- Ad spend in higher education sector jumped 19% from May to June
- Social media dominates ad spend in race to reach new students
- Biggest ad spending education institutions revealed
Sydney – August 7, 2024 – Nielsen has released its most recent Ad Intel and Consumer and Media View (CMV) data on the tertiary education sector in Australia, revealing a significant increase in the number of people looking to pursue higher education and the institutions spending big to attract them.
According to Nielsen CMV, the percentage of Australians (aged 16 and above) expressing an intention to study at TAFE or University in the next 12 months has risen dramatically. In 2019 the number was just 7%, more than doubling to 15% in 2023, before rising to 22% in 2024.
Additionally, Nielsen Ad Intel data shows that Australian tertiary education providers are spending big to attract new students, with a combined ad spend topping $175.5 million between July 2023 and June 2024. Notably, there was an increase of 19% from May to June this year alone.
Social media accounted for 60% of the total ad spend by institutions, with general display also heavily used in the ad mix.
Predictably, the largest group intending to undertake tertiary study within the upcoming year are high school graduates aged 16 to 17, however older generations are also looking to hit the books.
Age breakdown of those intending to undertake tertiary study in the next 12 months:
16-17: 49%
18-24: 18%
25-39: 22%
40-54: 17%
55+: 4%
The data also reveals that 75% of those wanting to pursue tertiary education over the course of the following year are currently employed, with 44% working full time, 31% working part-time, and 18% working casually, indicating a desire to upskill and improve their qualifications.
In addition, 54% of those intending to study are parents, or have children at home. Among this group, 20% have at least one child under 5 years old, 27% have at least one child between 5-12 years old, and another 27% have at least one child between 13-17 years old.
Nielsen Ad Intel’s Australia Commercial Lead, Rose Lopreiato, said: “This sector is so important – for the institutions, the students, and the country as a whole – and that’s reflected in the ad spend numbers. They demonstrate the difficulty of attracting students as they consider their TAFE or university options in such a competitive market and highlight the need for education providers to reach the right demographics, in the right places, at the right time – and nothing does that better than Ad Intel”.
Glenn Channell, Nielsen’s Pacific Head of Advanced Analytics added: “High school graduates aside, more and more Australians are considering tertiary education, so it’s never been more crucial for tertiary institutions to offer educational opportunities and career advancement to an increasingly diverse range of people, especially those with family commitments. Nielsen CMV allows them to do that – viewing potential Tertiary Education customers through an advanced audience lens, delivering a more holistic picture of behaviours, preferences, and lifestyle habits unmatched in the market.”
When it comes to ads, Australian secondary students looking to pursue tertiary education in the next 12 months are 75% more likely than the average population to respond to online ads, 2.5 times more likely to click on video ads, and almost 2.8 times as likely to click on banner ads. Additionally, 32% find online and mobile ads useful, if tailored to their interests, which is 48% higher than the average population.
*Source: Nielsen CMV, July 2019 – June 2020, July 2022-June 2023, July 2023 – June 2024, base: All People 16+ and;
Nielsen Ad Intel, July 2023 – June 2024
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Media Contact
Dan Chapman
Assoc. Director, Communications, Nielsen APAC
dan.chapman@nielsen.com
+61 404 088 462
