Wakefield Research
RESEARCH

2017 Wakefield Research

Study confirms costs lead students to forgo required learning materials; grades suffer as a result

A growing number of college students are choosing not to purchase textbooks and other required course materials in an effort to save money, according to a new study conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of VitalSource.

The study found 85 percent of the college and university students in the U.S. and 90 percent in Canada surveyed have either waited to buy course materials until after the first day of class or opted not to purchase the materials altogether—up five percent from a similar survey conducted in 2016 in the U.S. Nearly all (>90 percent) of the students surveyed cite cost as the reason for not buying their books, and half admit their grades suffered as a result.

Download the infographic and special report detailing the key findings of the VitalSource-Wakefield study


“Digital textbooks are now used by approximately 17,000 UC Davis students per academic term. Since we began our inclusive access digital-textbook program in 2014, our students have saved nearly $7 million compared to the price of new print textbooks.”

Executive Director of Campus Recreation, Memorial Union and UC Davis Stores University of California - Davis