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Students Online: Global Trends 2015 – New Report
By Laura Bridgestock
Updated March 5, 2016 Updated March 5, 2016How do prospective students use online resources to research international study options? Do today’s applicants feel comfortable connecting with universities on social media, or would they prefer to keep communications more formal? What information are they struggling to find online, and which online platforms have the biggest impact on their final decisions?
This year, the study draws on responses from more than 5,400 prospective students in 33 countries across Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America and Africa. Key findings include:
There is continued demand for offline communications
While online resources are playing an ever-growing role in prospective students’ research, offline sources of information remain highly valued. Perhaps surprisingly, younger university applicants are especially likely to place a high value on offline channels of communication, including print materials and opportunities to speak to university representatives directly.
Students still prefer email when contacting universities
For the time being at least, email is still king in the world of university/student communications. This remains prospective students’ first port of call and preferred channel for contacting and being contacted by higher education institutions. When used to best effect, email communications offer a rapid and personalized response, alongside good levels of authority and trust.
Social networks are emerging as an “essential” resource
For a majority of prospective students, social networks now play at least some role in their higher education research – often valued as a way to gain alternative perspectives to complement official and data-driven sources of information. Just under a quarter of this year’s survey respondents class social media as either “essential” or “very important” in their university research, with consistent levels of take-up across all age groups.
Students’ online research varies significantly worldwide
The international scope of the survey makes it possible to identify significant differences in attitudes and approaches among prospective students in different locations. Applicants in Latin America, for instance, are most likely to place a high value on social media as an outlet for university research, while those in the US and Canada are most likely to pick up the phone when contacting universities.
For the full results and analysis, access the complete Students Online: Global Trends report online.
This article was originally published in September 2015 . It was last updated in March 2016
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The former editor of TopUniversities.com, Laura oversaw the site's editorial content and student forums. She also edited the QS Top Grad School Guide and contributed to market research reports, including 'How Do Students Use Rankings?'
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