The Sodexo University Lifestyle Survey 2016
Millennial students: indebted, studious and sober, but still happy with university life
· 2,000 university students surveyed from across the UK
· 48% are worried about their day-to-day finances
· 40% do not believe their expected debt is acceptable in terms of their future career
· 36% of students don’t drink any alcohol, up from 26% in 2012
· 85% say they are broadly satisfied with their quality of life as a student – both in academic and social terms
Sodexo, the world’s largest services company, today announced the findings of its seventh University Lifestyle Survey, the first completed with all respondents paying £9,000 in annual tuition fees.
Although the majority of students are broadly happy with university life, the increasingly competitive graduate market, rising costs of living and growing debt levels are leading millennial students to take university very seriously, according to Sodexo’s seventh University Lifestyle Survey, published in association with Times Higher Education magazine.
Unsurprisingly, the expectation of debt for UK students has risen since the introduction of £9,000 fees in 2012, with two-thirds (66%) expecting to leave university with debts of £20,000 or more, double the number (30%) who said this four years ago. Many believe they will rack up far higher debts, with 29 per cent anticipating their debt at graduation to be more than £40,000, up from just 2 per cent of those surveyed before the new fees took effect.
Worryingly, 40 per cent said they did not believe their expected debt was acceptable in terms of their future career prospects, up from 28 per cent in 2014 and 18 per cent in 2012.
Day-to-day finances were also cited as a source of stress by almost half of all students (48%), up six percentage points on 2014. These immediate money troubles were mentioned more often than long-term debt after graduation, which was cited by 38 per cent of students as a major source of stress, up from 25 per cent two years earlier.
Students are feeling the pinch of rising accommodation costs, with 30 per cent paying more than £400 a month, up from 25 per cent in 2012 and 20 per cent in 2010. Ten years ago, just 10 per cent paid more than £400 a month in rent. This may be one factor leading to an increasing number of students choosing to live at home – 21 per cent this year, up from 13 per cent in 2008 and 19 per cent in 2014.
These financial anxieties may worsen in coming years as maintenance grants are removed this autumn – a policy which could have major implications for how young people approach university. Asked how they would have approached the choice about going to university, knowing maintenance grants weren’t available, a quarter of female students who currently receive the grants said they would have postponed their studies, whilst one in five males (22%) would not have chosen to go to university at all. To deal with this financial shortfall next year a third of students said they would need to take on more loans, while 31 per cent would work more, and 29 per cent would spend less on food and drink.
Zain Rizvi, third year student at Cass Business School, City University said; “The high cost of university definitely didn’t deter me, but I’m conscious that my loans will have to be paid back eventually. I think students are determined to make the most of their time at university. I see it as a time to not only get a degree, but also to get work experience, make connections with potential employers and build a strong network of friends and contacts.”
In light of the greater financial burden on students, the survey reveals some surprising lifestyle trends that dispel the stereotype of students as hard-drinking party animals. More than a third (36%) of students report they don’t drink alcohol, up from 26 per cent in 2012 and 28 per cent say they don’t spend anything on socialising. Instead, there is a strong café culture at universities – over half of students (53%) spend up to £20 a week on tea and coffee from university cafés.
The survey also uncovers some interesting findings about study habits. The vast majority of students now use more online study resources than offline – 55 per cent favoured online resources against 23 per cent who preferred traditional books, papers and journals. The area in which students most wanted to see investment on campus was the library, with 26 per cent wanting to see investment there, up from 19 per cent who cited this in 2014.
Professor Jane Longmore, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Southampton Solent University, co-author and validator of the survey, noted: “This research shows that while university life hasn’t changed fundamentally, millennial students are living more interconnected lives, moving seamlessly between online and offline, and their academic and social lives.
The survey suggests that increasingly the library is the major social learning space in the institution; student sociability has moved into the academic heart of the university and students are making greater use of other social learning spaces, including campus coffee bars.
It is good to hear that the overwhelming majority of students are happy with their experiences, but important that universities continue to modernise their estates in order to anticipate and meet the needs of future generations.”
Finally, the growth in private student accommodation and the rise in rents means students are now becoming more demanding about their digs. Having an en-suite bathroom – once an unimaginable luxury for undergraduates – is now a ‘must have’ for many students. When asked to select the five most important requirements for accommodation, 36 per cent of students in university halls listed the existence of their own bathroom as their number one priority, ahead of high-speed WiFi (26%) and having a place to study (18%).
Paul Anstey, Sodexo’s CEO of Universities, UK & Ireland, Nordics and Benelux Regions, commented: “With increased financial pressure on students, it is vital that universities and service providers like Sodexo work together on creative solutions to improve students’ quality of life and to offer a university experience that students truly value.”
Sodexo has provided catering, accommodation and facilities management services to the higher education sector for nearly 50 years. As a strategic partner to our university clients across the UK and Ireland we focus on improving student experience through integrated services that promote quality of life.
