Road to University – Next Generation

Road to University – Next Generation

How the ‘Road to University – Next Generation’ research package will help you:

  • Secure robust evidence to support your university’s immediate and long-term recruitment, outreach and marketing strategies
  • Gain practical insights to inform your communications with prospective undergraduate students from Gen A as well as Gen Z
  • Understand  impact on generational decision-making from key market changes and trends and their practical implications for your future recruitment
  • Understand decision-making through demographic lenses, including age groups and widening access groups

Buy now
Contact sharon.steele@alterline.co.uk to purchase the full research package now. The package includes a full copy of the research report, data dashboard and the recording from the online results workshop for £3,950+VAT.
Complimentary taster summary
Request your free summary version as a taster of the full report from sharon.steele@alterline.co.uk

More about the ‘Road to University – Next Generation‘ project

With a whole host of changes in prospects’ decision making since our last collaboration on this topic, including the needs of upcoming Gen A, the rise of commuting, continuing cost of living pressures and ever-present opportunities and challenges of AI, this 2026 project generated fresh intelligence about the needs of the next generations of prospective students to help university teams get ahead with recruitment, outreach and marketing planning.

The full visual research report includes an executive summary and practical recommendations. A data dashboard is also provided as an output to enable exploration of the data based on individual university needs and priorities and you will receive the recording from the online results workshop together with accompanying presentation slide deck.

Report contents include:

  • What perceptions do 15- to 18-year-olds hold about university compared to other pathways?
  • How is the path to university shaped and influenced over time? At what ages do tipping points, triggers and decisions happen?
  • What information and messaging might resonate with prospects at each stage (content type, channels, language and tone of voice)?
  • What are the expectations and experiences of engagement channels being used by university?
  • What are the current motivations for going to university for 15- to 18-year-olds? What information and support needs do they have?
  • Differences based on a range of demographics including commuters and Gen A vs. Gen Z

Project partners

This project was developed in partnership with 6 universities who helped to shape the research design through our collaborative University Futures model. We would like to express our thanks to the universities who have supported the project:

  • City St George’s University
  • Loughborough University
  • Newcastle University
  • Nottingham Trent University
  • University of Sheffield
  • University of Warwick