Introduction

A statistic on drupal.org states that 71% of the top 100 universities use Drupal, but the page lacks precise data or references to support this claim. Given that the education sector is one of Drupal's largest adopters, we at The DropTimes have embarked on a project to validate and substantiate this claim with proper evidence. This initiative was suggested by Kevin Reynen (University of Colorado). While attending a Higher Education Conference, he noted the frequent citation of this statistic and its lack of supporting data. He proposed a broader definition of Drupal usage in universities, encompassing not just their homepages but any of their websites.

Project Initiation

Prompted by Reynen's observations, TheDropTimes began a project to collect data on the top 300 global universities, as ranked by QS, focusing on their use of Drupal.

Methodology

We utilized the Top Universities' World University Rankings to select the top 300 universities and deployed a locally-run Wappalyzer instance for CMS detection. We also undertook additional internet searches and subdomain checks to identify other university-hosted websites that run on Drupal. The detailed process, along with code examples, is published in a separate blog: Behind the Scenes: Drupal's Footprint in Top Universities

Preliminary Findings

Here are some preliminary outcomes from our analysis of Drupal usage in the top 300 universities, as ranked by the QS World University Rankings. These numbers will change as we receive data on universities with CMS Not Detected and Drupal Not Detected.

The analysis indicates a strong correlation between university rankings and Drupal adoption. Notably, 80% of the top 100 universities utilize Drupal on at least one of their websites. 40% of the top 100 universities have more than 10 websites in Drupal.

Of the 300 universities analyzed, Drupal is employed on the homepages of 72 institutions (24% of the total). We found that Drupal is utilized in some capacity by approximately 67% (200 out of 300) of these universities.

A geographical breakdown of the data shows a significant preference for Drupal in the United States. Of the 56 US universities included in the dataset, 95% (53 universities) use Drupal in some form. More specifically, 36% of these institutions (20 out of 56) have their primary websites powered by Drupal, and 70% (39 out of 56) manage 10 or more sites using Drupal.

Globally, the presence of Drupal is noteworthy, with the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany leading its adoption among top universities.

Here are the top 5 CMS used by the Top 300 universities on their home page:

1. Drupal: 72
2. WordPress: 31
3. TYPO3: 11
4. Adobe Experience Manager: 8
5. Squiz Matrix: 7

Since we identified the CMS by checking the website's CMS signature, we were not able to detect the CMS used on the homepages of 139 universities, representing 46% of the total. Additionally, in 100 universities (33% of the total 300), we could not detect the use of Drupal on any of their sites. In many cases, the challenge in detecting CMS suggests the potential use of Headless CMS or the intentional removal of CMS signatures for various reasons. To complete this study, we need to find the Drupal usage in those universities where we could not detect Drupal. We are looking for support from the community to make this study as complete as possible. Please fill out this survey and update your university's CMS information to help make this study more comprehensive.

Initial Conclusion

This data indicates Drupal is a preferred CMS among top universities. We can confidently state that 80% of the top 100 universities use Drupal, which could be even higher. We require more direct data from these universities to develop a comprehensive report, especially where CMS detection has proved difficult.

Call for Community Support

We are planning to engage with relevant people from the top 300 universities to obtain more detailed information, particularly from those with undetected CMS. We are eager to hear from website managers and communication teams about their Drupal experiences. Your input is vital in accurately portraying Drupal's adoption in educational institutions worldwide. If you work at or have connections with any of the listed universities, please assist us in gathering information about Drupal usage within the university.

Our team of journalists is prepared to reach out to relevant personnel to further understand the extent of Drupal usage. This project aims to do more than update a statistic; it's about showcasing the diverse and vibrant ways Drupal is used in academia. We can underline Drupal's significant impact on higher education and strengthen our community through collaborative efforts.

Data Collected

Data Collected: Drupal in Education - Top 300 Universities Using Drupal - Global

Google Form to Collected Updated Data: Access the survey to update Drupal usage in your university.

Acknowledgements

We extend our special thanks to Kevin Reynen for initiating this project and for his ongoing support and feedback. The data is collected with the backing of TheDropTimes team.

Contact Us

We will be publishing the progress and insights gathered from this on TDT. For additional information or feedback regarding this project, please contact Vimal Joseph at [email protected].

Note: We have made our best effort to ensure the data is as accurate as possible, but errors are human. If you find any errors or missing data, please inform us. This blog is an announcement of our project. We are still collecting data and seeking support from the Drupal community and universities to make it as comprehensive as possible. We will publish the full data after completing this project. Until then, please consider it the beginning of a project.