Higher-ed marketing doesn’t slow down. If anything, the pace keeps accelerating.

New channels, new expectations, new pressure to do more with less.

That’s exactly why making time to read the right books to upskill matters.

At the end of 2024, I floated a simple idea:

What if higher-ed marketers had a dedicated space to slow down, think more deeply, and learn together?

That idea became the Education Marketing Leader Book Club. Check it out.

In its first year, it grew into a community of nearly 180 higher-ed professionals.

Together, we read, challenged assumptions, and shared how the ideas we learned about showed up in real enrollment, content, and leadership work.

If you’re thinking about what to read in 2026, or what books to gift a higher-ed marketer, this list is a great place to start.

We kicked off the book club with Epic Content Marketing for Higher Education, and it was the perfect place to start.

If you’ve ever felt stuck churning out content just to “keep up,” this book helps you step back and rethink why you’re creating content in the first place.

Brian makes a strong case for shifting from selling to serving by answering real questions, telling better stories, and building trust over time.

Brian also joined our discussion, which made the conversation even better. A lot of us walked away thinking differently about editorial calendars, student journeys, and what “good” content actually looks like in higher ed.

If content strategy is part of your role, or you want it to be, this one’s worth your time.

Watch the book club discussion on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lJC5AdHxs9s

Pass/Fail led to one of those conversations that sticks with you long after the meeting ends.

This book is about leadership in higher education, and why so many institutions struggle to move forward even when everyone has good intentions. We talked a lot about silos, change fatigue, and what it really takes to lead in complex environments.

Suzan joined us live for a Q&A, which made the discussion especially candid and thoughtful. It challenged a lot of assumptions and gave us new ways to think about influence and impact, even if leadership isn’t in your title.

If you’re trying to drive change at your institution, this book will resonate.

Get your copy here: Pass/Fail: The Urgent Need for Strategic Leadership in Higher Education

If you work in social media, this book will feel like someone finally put words to what you’ve been experiencing.

Organic Social Media cuts through the noise and focuses on building real community, not just chasing platforms or trends.

Jenny Li Fowler joined our book club and shared how she approaches social strategy with intention, data, and a lot of empathy for the people doing the work.

One thing that really resonated with the group was her idea of data-informed creativity, using data to guide decisions without letting it kill good ideas.

We also talked about knowing when it’s okay to walk away from platforms that no longer serve your goals, and what “strategy” actually looks like inside higher-ed teams.

If you manage social media, support it, or are trying to make a stronger case for it internally, this book will give you both language and confidence.

This was one of those book club conversations that stayed with people long after the meeting ended.

Heart Over Hype is all about empathy, but not in a soft or abstract way.

Jaime Hunt challenges higher-ed marketers to communicate like real humans, especially when students are overwhelmed, skeptical, or struggling.

The book sparked honest conversations about balancing empathy with metrics, telling stories that include struggle, and pushing back when empathy gets dismissed as “nice but not strategic.”

If you’re trying to cut through noise, reduce message overload, and communicate in ways that actually resonate, this book is a must-read.

Watch the book club conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WYd9UhhrMeA

If email is part of your job, which it probably is, this book is incredibly practical.

Mailed It! is about doing email better without making it more complicated.

We spent a lot of time talking about voice, tone, and consistency, and how small, intentional email campaigns can build trust long before a student ever visits campus.

The book makes a strong case for moving away from batch-and-blast and toward relationship-building, even when time and resources are limited.

If you’re responsible for onboarding emails, enrollment campaigns, or ongoing student communications, Day and Ashley’s book will help you simplify your approach and focus on what actually matters.

Watch the book club conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/IqpifYRh4j0

This book hit home for a lot of people in the group.

Chasing Mission Fit is about moving past generic messaging and focusing on connecting with the right students, not just more students.

It sparked great conversations around how institutions talk about themselves, how they use data, and how often marketing tries to be everything to everyone.

