New data reveals college student tech use, technology and resource spending

modern-college-studentIn what some would consider a dramatic shift in the way colleges and universities now consider potential students, part of the modern marketing strategy [recruiting], as well as keeping students happy [retention], is in knowing what makes today’s incoming students ‘tick.’ And according to new data, it’s all about the technology.

Gone are the days when even notable colleges and universities could simply rely on students coming to them without much effort, as the current economy and job market make rising tuition costs and practicality major drawbacks for students. Institutions now increasingly find that they must reach out to student needs and wants, providing student service incentives for recruitment and retention.

And the first step in providing the right incentives is to know what today’s modern college student cares about, including the technology they use and spend money to access.

“If there are two things that can be counted on, it’s these: college students have become increasingly dependent on technology; and college students and technology are virtually a recession-proof market,” says Presta Electronics, which created a new infographic on the modern college student.

(Next page: 15 facts about the modern college student and infographic)

According to information gleaned from Mashable, Pew Internet, The Chronicle, Science Daily, Campus Tech, and many more reputable sources, Presta reveals these 12 facts about the modern college student:

College Students and Technology: Co-Dependent

1. 73 percent of college students (sample size of 500) said they cannot study without technology.

2. 38 percent of college students cannot go 10 minutes without checking their eMail, tablet, laptop or smartphone.

3. 70 percent of students use keyboards to take notes.

4. 65 percent use digital devices to create presentations.

5. 91 percent of students used eMail to communicate with professors.

6. 98 percent of students who own an eReader read eTextbooks.

Student Tech Spending

7. Students spent $13 billion on electronics in 2009.

8. Digital textbooks cost approximately 40 percent less than printed textbooks.

9. Retailers are selling $400 netbooks used by students primarily for term papers and note-taking.

Location of Present and Future Learning

10. 12 million college students currently take one or more classes online. This figure is expected to exceed 22 million in 5 years.

11. In 2014: 5.14 million students will take classes in physical classroom; 3.55 million will take all classes online; and 18.65 million will take some classes online.

Other Fun Facts

12. Community college students are less reliant on digital tools than 4-year college students and graduate students.

13. Slowly but surely, the notepad is going away and the iPad is taking over in lecture halls across America. With this technology comes hundreds of tech tools and apps for the modern college student.

14. Undergraduate and graduate students (18–24 years) have the fastest internet connections among age groups.

15. College students tune down the tech when studying for final exams in the library.

For a larger version of the infographic, click here.

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