Destination anywhere - EAIE 2016
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During a fishbowl session at EAIE 2016 in Liverpool, StudyPortals and Hobsons hosted a session on how students decide where to study. Providing insights into the decision-making process of students, including tips on how to better position your institution based on an analysis of this data.
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Destination anywhere - EAIE 2016
- 1. DESTINATION ANYWHERE 2016 UPDATE: HOW STUDENTS DECIDE WHERE TO STUDY Welcome to session Hall 2D, Level 1, 16 September, 09:00-10:00
- 2. December 2, 2016 Slide 2 Your presenters Marie Clark @kiwimariec @hobsonsemea Joran van Aart @joranvanaart @studyportals
- 3. How do students decide where to study? Test your knowledge against other EAIE participants!
- 4. Question One Students can choose between many English-taught bachelor’s and master’s programmes in the world. But how many? A 20,000 at most B About 50,000 C 100,000 at least
- 5. 2400 universities together offer • 49,900 Masters (or equivalent) • 53,000 Bachelors (or equivalent) December 2, 2016 Slide 5 100,000+ English-taught programmes! Source: StudyPortals
- 6. Question Two When thinking about studying abroad students are thinking about things like the country, particular institutions and the subject. Which one of these is generally most important to them? A Country B Subject C Institution
- 7. 7 Consistently… 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% Uni > Subject > Country Country > Uni > Subject Country > Subject > Uni Subject > Uni > Country Subject > Country > Uni In what order did you choose Source: Hobsons
- 8. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% subject country language of instruction delivery method tuition fee duration December 2, 2016 Slide 8 Search filters used by students Source: StudyPortals
- 9. Question Three If a student is interested in studying here in the UK which are the three other countries they are most likely to want to study in? A Canada, Australia, US B US, Canada, Germany C NZ, USA, Ireland
- 10. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% USA Canada Australia Germany Ireland Other EU country France Sweden New Zealand Singapore Which overseas countries are/were you considering attending university in? N: 6,392 What we knew…where else are they looking? Source: Hobsons
- 11. December 2, 2016 Slide 11 Where else to they go? Final destination of UK prospects Primary reason for not studying in the UK at 36% was the lack of a PSW visa in the UK. Source: Hobsons
- 12. Question Four What do students say are the three most important things when they are thinking about the country they want to study in? A Getting a visa, job prospects post study, safety B Getting permanent residency, country’s welcome, distance from home country C Quality, international recognition of qualifications, country’s attitude
- 13. 13 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% Distance from home country Ability to get permanent residency Job prospects / migration to destination… Exposure to culture / life in destination country Ability to work whilst studying Other Post study work options Job prospects in home country post-university Ease of getting visa to study Safety of destination country Country’s attitude to international students International recognition of qualifications Quality of education compared to home… What’s important to you in regards to country? When thinking about study abroad Source: Hobsons
- 14. Question Five How often do students use a mobile phone to explore their international study options? A 17% of the time B 41% C 59%
- 15. 54% 41% 5% Desktop Mobile Tablet December 2, 2016 Slide 15 41% of visits are via mobile (and growing) On StudyPortals websites, August 2016
- 16. Question Six What percentage of students say they use Whatsapp daily? A 15% B 62% C 72%
- 17. The future of student communications? 72% 56% 28% 22% 14% 12% 11% 10% 3… 2% Daily use of social messaging services Source: Hobsons
- 18. Top social messaging platforms by market Source: Hobsons
- 19. Question Seven What percentage of students say that the Brexit vote has made them less likely to study in the UK? A 69.5% B 5.6% C 13.4%
- 20. In the news
- 21. December 2, 2016 Slide 28 70% students say they are less likely to study in the UK Source: Hobsons
- 22. “I’ve heard there’s been a spike in racism and xenophobia within the UK and I don’t want to support that in any form.” “People have become so racist and with all the ongoing circumstances, I’d not feel safe there.”
