College students seems to think so. Nearly 75% of the students who took part in a recent poll said Wi-Fi access on their college campus helps them get better grades.

In fact, college students like Wi-Fi so much that 48% said they would give up beer before giving up Wi-Fi, according to the survey, which was conducted by Wakefield Research for the . A total of 501 U.S. college students from both large and small schools were given the survey in September, the Alliance said.

The survey appears to confirm what college CIOs in the U.S. and Canada have been saying for the last two years: incoming freshmen seek out schools with Wi-Fi capability. Nearly 60% of the students surveyed said they wouldn't attend a college that doesn't offer free Wi-Fi. And 79% said that without Wi-Fi access, college would be a lot harder.

"Wi-Fi has become a universal expectation among college students," Edgar Figueroa, executive director of the Wi-Fi Alliance, said in a statement. He noted that students respond to the quick access to information that Wi-Fi makes possible, including access to academic information, university schedules and events or the ability to connect with friends via or , the Alliance said.

The survey also found that students use Wi-Fi during classes. Although professors at some universities can decide whether to allow Wi-Fi use during class -- typing out instant messages can annoy some people -- IT managers have reported it is difficult to impose such policies.