1. Digital device trends among
international students
A collaborative study between Study International and the University of
Salford Business School, Centre for Digital Business
2015

2. Study International 2March 2015
Contents
1. Executive Summary
2. Background
3. Methodology
4. Trends in Device Usage
5. Trends in Traffic
6. Audit of UK University Websites and their International Pages
7. Survey Trends and Findings
7.1 Device Usage
7.2 Age of Respondents
7.3 Device by Gender and by Country
7.4 Disciplines of Interest by Country
8. How to Take Advantage of Increasing Mobile Device Usage
9. About Study International
10. About University of Salford Business School

3. Study International 3March 2015
The student decision journey has moved online. One in ten prospective students now search exclusively online for
classes and programmes, a Google and Compete study found in 2013. Given that international students contribute
£5 billion a year to the UK economy (UUK, Value of Universities to UK plc), online activity among international
students could be worth more than £500 million annually. With mobile device internet usage rising rapidly in
all of the major international student markets, mobile strategy is a big and growing business opportunity for
universities.
Universities display information on their websites in various formats and the online experience can be difficult for
prospective students. When potential students are using a mobile device, there is further complexity.
It was this challenge, faced by today’s international students, which prompted Study International to analyse
mobile usage and the international student experience as they research education choices. The aim of the
research is firstly to help students, and secondly to enable universities to improve the quality of mobile
information they offer for prospective students. It is hoped that the report will generate discussion regarding the
increasing importance of mobile communications in helping students find the right education pathway.
Lastly the research introduces a new methodology in the area of international student research. A combination of
university expertise, two years of internet data and survey information provided by trained student advisors. This
report presents a global snapshot of the extensive data collected and main findings produced. It suggests clear
opportunities to increase international student revenues for universities who are willing to adopt effective mobile
web strategies.
1. Executive Summary

4. Study International 4March 2015
Global Student Mobility Facts
• The movement of students between countries is now a mass movement. The global population of
internationally mobile students more than doubled from 2.1 million in 2000 to nearly 4.5 million in 2011,
reaching 5 million in 2014 (ICEF, 2014).
• Global internet users will reach 3 billion in 2015, predicted to reach 5.3 billion by 2018 (eMarketer, 2014).
• Smartphone users reached 1.75 billion in 2014, and is expected to exceed 2.1 billion in 2015 (eMarketer,
2014).
• In the US 75% of high school students regularly use a smartphone and 42% of high school students regularly
use a tablet at home or school (Harris Interactive & Pearson, 2014).
• 334 million Africans will have a smartphone by 2017 (informa-Africa Telecoms Outlook, 2014).
Study International Student Data
• 1.8 million prospective students accessed Study International’s network of sites during 2013, generating
25,496 enquiries. 11.9% of these enquiries were from mobile phones.
• During 2014 Study International received 3.5 million visitors, generating 65,217 international student
enquiries - 17,512 of which came from mobile devices, an increase to 27%.
• Noticing this trend Study International conducted a deep dive census of 804 international student enquiries
(from selected markets: Colombia, Nigeria, Jordan and Malaysia) asking them about their mobile usage.
• 121 UK university sites (and international pages) were audited to grade them on mobile experience and
compatibility.
Salford Business School: Centre for Digital Business
Based in the University of Salford’s new campus at MediaCityUK, the Centre is made up of a multi-disciplinary
team of academics that have earned an internationally respected reputation for high quality, relevant and
accessible research. All members are active researchers, educators in technology and business and are involved
in business engagement through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. Expertise at the Centre is focussed around the
application of digital technologies and information systems within business settings.
2. Background
Recommendation #1: Recognition that mobile should be a central part of any university’s marketing strategy.

