clear:
· 68%: a student discount
· 43%: a free sample or campus event
· 27%: a recommendation from a friend
· 18%: a limited-time offer
· 10%: a creator recommendation
· 7%: a funny or relatable advertisement
A student discount outperformed a creator recommendation nearly seven to one. Sampling and campus experiences outperformed it more than four to one. Creators can contribute to discovery, but when students are deciding whether to spend a limited budget, tangible value and real-world proof become more powerful.
MARKETER TAKEAWAY Do not stop at reach. Connect campus relevance with a tangible reason to try and reinforcement from friends, roommates, or other students.
The new back-to-college playbook
The 2026 college shopper is not disengaged. Students are still spending, but they are taking greater control of what gets purchased and forcing brands to earn every dollar.
1. Market utility, not excess. Show how the product solves a real problem or adds lasting value beyond move-in.
2. Speak directly to students. Parents may contribute to the budget, but students overwhelmingly control the final decision.
3. Make value tangible. Use student pricing, product proof, durability, or clear everyday usefulness.
4. Build trusted campus influence. Create experiences students can see, discuss, and validate with people in their real lives.
5. Turn awareness into low-risk trial. Pair media with a discount, sample, campus event, recommendation, or timely offer.
Back-to-college may be on track for a record year. But students are not focused on buying more. They are focused on buying what is actually worth it.
Want to turn these insights into action? Fizz helps brands reach college students at scale through high-impact native ads, branded surveys, ambassador recruitment, custom UGC, and live campus activations.
Have a question you want answered by thousands of verified college students? Email partnerships@fizz.social. We may include it in a future edition of The Fizz Report.
Methodology
Fizz surveyed 6,844 verified college students across its network in July 2026 about their back-to-school spending plans, purchase decisions, category priorities, inflation-related behaviors, and motivations for trying new brands. Questions allowing multiple selections are described as such in the report.
External context
National Retail Federation, 2026 back-to-school forecast; PwC, 2026 Back-to-School Shopping; Deloitte, 2026 Back-to-School Survey; LTK, 2025 Back-to-School Consumer Study recap
About The Fizz Report
The Fizz Report is an ongoing research series from Fizz, the biggest college social app in the U.S., live at nearly 1,000 campuses. Each edition surveys our network of verified college students to surface real, current data on how Gen Z thinks, shops, and engages.
For advertising, media partnerships, or to collaborate on future editions of The Fizz Report, reach out to the Fizz Brand Solutions team: partnerships@fizz.social.