ITS and UVa logos for printed output

UVa First-Year Student Computer Inventory

Year-to-Year Comparison, 1997-2009

The following information was collected over 12 years by student employees of ITS, known as Computing Advisors (CAs), a group of first-year students hired to advise and assist their peers with computing. The data is based on a census of first-year residence halls each fall conducted by the CAs, until 2009, the year the CA program was discontinued.

Each year the computing inventory provides statistics regarding computer ownership; type of computer; operating system; network capability; peripherals; and in recent years, mobile device ownership, too—among incoming first-year students at UVa.

Summary of Data, 1997-2009

First-Year Student Computer Ownership Comparison, 1997-2009
Year Students Surveyed Own Computer(s) Do Not Own Computer(s)
1997 2437 1803 74.0% 634 26.0%
1998 2300 2021 87.9% 279 12.1%
1999 2656 2478 93.3% 178 6.7%
2000 2710 2604 96.1% 106 3.9%
2001 2928 2844 97.1% 82 2.8%
2002 2819 2762 98.0% 57 2.0%
2003 2787 2757 98.9% 30 1.1%
2004 3047 3037 99.7% 10 0.3%
2005 3102 3084 99.4% 18 0.6%
2006 3092 3088 99.9% 4 0.1%
2007 3117
 3113 99.9% 4 0.1%
2008 3071 3070 99.9% 1 0.1%
2009 3156 3156 100% 0 0.0%

This table documents how many first-year students brought a personally-owned computer with them to college.

Desktop vs. laptop ownership, 1997-2009
Change in Desktops versus Laptops Brought to UVa, 1997-2009
Year Total Computers Desktops Laptops Two or More Computers
1997 1803 1508 295 NA
1998 2021 1561 460 NA
1999 2478 1874 591 13
2000 2604 1903 695 23
2001 2844 1811 1011 22
2002 2762 1263 1462 37
2003 2757 824 1898 35
2004 3037 410 2573 49
2005 3084 188 2840 52
2006 3088 90 2993 64
2007 3113
 47 3058 47
2008 3070 36 3034 93
2009 3156 19 3137 96

This table documents whether first-year students identified their primary computer as being a desktop or a laptop (including netbooks and tablets), and the number of students who brought two or more computers with them to college.

Operating systems Ccmparison, 1997-2009
Change in Operating Systems Brought to UVa, 1997-2009
Year Total Computers Windows (All) Mac OS (All) Other OS
1997 1803 1668 119 16
1998 2021 1905 65 51
1999 2478 2353 87 38
2000 2604 2510 73 21
2001 2844 2737 81 26
2002 2762 2620 98 44
2003 2757 2638 111 8
2004 3037 2709 251 77
2005 3084 2664 400 20
2006 3088 2479 605 4
2007 3113 2274 830 9
2008 3070 1912 1150 8
2009 3156 1779 1369 8

This table documents whether first-year students identified their primary computer as running a Windows, Mac (or Windows on a Mac), or other operating system (such as Linux).

Inventory Archive

Page Updated: 2012-02-16

Standards & Policy

University of Virginia
Information Technology Services
2015 Ivy Road
P.O. Box 400324
Charlottesville, Virginia, 22904-4324 USA

UVa Help Desk: 434-924-HELP (434-924-4357) • 4help@virginia.edu

Page Updated: 2012-02-16; © 2013 by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia.

The information contained on the University of Virginia’s Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) website is provided as a public service with the understanding that ITS makes no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, concerning the accuracy, completeness, reliability or suitability of the information, including warrantees of title, non-infringement of copyright or patent rights of others. These pages are expected to represent the University of Virginia community and the State of Virginia in a professional manner in accordance with the University of Virginia’s Computing Policies.