STUDENT SPENDING

ON COURSEMATERIALS

This is the first year academic spending (required course materials, technology, and supplies combined) has ever come in at less than $1,000.

2018/2019 Spending

$415 $527

Required Course Materials

Technology and School Supplies

Most students do not have all materials by the first day of classFor the first time on record, more students (36%) had none of their materials the first day of classes than the number of students with all of their materials (35%).

ALL

SOME

NONE

Extent of Course MaterialsObtained by First Day of Classes

Average annual student spendingon course materials decreased

14% in 2018/19compared to last academic year.

Students acquired an average of

9 UNITSover the past academic year

74%Bought new 70%

Bought used

23%Bought digital

FORMATS OF COURSE MATERIALSstudents are buying

HOW STUDENTS ACQUIREtextbooks and course materials

REN

T

BORR

OW

WHERE STUDENTS ARE BUYINGtextbooks and course materials

82% 40% 8% 7% 7%

DO

WN

LOA

D

PURC

HA

SE

86%

43%

13% 12%

701to

415

2007/08

2018/19

More students downloading for free

Frequency of Downloading Free Materials

0 5 10 15 20 25

Spring 2019

Spring 2018

Spring 2017

Spring 2016

18%

22%

11%

14%

Average annual student spending on course materials decreased

17% since 2007

Students acquired an average of

10 UNITSover the past academic year

74%Bought new

23%

FORMATS OF COURSE MATERIALSstudents are buying

HOW STUDENTS ACQUIREtextbooks and course materials

REN

T

BO

RRO

W

WHERE STUDENTS ARE BUYINGtextbooks and course materials

82% 40% 8%

Campus Store Amazon Peer/Students

DO

WN

LOA

D

PURC

HA

SE

83%

44%

22% 15%

701to

415

2007/08

2018/19

Top Sources are Campus Stores and Amazon The campus store continues to be the number-one place students go to purchase materials. Overall 79% of students who purchased a material did so from the campus store.

79%

Campus store Amazon Chegg.com Other sourcesFrom a peerPublisherwebsite

46% 18% 10% 10% 18%

One area that has seen regular growth is the percent of students who downloaded materials for which they did not have to pay

(legally or illegally). This has reached an all-time high with 22% of students downloading at least one non-paid-for material.

Average annual student spending on course materials decreased

17% since 2007

Students acquired an average of

10 UNITSover the past academic year

74%Bought new 70%

Bought used

23%Bought digital

FORMATS OF COURSE MATERIALSstudents are buying

Source: Student Watch™ Attitudes & Behaviors toward Course Materials 2018-2019 Report

Underwritten by:

academic year 2018-2019

*Starting in 2015/2016, total spending for the academic year was weighted by campus type to more accurately re�ect the proportion of students enrolled at two- and four-year U.S. institutions.

29%

35% 36%

HOW STUDENTS ACQUIREtextbooks and course materials

REN

T

BO

RRO

W

WHERE STUDENTS ARE BUYING textbooks and course materials