5. Study International 5March 2015
To understand how universities can benefit from this dual force of mass student movement and the surge in
smartphone ownership, Google Analytics and in-house survey data were used to produce a two part evidence-
based report.
1. Study International student enquiry analytics between 2013 and 2014 including over 5.3 million web visits
and over 90,713 enquires in this period.
2. Study International conducted a comprehensive survey of 804 prospective students from four key
international student markets - Colombia, Jordan, Malaysia and Nigeria.
The student enquiry and traffic analytics have been compiled through working with over 50 universities and
colleges in the UK, Canada, Australia and the US on lead generation (student enquiry) campaigns during 2013-
2014. Data and enquiries are for pre-degree, undergraduate and postgraduate students. The enquiry data comes
from over 90 countries and includes all of the major international student markets.
For the survey, students were asked what type of courses were they applying for and, importantly, what device
they were using to access available course information. Six student advisors from Study International spoke with
804 students to obtain the information on their mobile usage. Fully trained in guiding the students through to
the application and enrolment process, the team reached out via phone, email and social media to all enquiries
generated for campaigns globally.
The Centre for Digital Business at Salford Business School then analysed and interpreted the results of the survey
and additional demographical data was also gathered to provide contextual background and enable greater in-
depth analysis. A longitudinal study (2013-2014) of usage of Study International’s websites using a combination of
data from sources such as Google, Bing, Yahoo and Study International’s own CRM system also supplement these
findings.
3. Methodology

6. Study International 6March 2015
In 2013 Study International dealt with 25,496 student enquiries, 11.9% were submitted by mobile device. In 2014
enquiries reached 65,217 with 27% attributed to mobile users. Study International decided to ask its students
their preferences when searching for programmes of study.
After noticing this trend Study International Student Advisors asked the students:
‘Which device do you use when searching for courses online?’
The findings show that the desktop was the device of choice for 65.6% students, 24.65% used their mobiles and
9.75% used a tablet. To a certain degree these figures were anticipated given the growth of smartphones, and the
historical data, previously mentioned, that indicates a steady decrease in desktop usage.
This student feedback supports the wider, longitudinal data on device trends and given the current levels
of investment in mobile infrastructure in key emerging markets in south Asia and Africa this trend is likely to
accelerate further.
4. Trends in Device Usage
Recommendation #2: With nearly 1 in 3 online enquiries from the main international recruitment markets
happening through mobile and tablet devices, it is critical that all university websites are cross-compatible for
mobile, tablet and desktop devices.
What we've seen over the past 3 years
desktop
mobile
tablet
Q1
2013
Q2
2013
Q3
2013
Q4
2013
Q1
2014
Q2
2014
Q3
2014
Q4
2014
0.00%
25.00%
50.00%
75.00%
100.00%
Time
%oftrafficfromdevices
What we’ve seen over the past 3 years

7. Study International 7March 2015
1.8 million prospective students accessed Study International sites in 2013 and 3.5 million in 2014. A key finding
from this analysis is the significant increase of mobile phones used to access the websites - rising from 11.9% to
27% from Q1 2013 to Q4 2014 - demonstrating an emerging trend in the student population. At the same time,
tablet usage doubled - from a low base - with a corresponding drop in access through more traditional desktop or
laptop devices.
As Study International has been purposely targeting mobile device users, this trend can be partly explained. With
a doubling of its viewing market, there is clearly increased engagement. Subsequent enrolments have occurred
through cross-device digital usage.
This also raises a supplementary question: the effect of one user employing multiple devices to access the same
website. The existing data cannot confirm the ways in which users are initially pursuing a site using mobile devices
and then moving to a desktop or laptop for the more interactive elements of enquiry making such as form filling
and downloading documents.
Further research is needed to recognise the combination of conversion paths that involve multi-device sessions,
but being multi-device enabled may have an impact on encouraging engagement/action/application.
5. Trends in Traffic
Study International Traffic Breakdown in 2013 - 2014
1,000,000
2,000,000
3,000,000
4,000,000
desktopdesktop mobilemobile tablettablet
Pageviews
2013 2014
Study International Traffic Breakdown in 2013 - 2014

