In this day and age where people are so technologically savvy, it may be surprising to hear that print newspapers remain the preferred method of consumption among college students when it comes to obtaining credible, local news. The majority of the 92 percent of students who have reported that they have read their school publication within the last 30 days say that they prefer reading the print edition as opposed to the online edition. At least 18% read the online version of their campus newspaper alone or in combination with the print version. Students who do read the online version of their college newspaper spend an average of 10.5 minutes on the site, but even more time is spent exploring print newspapers.

Not only are college students willing to take the time out of their busy schedules to read their school newspaper, but the pass-along rate of these newspapers is very high as well. After reading the newspaper, students share their copies with their roommates, friends, teammates, and classmates. This leads to multiple readers per copy, causing college newspapers to have a very high exposure rate.

While college newspapers serve as many functions in the lives of students, one major thing that these newspapers do is influence purchase decisions and stimulate action. When making a purchase decision, student readers rely on their school newspaper as a source of information for a variety of topics.

Because most college students are in such a tight financial bind, coupons found in college newspapers are heavily used by students for a wide range of services, both on and off campus. Student newspaper readers are quick to take advantage of the coupons and promo codes they come across while reading. The majority of coupons are used when purchasing groceries, books, and food at restaurants/fast-food places. QR codes are regularly used by student newspaper readers as well.

College newspapers are also a top source for students searching for employment. During this stressful time of life, college students are going to turn to their school newspaper when searching for employment opportunities because they feel as though it is a reliable outlet.

With all of this being said, college newspapers provide an extremely valuable opportunity for advertisers aiming to reach the college student audience. Students rely on their college newspapers as they look for and act upon ads and value the local, relevant content. The readership for print newspapers among college students is already very high, and its speculated that it’s only going to keep increasing.