Tech Trends

Report: Apple Device Adoption Increasing in Higher Education

• By Leila Meyer
• 12/09/15

Adoption of Mac and iPad devices is increasing in higher education organizations, driven primarily by user preference, according to a new report from JAMF Software.

The report, "2015 Survey: Managing Apple Devices in Higher Education," is based on the results of JAMF Software's second annual survey of IT professionals in higher education organizations.

The report attributes the growth in popularity of Macs and iPads in the classroom to "Apple’s rich app ecosystem, overall appeal and user preference, native security features, and the reduction of overall costs associated with device maintenance."

Key findings from the report:

• 97 percent of respondents said their institutions support Mac computers, while 96 percent support PCs, 34 percent support Linux and 14 percent support Chromebooks;
• 86 percent of respondents said their institutions support iPads, while 69 percent support Windows tablets and 43 percent support Android tablets;
• Higher education respondents reported an increase in the usage of Mac (57 percent) and iPad (29 percent) in 2015;
• 72 percent of respondents said Mac is easier to manage than other computer platforms and 81 percent said iPad is easier to manage than other tablets; and
• 63 percent of respondents said Mac is more secure than other computer platforms and 73 percent said iPad is more secure than other tablets.

The report is based on a September 2015 survey of nearly 300 IT professionals and managers from higher education institutions around the world.

The reports are available as free PDF downloads from the JAMF Software site.