- 23. December 2, 2016 Slide 30 59% believe the UK will be less welcoming Source: Hobsons
- 24. Anglophone countries were amongst the greatest potential beneficiaries of Brexit Source: Hobsons
- 25. December 2, 2016 Slide 33 Students interested in UK 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% May June July August % of total visitors looking at UK-based programmes On StudyPortals websites, August 2016
- 26. December 2, 2016 Slide 34 Impact of the Turkish coup attempt 0% 1% 2% 3% 4% June July August % Turkish visitors on entire website
- 27. Question Eight When it comes to choosing between institutions, students consider a range of factors, which do you think are the three most important? A Facilities, scholarships, responsiveness B Academic reputation, subject, facilities C Tuition fees, entry requirements, links with employers
- 28. December 2, 2016 Slide 36 What makes you better? 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Diversity / mix of international students Living expenses (accommodation, food etc.) Other Responsiveness of university Ease of getting permanent residency after… Student Satisfaction Ranking Safety of campus / local area Links with employers (e.g. internship… Recommendations Employment rates of graduates Campus Location Tuition Fees Entry Requirements Scholarships Teaching Quality Facilities Subjects available to study Academic Reputation / Ranking What’s important when deciding between institutions? Source: Hobsons
- 29. 38 How much competition? 1 24% 2 16% 3 16% 4 10% 5 25% Over 5 9% How many institutions did you / do you plan to apply to? Source: Hobsons
- 30. Question Nine What percentage of students say that they expect a university to reply to their enquiry within one day? A One-third B Half C Two-thirds
- 31. December 2, 2016 Slide 41 53% expect a response within 24 hours 54% 32% 12% 2% How quickly would you like to receive a response from a university after you make an enquiry? Within 24 hours Within 3 days Within 1 week Within 1 month Source: Hobsons
- 32. Question Ten How many of the Top 500 universities in the world do not answer student enquiries within four days? A 10% B 20% C 30%
- 33. December 2, 2016 Slide 43 8% takes 5+ days, 21% never replies 37% 20% 14% 8% 21% 0.5 days 1 day 2-4 days 5 or more days no reply at all Source: Through Student Eyes (2014), StudyPortals and British Council IELTS
- 34. REFLECTIONS BY MARIE CLARK Hall 2D, Level 1, 16 September, 09:00-10:00
- 35. “Using big data to match the right student with the right institution.”
- 36. • Many universities are too dependent on ‘key’ markets – this creates risk. • The best way to reduce risk is to diversify. • Student profiling is a way to diversify in a smart, targeted and efficient way. Why student profiling matters
- 37. 200000 300000 400000 500000 600000 700000 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050 2055 2060 2065 2070 2075 2080 2085 2090 2095 2100 Historic and projected youth population in China and India China and India will have smaller youth populations in the future China India 2016
- 38. • Reduce single-market sensitivity. • Bring a broader range of perspectives and experience. • Create links with new areas of the world. • Avoid the creation of mono-cultural blocs of international students. The benefits of a diverse international student population
- 39. Student profiling is a key ingredient of a more diverse international strategy • Identifies prospective students in a highly targeted way • Accounts for the fact that every university has something different to offer • Lends itself well to digital marketing – attract new students with far less in-country activity
- 40. What types of student should I be targeting? How can I reach and engage with them? What are the typical ‘types’ of student who attend my university? What questions can profiling answer? How do my enquirers and current student differ?
- 41. The five pillars Cost Employment outcomes Lifestyle and environment Teaching quality University brand Tuition fees Cost of living Other costs Graduate employment rate Graduate salaries Employability skills Facilities Sports and leisure Location Academic staff Modes of teaching Face to face time Subject rankings University reputation University rankings Alumni
- 42. Clustering identifies groups of similar students
- 43. 0 1 2 3 4 5 TQ COL UBLE EO TEACHING QUALITY V High Avg Score 87 COST OF LIVING Med Avg Score 56 UNIVERSITY BRAND High Avg Score 91 LIFESTYLE AND ENVIRONMENT Med Avg Score 45 EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES V High Avg Score 94 Example profile
- 44. • Compare the results of the profiling with a wider data set to find areas of opportunity • Locate prospects digitally and geographically • Engage with them in a highly targeted and personalised manner The next step: matching your target profiles with the market
- 45. Our vision for a smarter approach to international student recruitment: • More targeted – using techniques like student profiling to target the best prospects; • More agile – quicker to respond to threats and take advantage of opportunities; • More measurable – using data to understand cost per acquisition and ROI; • More personalised – tailored to the needs of each individual prospect. International Student Survey 2016
- 46. Interested in getting involved? Drop your business card to me or email me marie.clark@hobsons.com
- 47. REFLECTIONS BY JORAN VAN AART Hall 2D, Level 1, 16 September, 09:00-10:00
- 48. December 2, 2016 Slide 63
- 49. December 2, 2016 Slide 64
- 50. December 2, 2016 Slide 65
- 51. December 2, 2016 Slide 66
- 52. December 2, 2016 Slide 67 The choice process Aware Informed Interested Decision Visible in Search (SEO & SEA) Comparison sites & portals Social media targeted ads User friendly site & retargeting Mobile site, cross-channel Fast & accurate response Reviews & influencers Friendly, helpful staff
- 53. December 2, 2016 Slide 68
- 54. Explanation of the answers? Get the actual research reports?
