Inside the prospective postgraduate mindset

Postgraduate students are an increasingly important demographic, steadily growing in size and diversity at a time when much of student recruitment is experiencing a time of uncertainty.

Understanding what makes prospective postgraduate student tick could prove critical to the success of UK institutions not just in 2020 but also in the years to come.

To ensure that our partners have the information they need to understand, connect with, and convert prospective postgraduate applicants, IDP Connect undertook an exclusive postgraduate student survey to find answers to the key questions around postgraduate motivations, concerns and trends.

The survey took place between May 13th and June 1st, with more than 250 respondents taking part. Of those respondents, 41.4% were current undergraduates considering a postgraduate course, 35.3% were prospective mature students, and 23.3% were current postgraduate students considering another postgraduate course.

Once collected, the survey responses were expertly analysed by IDP Connect’s research team in order to draw out trends in postgraduate student motivation, concerns and behaviour and to suggest proactive steps institutions can take to effectively engage with the postgraduate demographic.

The survey results provide holistic and in-depth insights into the prospective postgraduate demographic, from subject trends (including a considerable spike in interest for Health and Medicine courses) to course type preferences, views on online delivery and course deferral, motivations for postgraduate study, concerns that may stand in the way of conversion and what prospective students want and need from their institutions in order to follow through with their postgraduate study goals - all contextualised by a breakdown of the respondents demographic by region, age, and type.

The survey’s results, analysis and recommended actions are available in a bespoke Postgraduate Report available below.