REPORT
Student Life in 2024
Forget what you think you know – the Gen Z consumer has evolved, again.
For the 2.86 million students in the UK, life on campus looks very different this year compared with years gone by. This report is for marketers wanting to gain a deep understanding into their target audience, Gen Z students. By analysing quantitative and qualitative data from over 600 students, we’ve uncovered the most important trends, attitudes and behaviours that you should be aware of, to help sharpen your marketing strategy.
Trusted by hundreds of Gen Z’s favourite brands
What's included?
Explore key trends surrounding Gen Z students in 2024, including:
What’s changed in a year?
There’s lots to unpack here – from living arrangements, to time on campus, and what’s motivating purchasing decisions.
Students are spending
14%longer on campus in 2024
vs 2023.
14%longer on campus in 2024
vs 2023.
Key Insight:
Freshers, is kind of the first experience of adulthood in a way
Isabella, 20, University of Sussex
Freshers: a pathway to adulthood
It’s one of the biggest cultural milestones in the student calendar. But what does Freshers actually mean to students? And how do they engage with it? Here we rewind back to the basics.Fuelled by food
For the first time, Gen Z students show a preference for food-focused activities compared to alcohol-oriented ones. One to watch, for sure!
53% of students believe that food, drink and restaurant choices are a big part of their identity.
Key Insight:
83% of Gen Z students use
multiple screens at once.
multiple screens at once.
Key Insight:
Mighty multitaskers
Life online is the norm for today’s students – entertainment is blended with online work, and ad blockers are favoured by many. But how do students feel about screen time? And what does this mean for a brand’s digital marketing? We answer these key questions and more.Brand-new besties
A formative time in their lives, Freshers is designed to facilitate connections of many kinds; with friends, with brands, with new interests. But, who influences students, how do students prefer to forge these connections, and how connected are today’s students feeling? Find out in the full report.
32% of Gen Z students said making friends was their top concern prior to starting uni
Key Insight:
Just 17% of students said
they were concerned about
affording university.
they were concerned about
affording university.
Key Insight:
Money matters
Money makes the world go round, after all. And UK students have a collective annual spending power of £29bn. Today’s students are well funded – with minimal concerns about affording their uni lifestyle…
Successfully turning insights into action
By utilising our fresh insights and student marketing expertise, Lloyds Banking Group saw a 244% YoY increase in new student accounts opened in 2023.