- 55. December 2, 2016 Slide 70 Your feedback is appreciated! Evaluate this session: • Open the EAIE Events App • Go to ‘Schedule’ and find this session • At the bottom of the session description you’ll see ‘Resources’ • Click ‘Evaluate this session’ to answer a few questions
Editor's Notes
- Hobsons We provide market insight, student recruitment and student success technology and solutions. We work with more than 15,000 schools, colleges and universities globally to enable them to achieve their student recruitment and retention ambitions. Running the International Student Survey for four years.
- This was a key question for us. When they are thinking about studying abroad in what order do they think about first? Is it the country they want to go to? Is it the university that they want to go to? Or is it the subject they want to study? Now it won’t surprise you that when they sit down at their computer – they are thinking subject. 40% say subject is their first consideration. Its what comes next that is interesting. For most students the next thing that they think about is the country – not the institution. The bit of advice that we are giving clients based on this is that when you are marketing to students, even at enquiry stage make sure we are giving subject specific information up front. How that subject will benefit them.
- This is not a ‘we’re all doomed situation nor is it about pointing fingers…much. But the simple fact is that whilst we can be said to be just about moving forwards with regards to the numbers around international student recruitment, as the latest global stats show, it is at a much slower rate than our international competitors. Year on year Hobsons track international student interest through asking what other countries students interested in coming to the UK were also considering studying in. The top 3 competitors remain relatively stable – US, Australia and Canada but there has been a significant increase in the number of students considering Germany as a viable alternative to the UK since we started this survey 3 years ago. Germany’s international recruitment stats will ultimately show us how well they succeed with their current strategy – what the above shows is that from a position of relative insignificance from a competitive point of view for the UK Germany has managed to position itself as a genuine competitor and needs to be monitored along our more traditional competitor countries for policy developments. Why this has happened is of course the real question. And one which this forum is far from an ideal vehicle to discuss. But handily some people far more important than I have been discussing and debating this for a while and last week released their report – the APPC report I mentioned earlier. “Higher education is one of our country's leading export success stories, increasing our soft power and helping the UK shape the world of the future. But the government's current approach to post-study work and student migration policy is jeopardising Britain’s position in the global race for talent. We are already losing out to countries with a more sensible approach such as Australia, Canada and the United States. Such a short-sighted stance is damaging to our economy and hinders the delivery of the Government’s long term economic plan. We need to adjust our policy and improve our ability to attract students from around the world” Richard Bacon – Conservative. UKCISA – manifesto for international students launched last week: “The UK has a really good track record for welcoming and supporting international students but we believe that having been through some very rough water, and our reputation taken something of a knock, we are now at a tipping point when we could rebuild our reputation or fall further behind,” CEO of UKCISA, Dominic Scott. 2 key points: 5: part time work entitlements for international students need to be standardised and 6: all students at graduate or postgraduate level should be entitled to a limited period of post study work in the UK (and/or longer on their current visas to find tier 2 jobs). Sensible stuff. The trouble is all of the above named countries, bar none, are making positive moves to not only increase the numbers of international students coming to study with them but more importantly, crucially in fact as Bacon notes - to cement the long term relationships that international study generates. This is potentially a long term issue with some very obvious short term fixes. Separately – Europe’s doing some fun / annoying things: The report, English-Taught Programmes in European Higher Education, found that 61% of higher education institutions in the Nordic region are offering Bachelor’s or Master’s programmes taught entirely in English. This is compared to 32% offering the same in 2007. And the proportion of study programmes that are provided entirely in English is at 20% in the Nordic region. Canada changing their immigration policy – not certainly for the better.
- So when it comes to the country…of course the quality of the education is paramount. Quality of education compared to home country and international recognition of qualifications are up there on top. What is interesting really the third and fourth factors. These are the ones that I want to highlight. The country’s attitude and safety, or at least perceptions of safety, come out very highly. UK universities aren’t helped here with the rhetoric at a government level In the absence of something centralised, anything that you can include in your marketing messages to reassure students about the welcome that they will receive or the safety of the country will be invaluable. The same applies elsewhere too. In Australia when they had poor publicity around Indian students – their numbers dropped dramatically. On behalf of the universities we work with we are prepared to respond with emails or calls to their prospective students if there is an incident at a national level. A good example are the riots three summers ago – across all our university partners – not just those based in London – started getting phone calls and emails from worried students. We were proactive in reassuring prospective students that these were isolated incidents and not race related.
