Most current students and recent graduates – 86 percent – rated their overall university experience as either excellent or good. Indian students were the most satisfied overall, with 92 percent saying their experience was excellent or good, followed by students in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore (cited by 90 percent, 88 percent, 82 percent and 80 percent, respectively)

University web sites were considered the most valuable source of information for university-bound students in four of the five countries, with the exception of Australia, where a higher percentage of students rated “university visits/open houses” as the most useful information source.

“In most countries we studied, the online channel is favored by students as an information source, but we also found significant numbers of students relying on more traditional sources, including visits, open houses, guidance counselors and teachers, and friends and family,” added Oakes. “Universities must continue to leverage a variety of channels to convey their value and attractiveness to prospective students.  At the same time, they must capitalize on the utility of web sites to highlight what they offer, including the digital capabilities so important to many students.”

The survey also found that while the majority of all respondents (84 percent) identified obtaining skills and knowledge for success in the job market as the main goal of a university education, three out of four respondents also said personal benefits, such as exposure to new people and new ways of thinking, were also very important. 

Methodology

Accenture surveyed 1,500 students (300 per country, including university-bound secondary students, current university students, and recent graduates) in Australia, India, Singapore, the United States and the United Kingdom during mid-2014. The survey was fielded by Penn Schoen Berland (PSB).
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