Data Insights: When Do Students Seek New Study Programs?

We've examined how students from various regions approach their educational journeys. We uncovered key regional differences. Recognizing these nuances can significantly enhance recruitment strategies.

Our analysis centered on whether these students were currently studying or had already graduated when they consulted our Advisors to learn about study programs.

This data shows users looking for Bachelor, Master, MBA or PhD programmes, thus covering users at different levels of education. This report used a data set consisting of 214,949 users.

The insights we gained suggest that tailoring recruitment strategies to these regional nuances could yield more effective results. Let’s dive into the details! 👇

Are prospective students still in school when researching their next study destination?

In all our Advisor products, we ask about the prospective student's current education level. This helps us assess whether they meet the entry requirements, and provides schools with valuable insights into the profiles of potential leads.

Across the board, regardless of region or higher education level, the majority of users have already graduated once they begin researching new study programs.

High School students begin to look for their next school while still studying

However, when solely focusing on students who state that their highest level of education is High School or equivalent, this perspective changes. Mainly, it appears that High School students begin to look for their next school while still studying.

Interestingly, if we then look closer at the segment of High School students who have already graduated once they begin their search, Africa stands out. In this region, the majority of users have already graduated. Conversely, the vast majority of High School students in Asia are yet to graduate.

When diving further into the African region, it appears that most of the prospects using our Advisors in their search graduated from High School two years prior to starting their research into higher education. Thus, it is not a significant time gap between High School and Bachelor’s, but enough to warrant a different approach from the usual High School outreach marketing.

European Bachelor students defy the norm

When we then investigated Bachelor students looking for their next degree, European students conflicted with their counterparts in the other regions. The majority of European Bachelor students begin researching their next degree while studying.

Breaking these numbers down even further, we can see that Europe really stands out at around double the percentage of any other region.

This really piqued our interest, so we drilled down even further, and checked how many years away from graduation these European Bachelor students were, to see how early they begin preparing for their next step. Most European Bachelor students will graduate in the coming year

Of the remaining Bachelor students who were not graduating the following year, the largest percentage of users were graduating in the current year. This underscores that they begin to consider the next option once their Bachelor’s graduation is close at hand. This is also most likely the stage of their academic career in which they are beginning to truly uncover their interests and ambitions for the future.

When asked when they want to start studying, the regions tended to be more congruous:

1. Next year is the most commonly chosen option across all regions.
2. The same year is a close second; however, here the LATAM region stands out as not being interested in applying as promptly.
3. The Middle east and LATAM prospects are the most indecisive, while the Indian Subcontinent students appear to be the most decisive.
4. North American students are more eager to start in 2 years compared to other regions.

To summarize 📝

Our analysis reveals that African students typically take a gap of 2 years between graduating High School and researching university options. This is a stark contrast to their Asian and European peers, who are generally ready for higher education immediately after completing High School. This suggests that marketing efforts aimed at African High School students should be delayed until they are ready to consider university studies, rather than targeting them immediately post-graduation.

Furthermore, European students with a Bachelor’s degree are distinct in their proactive approach to postgraduate studies, often beginning their research before they have even graduated. This trend indicates the importance of engaging with European students early in their undergraduate journey, as they are likely to make decisions about further education well before completing their Bachelor’s programs.