- Parents have a significant impact on the decision to study abroad Careers advisors more influential for PG prospects than UG Agents have a generally low level of influence on the decision to study abroad (the student is already thinking about study abroad when they approach the agent).
- This data is drawn from a survey conducted by Hobsons Solutions on the 14th and 15th of July 2016. Surveys were distributed to 23,805 prospective international students from both inside and outside the EU. All of those invited to complete the survey had enquired to one of a range of UK Universities within the last 12–18 months. Of these potential respondents, 1,014 answered the survey, a response rate of 4.2 per cent within a 24 hour period. 87% of respondents were from non-EU countrie
- The UK’s decision to leave the EU has created widespread uncertainty in the Higher Education sector on issues ranging from the future of research funding to tuition fees. One area that might be most profoundly affected by Brexit is international student recruitment. Drawing on new survey data, this short analysis provides an international student perspective on what this impact might be. Key findings include: • 43 per cent of prospective international students feel that Brexit has affected their decision to study in the UK. • Of these students, 83 per cent say it has made them less likely to study in the UK. • However, 61 per cent suggested that the weaker Pound made UK Higher Education more attractive.
- Respondents were asked the question ‘what could UK universities do that would make studying in the UK a more attractive prospect for you?’ The response took a free-text format, and there were 603 responses. Of these: • 16 per cent mentioned scholarships (comments containing ‘scholarship’) • 14 per cent mentioned post-study work visas (comments containing ‘visa’, ‘post-study work’ or ‘PSW‘) • 13 per cent mentioned lower tuition fees (comments containing ‘tuition’, ‘fees’ or ‘cost’)
- Once they have applied to you, you have hopefully by in large answered any questions about if you are good enough. Now it becomes about being better than others. Responsiveness slips right down the list and things like facilities shoot up. Know who your competition is and channel why you are better.
- Why is it important to be better – because we know that the vast majority of students plan to apply to four or more universities. However…just going back to enquiry stage – if they plan to apply to 4 just think how many they are enquiring to. Which makes what I said about responsiveness earlier so important. Stand out from that huge crowd. How can you make sure you go from a pool of say 10 to 20 to 4 to five to the chosen one?
- Previous ISS results have consistently shown that prospective students value responsiveness. In 2014 we found cases where students, faced with a choice between two universities, chose the one that responded to them most rapidly. What’s more, our research has found that this is not because students are impatient. It is because, from their perspective, the rapidity of a response acts as a proxy for the quality of a university. If responsiveness is important to students, then it is vital to understand what might typically be regarded as ‘responsive.’ We have found that more than half of students – 52 per cent – desire a response within 24 hours after they make an enquiry, and only 15 per cent would be satisfied with a response taking longer than three days. Simply put, universities that fail to meet these response time expectations risk missing out on potential students.
- Teaching quality is one of our five pillars, so worth understanding what this means to students 85% say having highly qualified academics influences their perception 75% say high graduate employment rates indicate good teaching quality 63% say fast response to an enquiry – used as proxy
- India, China, Nigeria have all taken a hit… the EU might be next Universities who have relied too much on small numbers of markets have suffered most acutely Most universities want to diversify, but it’s a complicated process Student profiling is a simpler approach that can work for universities of any size without large up-front investment
- Demographic changes mean that China and India will have fewer 18-25 year olds in the future Youth is growing in other countries but it’s widely dispersed – there is no new India or China
- The answer is to create more diverse intakes of international students
- The old model of student recruitment – fairs, events, partnerships – has an important role but is hard to scale up Every university has something unique to offer – play to your strengths. Ulster example.
- Better understand your current students Identify areas of difference between your enquirers and current students Understand who to target, and how
- Our research over the last 4 years has enabled us to identify five areas that influence student decision making We call these the components of choice Every student sits somewhere on a scale for each factor.
- When profiling, we measure these from 0-100 for each student, using a range of questions that is specific to each university. These scores are fed into our profiling model
- We use K Means Clustering to identify groups of similar students The aim is to identify groups that are meaningfully different. For most universities there will be 3-5 different groups covering around 80% of students.
- A profile is defined as groups of students who’s scores for the five pillars are similar In this example, the profile is extremely sensitive to teaching quality and employment outcomes, highly sensitive to the brand of the university, but less focused on lifestyle or cost.
- Profiles give us a framework for ‘matching’ a university with the global pool of prospective international students Our international student survey data gives us the ability to run this matching process to find out where they are: both digitally and geographically, often down to the level of individual city.
- Our report in May 2016. You can download a copy at www.internationalstudentsurvey.com and you can also register to take part next year.