CUnet Social Media Study Shows Optimism Toward Completing, Pursuing Higher Education in 2011

PARAMUS, N.J., Feb. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Through a recent social media study of Facebook, Twitter, and message board posts and comments regarding New Year's resolutions, CUnet, a leading provider of performance marketing solutions for the higher education sector, found users to be optimistic toward completing or pursuing higher education goals.

Using CUnet's social media analysis tools, the study looked at 1,093 resolutions about higher education that were posted between December 25 and January 8 to gain a better understanding of the attitudes and concerns of students. Overall, nearly two-thirds of the posts were positive, referencing happiness (27.63%), excitement (3.02%), and "can't wait" (1.65%) more so than hate (3.39%), sadness (1.01%), nervousness (.55%), or depression (.09%). The negative posts mostly stemmed from issues with work/life balance.

CUnet Social Media Analyst Jeff Berg also narrowed down the results to the most popular degree fields, which included:

• 25% in healthcare, a majority of which specified nursing
• 16.4% in criminal justice, mostly as police officers
• 14.5% in massage therapy

Finally, when sharing their reasons for starting or completing school, 186 posters related their resolution to money, while 226 related it to their children.

"As social media continues to come into its own as a means of expression, monitoring and analyzing online conversations provides us with a unique glimpse into the personal feelings of individuals," Berg said. "Many of our school clients need ways to better understand the needs of their potential students, current students, or even alumni, so they can target their messaging accordingly. Our technology and analysis provides us with unique and effective ways to help them do that."

For more information on CUnet's social media monitoring services or for results from this study, please contact Jeff Berg at 201.477.7687.

About CUnet

CUnet delivers industry-leading technology, media, and marketing services to higher education institutions to help recruit and enroll students. Driven by a commitment to technology leadership, compliance, and exceptional customer service, CUnet's higher education experts partner with schools to improve marketing performance and deliver qualified inquiries that meet enrollment and retention goals. CUnet is proud to be a founding sponsor of the Education Marketing Council and is dedicated to promoting ethical marketing practices in postsecondary education. CUnet, headquartered in Paramus, NJ, is part of Nelnet (NYSE: NNI), a leader in education planning and financing for more than 30 years. For more information, visit www.cunet.com.

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SOURCE CUnet