Sodexo first undertook the University Lifestyle Survey in April 2004 and has subsequently undertaken the research every two years with Times Higher Education magazine as its media partner. The purpose of the survey is to identify and track trends in key non-academic areas of university life as experienced by undergraduate students. The findings provide Sodexo with valuable insight into students’ lives and lifestyles which enables us to provide better services.
The 2016 survey is the seventh and included over 2,000 students across the UK. It is the first survey in which Sodexo has asked students to reflect directly on their quality of life and some of the key factors (e.g. accommodation, social life, health and wellbeing) that influence this.
Summary of findings (national statistics unless otherwise stated)
Key reasons for choosing and funding a university education
- 71% to improve future employment opportunities (76% in 2014)
- 56% to improve their knowledge in an area of interest (63% in 2014)
- 53% to increase their earning power (62% in 2014)
- 51% to specialise in a certain subject/area
- 49% to obtain an additional qualification (58% in 2014)
- 45% degree was essential for chosen career path
- 43% to become more independent
- 39% to meet new people
- 36% reported that university was 'the next obvious step'
- 33% to experience a different way of life
- 21% to have a good social life
- 21% said parents expected them to (27% in 2014)
- 12% as they could live at home and still attend university
Influences when choosing a university
- 22% took recommendations from their friends and peers (30% in 2014)
- 44% were influenced by internet research when choosing a university (55% in 2014)
- 19% took parental advice (26% in 2014)
- 15% were swayed by teacher advice (23% in 2014)
Financials
How students fund university
- 64% maintenance loan (72% in 2014)
- 56% tuition loan (62% in 2014)
- 49% are supported by their parents
- 44% maintenance grant
- 37% savings
- 28% part-time job
- 27% bursary/scholarship from university
- 21% part time holiday job
- 17% rely on bank overdrafts
- 10% full time holiday job
- 9% relatives (other than parents)
- 6% credit cards
- 4% are sponsored
- 3% bank loans
- 2% full time jobs
Expected debt at graduation
- 17% expect to not have any debt
- 3% expect to owe £1 - £2,500
- 2% expect to owe £2,501 - £5,000
- 5% expect to owe £5,001 - £10,000
- 7% expect to owe £10,001 - £20,000 (14% in 2014)
- 18% expect to owe £20,001 - £30,000 (24% in 2014)
- 19% expect to owe £30,001 - £40,000 (17% in 2014)
- 18% expect to owe £40,001 - £50,000 (11% in 2014)
- 11% expect to owe £50,001 or more (6% in 2014)
Lifestyle and eating habits
Housing
- 26% live in a flat or house rented in the private sector (34% in 2014)
- 21% live at home with their parents/family
- 14% live in private student accommodation
- 14% live in university run self-catered halls
- 14% live in university run self-catered flats/houses
- 5% live in university run catered halls
- 5% live in their own flat/house (owned by student or their family)
- 10% live in university provided accommodation off-campus
Socialising
- 45% stayed in to socialise or went to their friends' flats, halls or houses
- 27% socialise off campus compared to 21% who stay at university-run bars, cafes and clubs
- 83% said they spend only £20 or less on going out with friends (76% in 2014) of which 28% said they spent nothing at all (20% in 2014)
- 5% spend more than £40 a week on socialising, including smoking and drinking
- 71% who socialised less did so because they had higher academic workloads
- 50% also mentioned a lack of cash as a reason for socialising less
- 21% said pressures of holding a part-time job had impeded their ability to get out more often
- 36% are now tee-total (33% in 2014)
- 40% drink alcohol just once a week
- 53% spend up to £20 a week on tea and coffee
Eating habits and requirements
- 51% prepare their main meal themselves
- 70% cook a meal from scratch using only raw ingredients at least once a week
- 75% make an effort to eat healthily
- 39% wanted to eat locally-sourced food
- 39% expect Fair Trade produce to be available
· 67% name price as the key factor in choosing a meal from a university catering outlet (79% in 2010)
How students spend their time and money
· 25% spend between £1 and £20 on books in a typical week
- 49% spend between £1 and £20 on travel during an average week in term-time
- 74% spend two to five hours a day in lectures, seminars or in the lab
- 69% spend two to five hours a day doing private study
- 23% dedicated some time to paid work on a typical weekday
Personal Pressures
· 70% said they worried about securing their desired degree classification (84% in 2014 and 61% when the survey was first carried out in 2004)
· 53% are worried about finding a job after graduation
· 44% were concerned about feeling lonely and isolated
University facilities and services
· 26% said good Wi-Fi access was the top factor when looking at accommodation (24% in 2014)
· 23% required better IT facilities
· 10% listed having a student bar or café as a top priority (2% in 2014)
· 25% wanted improvement in social areas, such as bars, cafes and clubs run by the university
· 60% said their university’s sustainability strategies and efforts to reduce waste or cut power usage mattered to them
· 26% requested improved library services
· 18% called for improved sports facilities