8. Study International 8March 2015
A Study International audit of 121 UK university website home pages found that 35% were not Mobile-Friendly.
That is, they did not display in an easily read format with an iOS, Android, Blackberry OS or Windows mobile
operating system. These systems account for 95% of the mobile devices being used worldwide (IDC, 2014).
For the universities that do have mobile compatible home pages, Study International graded the User Experience
on a mobile device out of 10 on a number of design and usability factors. The average score across the university
home pages was 6/10. In a further review of the sites’ practical use globally, Google’s PageSpeed Insights service
was used, which resulted in an average score of 56/100. This outlines a number of common fundamental issues
that would slow page loading of the website for international students.
Further auditing was conducted on university international pages. The international page(s) is often the main
contact and information point online for many students abroad in order to communicate with the university’s
recruitment team.
40% of university international pages in the UK are not Mobile-Friendly.
6. Audit of UK University Websites and their International Pages
Recommendation #3: Central digital and marketing teams should ensure the international page is Mobile-Friendly
in line with the rest of their web services.
UK Universities with a Mobile-Friendly
International Page
Yes No
40%
60%
UK Universities with a Mobile-Friendly Home
Page
Yes No
35%
65%
UK Universities with a Mobile-
Friendly International Page
UK Universities with a Mobile-
Friendly Home Page

9. Study International 9March 2015
7. Survey Trends and Findings
7.1. Device Usage
The data shows that within the
case study countries Nigeria has
the highest proportion of mobile
access at 34.83%, with Colombia
second (25.93%) followed by
Malaysia (23.88%) and then Jordan
(13.98%).
This results in significant variations
in the use of traditional desktops /
laptops from 77.42% in Jordan to
55.72% in Nigeria. It may be that
this variation is reflective of the
infrastructure of the region - for
example, the average 3G mobile internet speed in Jordan is 1Mb/s compared with Nigeria’s 2.1Mb/s (OpenSignal,
2014) whereas the UK has a current average speed of 6.1Mb/s (Ofcom, 2014). Improved 3G and mobile broadband
plays an important role in international students accessing course information via mobile devices. This raises
the important requirement that university websites need to offset lack of internet bandwidth by optimising their
websites.
Recommendation #4: Construction of university websites, and the international page in particular should employ
caching, leverage and compression technologies to ensure the size in MB of the webpage is as small as possible.
Nigeria 55.72%
61.57%
67.66%
77.42%
65.59%
34.83%
25.93%
23.88%
13.98%
24.65%
9.45%
12.50%
8.46%
8.60%
9.75%
Colombia
Malaysia
Jordan
Average

10. Study International 10March 2015
7.2. Age of Respondents
With the exception of Nigeria, the age of the students enquiring is generally consistent across countries. There
is a predominance of interest from under 21s, who are likely to be directly continuing from lower levels of study.
A smaller number are enquiring between 22-25, the age at which many people will be utilising their existing
qualifications and entering the workforce.
The rise at 26-30 is consistent with the demographics of students in postgraduate study, who are generally
returning to higher education in order to hone their skill sets and assist their climb up the career ladder. This also
fits with the type of programme accessed in each country, with students from Colombia being more interested in
higher levels of study, and the Malaysian students accessing entry level qualifications at a younger age. Nigerians
may be applying at a later age due to systemic problems in graduating on time and accessing official transcripts.
Students over the age of 35 may be parents, which is possibly likely in Malaysia.
7.3. Device by Gender and by Country
Consistently there is a greater use of mobile technology in general by women. However, there is not enough
other data about access to devices in each country to draw conclusions about specific cultural preferences or
restrictions. In this survey, men in Malaysia used the computer almost exclusively. In comparison, Malaysian
women showed a significant use of mobile and tablet introducing an interesting dichotomy.
Recommendation #5: There is no “typical” student - contextual branding and website imagery needs to appeal and
be accessible to prospective students ranging from school leavers to mature adults with families.
Age of Respondents
Colombia Jordan Malaysia Nigeria
<21
22-25
26-30
31-35
>35
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
Countries