One idea that resonated was the shift from a “short-order cook” mindset to a “chef” mindset, which means being more intentional about what you offer and who it’s actually for.

Bart and the group talked about smarter ways to use engagement data, repurpose content, and compete in a landscape that now includes trade schools, alternative credentials, and fast-changing student expectations.

If you’re thinking about enrollment strategy, positioning, or how marketing supports institutional mission, this book is worth a close read.

Watch the book club conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9BvT4odNc7M

This one felt like a wake-up call for a lot of us.

The Gears of Success by Luke Phillips pushes marketers to think beyond campaigns and start thinking like product managers.

We talked a lot about market fit, pricing, internal alignment, and what it really means to market the experience an institution actually delivers.

One theme that stood out was how closely brand and experience are tied together.

A single bad interaction can undo months of good marketing, which is why this book makes a strong case for marketers having a seat at the program and strategy table.

If you’ve ever felt siloed from decision-making or stuck reacting instead of shaping strategy, this book will give you language to step into that role.

Watch the book club conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/oDB7SW21Hos

How to Be a Small College challenges the “growth at all costs” mindset that dominates higher-ed and offers a more thoughtful, sustainable alternative.

We talked a lot about what it really means to thrive as a small institution, focusing on clarity, community, and serving the right students well.

One idea Gary shared was the importance of saying no as often as saying yes.

Avoiding amenities bloat, staying disciplined about mission, and aligning resources to what actually matters came up again and again in the conversation.

If you work at a small or tuition-dependent institution, this book helps reframe size as a strength, not a limitation.

Watch the book club conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/esjz1fokA80

This was the last book we read in 2025, and it couldn’t have been a better one to head into the Christmas season.

The Go-Giver isn’t about marketing tactics or growth hacks.

It’s about relationships, trust, and leading with generosity and value.

Our conversation with Bob slowed everyone down in the best way and sparked reflection on how we show up for students, colleagues, and our communities.

We talked a lot about how everyone in higher-ed is “in sales,” whether they like that word or not, and why communicating value, not just price, matters when discussing tuition and outcomes.

Listening came up again and again as one of the most underrated leadership skills.

If you’re feeling worn down by constant pressure to prove ROI, or you’re trying to lead with integrity in a low-trust environment, this book is a grounding reminder of why the work matters, and why giving first still works.

Watch the book club conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/54rV1cFWXZo

We’re kicking off 2026 with a book that feels especially timely.

The Hottest Seat on Campus takes a clear-eyed look at one of the most complex roles in higher education: enrollment leadership.

Angel B. Pérez reframes the “hottest seat” not as a burden, but as a catalyst for thoughtful, values-driven leadership.

The book pulls back the curtain on what enrollment leaders are really navigating—politics, pressure, legal challenges, team leadership, and constant scrutiny—while offering practical guidance on the deeper skills that matter most: self-awareness, reflection, strategic communication, and knowing when to ask better questions instead of rushing to solutions.

If you work in admissions, marketing, enrollment, student success, or support teams that do, this book offers an action plan you can adapt to your own context.

We’ll be discussing it at the next Education Marketing Leader Book Club meeting on January 21, 2026 at noon (ET), and it’s a great entry point if you’re new to the group.

Join the January book club discussion.

Looking back on this list, what stands out isn’t just the books, it’s the conversations they sparked.

Across content, leadership, social, email, enrollment, strategy, and trust, a few themes kept showing up again and again: clarity over noise, people over tactics, and purpose over pressure.

These books reminded us that higher-ed marketing isn’t just about getting attention.

It’s about earning trust and serving students well.

If you’re looking for what to read in 2026, you can’t go wrong with any of these.

Read one.

Read a few.

Or read along with us.

The Education Marketing Leader Book Club is welcoming, free, and built for higher-ed marketers who want to think a little deeper and connect with others doing the same work.

Whether you join the conversation live or catch up later, you’re always welcome.