For Immediate Release

August 24, 2005

Contact: Bruce Hildebrand
Ph: (202) 220-4542
Email: Bhildebrand@publishers.org

Female College Students Study More, Make Higher Grades and Graduate In Less Time

Student Study Habits, Use of Textbooks Key Factors in Student Success

America's female college students study more, are more likely to read their textbooks thoroughly and to earn "A"s in their courses, and expect to graduate in less time than their male counterparts.  Male students study one-third less than women, party more often, are more likely to earn a "C" or less in their courses, and expect to take longer to graduate, according to a nationwide study of 1,800 college students released today by Student Monitor.  The study has a margin of error of +/- 2.3 percent.

The study of four-year and two-year students was commissioned by the Association of American Publishers to help publishers and educators understand students's study habits, and better determine what impact they have on academic achievement.

"We've generally taken for granted that hitting the books translates to better grades and a more successful college experience. This research confirms that hard work matters, and quantifies the difference between those students with a set of solid study habits and those without," said Eric Weil, managing partner, of Student Monitor.

"The survey revealed significant differences in the study habits between men and women.  For example, women are 35 percent more likely to study daily, 21 percent more likely to study 15 or more hours weekly and 23 percent more likely to read their textbook thoroughly.  These differences in study skills and habits translate to higher grades and a higher course completion rate," Weil added.

"Currently, only one-half of all public four-year college and university students are graduating in four years or less.  The others are increasing their debt and putting a strain on campus resources.  As a result, colleges and universities are under growing pressure to improve student engagement and to help students graduate more quickly.  Publishers, in turn, are being called upon to produce more sophisticated tools for teaching and learning.  We wanted to find out what else publishers can do to make products that better meet the needs of students," said Bruce Hildebrand, executive director for higher education at the Association of American Publishers.

Key findings of the study were:

Men vs. Women

• Men are more likely to skim through a textbook while women are more likely to read their textbook thoroughly.
• Nearly half of all women study daily,  compared to only a third of all men.
• More than one in four men (26 percent) find themselves studying late at night compared to less one in five women (19 percent).
• In comparing men to women, the study found men party 20 percent more often than women.

 Study Habits Make a Difference

• Students who study daily are 40 percent more likely to earn an "A" than students who do not study daily.  Only 41 percent of students study every day, and 18 percent study only once or twice a week.
• Students who study 15 or more hours weekly are 43 percent more likely to earn an "A" than students who study for less than 15 hours weekly.
• Students who read their textbook thoroughly rather than skimming, study daily and study for 15 or more hours each week are far more likely to earn an "A."

Two-year, Four-year Student Comparisons

• Two-year community college students - who are more likely to work full time - are 36 percent more likely to use supplemental materials and 23 percent more likely to say they study efficiently.

The study confirmed that the more a student studies, the better his or her grades.  The 42 percent of men and 41 percent of women who studied 15 or more hours a week earned an "A."  On average, students study for 14 hours weekly, with 24 percent studying five or fewer hours each week and only 17 percent studying more than 20 hours a week.

Time on task, study efficiency, and the use of supplemental materials are other important factors, particularly for community college students.  Students who attend two-year schools - who are more likely to work full time - were found to be 36 percent more likely to use supplemental materials and 23 percent more likely to study efficiently. 

An often overlooked but important factor is the time of day a student studies.  Approximately one-half of all students study between the hours of 6 p.m. and midnight.  Those in this group, whether men or women, are at least twice as likely to earn an "A" as those students who studied primarily in the hours after midnight.  Among those who got a "C" or less, 28 percent of men and 20 percent of women studied after midnight. 

About Student Monitor

Since 1987, Student Monitor has continuously published the only nationally syndicated, longitudinal market research study of the U.S. college student market.  The company's clients include The New York Times, the Pentagon, and more than 100 of the Fortune 500â corporations. 

About the Association of American Publishers

The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry.  AAP's approximately three hundred members include most of the major commercial book publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and nonprofit publishers, university presses, and scholarly societies.  For information on the Association of American Publishers and research and data on college textbooks and e-learning technology, please visit About AAP Higher Education Publishers.

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