Focus on Devices

Students’ Online Usage

QS TopUniversities.com 2013

Global Market Trends Report

About the report

The Students’ Online Usage: Global Market Trends Report is based on a survey of attendees at QS World Grad School Tour events during 2012-13.

A total of 918 surveys were completed at events held in 26 countries across Europe, Asia, Latin America, North America and Africa.

As well as coming from a broad range of locations, survey respondents were also diverse in terms of the variety of subject areas and study destinations they were interested in. They also varied in age (from 18 upwards) and in level of education and professional experience.

All were at the World Grad School Tour in order to gain information about graduate-level degree courses (both master and PhD programs) including applications advice, information about funding and visas and detail on specific courses.

The following report highlights some of the most interesting findings from this international survey, offering insights into internet usage trends of current and prospective students worldwide.

Three key areas covered in this report include:

• Internet device usage• Time spent on line• Global Social network preferences Download

the full report here

Device Usage

Device Usage: Trends by Age

Which internet device do you use most?

•Laptop most commonly reported most-used device across all age groups.•Smartphone more prevalent among younger respondents.•Desktop more common among older.•Tablet least reported as a most-used device, fairly consistent trend across age groups.

Device Usage: Regional Comparison

Which internet device do you use most?

•Laptop is still the dominant primary device across all regions.• Respondents in Latin America and Africa most likely to report smartphone as most-used device.•Tablets are certainly emerging as a primary online device in Europe, North America, Asia and Africa.

Device Usage: Focus on Asia

Which internet device do you use most?

• Compared to the other regions surveyed, where country-by-country trends are relatively consistent within the region, Asian countries show greater variation in device usage.

• Respondents in Japan and Korea most likely to select smartphone as primary device – but laptops and desktops both remain important.

• Respondents in China are less likely to identify smartphones as a primary online device, but are the group most likely to identify tablets as their preference.

• In India, smartphones and tablets are emerging as primary devices but laptops remain an important device for the majority.

Device Usage: Focus on Europe

Which internet device do you use most?

• As is the case worldwide, laptops are by far the most important online device across Europe.•Smartphones and tablets emerging as primary online devices in all European countries surveyed, while

desktops also remain significant across the region.• Respondents in Spain most likely to report smartphone as most-used device; those in France, Italy and

Ukraine most likely to choose tablet.

Device Usage: Focus on the Americas

Which internet device do you use most?

• No respondents in Latin America selected tablet or desktop as most-used devices; in this market, laptops and smartphones dominate even more than elsewhere.

•Tablets emerging as a primary online device in both US and Canada, while older devices such as desktops clearly remain important, meaning a greater variety in responses.

Device Usage: Variation by Subject*

Which internet device do you use most?

•Laptop most commonly reported primary device for all subject areas.•Arts & humanities applicants less likely to report smartphone as most-used device compared to other

subject groups.

*Based on respondents’ answer to the question, “Which courses are you interested in?”

Conclusions

Perhaps the most powerful message of this first edition of the Students’ Online Usage: Global Market Trends Report is simply to underline the huge and global significance of social media for current and prospective students. In all of the five world regions covered, more than 75% of respondents said they used Facebook not just sometimes but ‘all the time’ – and rates were almost as high for other popular networks. Even Pinterest (a relatively ‘young’ platform even by social media standards) gained ‘all the time’ responses from more than 50% of respondents in every region.

When compared across age groups, the social media trends shown here are fairly intuitive – younger respondents reported higher use of YouTube and Pinterest, older respondents were more likely to be frequent LinkedIn users, while Facebook and Twitter hold a more constant appeal.

Perhaps more surprising, especially in light of the high levels of social media use reported, is that the most commonly reported average time online per day was just 0-3 hours, with those in the highest age range being most likely to report five or more hours. (This older group were also more likely to be employed and presumably using the internet more for work).

In terms of device usage, the report confirms the continued importance of laptops – the most commonly reported ‘most-used’ device across all regions and ages – while also highlighting the emergence of both smartphones and tablets as primary online devices in many parts of the world. However, there is some significant variation both between regions and countries within the same region, which is likely to be of interest to organizations targeting specific markets.

Finally, for the many kinds of organizations investing in developing social media strategies, one of the most interesting aspects of the report will be the responses given for the question on reasons for social network use. Here, while there is again some variation depending on age and region, it’s clear that for all audiences, ‘keeping up to date’, ‘interest’ and ‘useful connections’ are all significant drivers of social network membership.

Download the full

report here

Report authors

Monica Vannozzi & Laura Bridgestock

A special thanks to Ben Sowter, Head of QS Intellingence Unit, for his valuable contribution to the data analysis, and to Louise O’Conor, TU Online Marketing Manager, who carefully supervised the project.

Thanks to all who contributed to the creation of this report and to all who answered our questionnaire at the QS World Grad School Tour.

QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd

QS connects prospective and current students with top universities and graduate schools worldwide, through online platforms and events such as the World Grad School Tour and World University Tour. TopUniversities.com seeks to aid students in making well-informed decisions about their future, covering the full spectrum of subjects, locations and educational levels. Annual QS publications and research include the Top Grad School Guide and QS World University Rankings.

For more information about this report, please contact onlinemarketing@qs.com.

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All information © QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd 2013