11. Study International 11March 2015
Colombian women showed the greatest mobile use and lowest tablet use, and an interesting contrast is with that
of Jordanian women who are the greatest users of tablets but the lowest mobile users.
The findings have little consistency in device use by gender or by country.
7.4. Disciplines of Interest by Country
This survey was conducted while qualifying students for particular programmes. Despite this there is still notable
findings in the levels of interest. Overall Health subjects had an average interest of only 9.5% while Arts &
Humanities lead the way with 34.6%.
Although each country places a different
emphasis on a discipline of interest based
on and reflecting their culture, there is still
evidence of common trends in international
students desire to study certain disciplines
over others.
Recommendation #7: The differences in popularity of some disciplines over others should be factored in when
planning international student recruitment.
Recommendation #6: Specific categories of students (judged by country or gender) should not be assumed to hold
a specific device preference.
Device by Gender and by Country
Desktop TabletDesktop TabletDesktop
Colombia
Smartphone Tablet Desktop Smartphone
Jordan
Tablet Smartphone
Nigeria
Smartphone
Malaysia
0
50
100
150
200
MaleMale FemaleFemale
Devices and Countries
%
Device by Gender and by Country
Disciplines of Interest by CountryDisciplines of Interest by Country
Colombia
Jordan
Malaysia
Nigeria
0 60 120 180 240
Science
Arts and Huma…
Business
Health
Number of enquiries
SubjectDisciplines

12. Study International 12March 2015
Strategy
The first step for any university that would like to take advantage of this change in the market is to decide that a
mobile strategy is important and worth investing in.
Technology
Ensure that your international page is optimised for mobile phones and tablets. This is a rapidly increasing
communication medium between prospective international students and university recruitment teams. Our
evidence suggests that 40% of UK university international pages are not Mobile-Friendly.
Content
Content and overall size of web pages needs to be brief and succinct to avoid restricting international users due to
bandwidth limitations. Review your current websites and implement improvements.
Focus
Course preferences are consistent between mobile and desktop searches. We are not seeing any major trends at
this point regarding age or gender demographics that are critical to student recruitment / marketing planning.
Focus on access to information over mobile devices and less on gender, age or country messaging.
8. How to Take Advantage of Increasing Mobile Device Usage
Key Point Summary
If at least one in ten international students are searching exclusively online for their higher
education choices, then our research suggests 30% of these students are searching with a
mobile device. When considered as a proportion of international student revenue to the UK
economy, then up to £500 million could be directly generated through online recruitment with
over £150 million attributed to mobile devices. We believe that this number will rise rapidly in
the next three years.

13. Study International 13March 2015
Study International offers process-led solutions for universities around the world that want to grow their
international student numbers in an innovative and cost-effective manner. We market your university digitally
through a network of search and social media. We generate enquiries, qualify them, respond quickly and manage
them carefully. These enquiries convert into applications and applications into successful enrolments.
We believe that people plus digital equals access to education. Powered by StudyInternational.com and hundreds
of specialist micro-sites, we have a global, digital reach. We also run an experienced team of Student Advisors and
maintain direct partnerships with International Schools around the world. The Study International main office is
in Bristol, United Kingdom with a branch office in Sydney, Australia.
Our data allows us to conduct market research with students to try and understand how they interact with
university websites, how they search for courses, and what devices they use. For further enquiries please contact
our Business Development Director, Graham Wood on +44 (0) 117 244 3750 or graham@studyinternational.com
About University of Salford Business School
The Centre for Digital Business aims to produce academically rigorous research that builds our reputation as
advisors to local businesses. Our members have a broad range of expertise that can be grouped into the following
three areas:
• Strategic use of digital technologies
• Application of digital technologies
• Analysis of digital technologies
The Centre for Digital Business has an internationally-recognised profile of research in digital technologies and,
given the University of Salford’s new campus at MediaCityUK, it is well positioned to be a facilitator and enabler
for local and global businesses by providing a hub for commercially centred workshops, hosting key guest
speakers, consultancy, postgraduate supervision, funding collaboration and providing bespoke training courses to
equip staff with necessary critical digital business and analytical skills.
To contact the co-authors and for PhD/consultancy enquiries, please contact:
Centre Director, Dr. Marie Griffiths on +44 (0)161 295 4237 or at m.griffiths@salford.ac.uk
Head of Academic Unit, Dr. Gordon Fletcher on +44 (0)161 295 5851 or at g.fletcher@salford.ac.uk
Senior Lecturer in Information Systems, Dr. Maria Kutar on +44 (0)161 295 3056 or at m.kutar@salford.ac.uk
About Study International

14. Digital device trends among international students
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