A new survey has revealed that the UK Higher Education system has retained a strong reputation overseas despite the bad press and criticism the sector has received following the much publicised increase in tuition fees this year.

UNITE, a developer and manager of student accommodation in the UK, surveyed their international student customers about their perceptions of studying in the UK and asked how they make decisions relating to studying at UK institutions.

 

The strong reputation of UK Higher Education degrees was seen as the major reason that international students chose the UK over other countries for study.

One of the major reasons cited by postgraduate students for choosing the UK is that the shorter course lengths offered by many institutions represent significantly better value for money, compared to their home country.

UK universities were also seen as less complex and more straightforward to join, as opposed to those in the USA and Canada, whose enrolment procedures was seen as an issue for many international students.

The reputation of a city, and, most notably for those studying in London, Edinburgh and Manchester, was a common reason for choosing a particular UK university.

One of the key findings from the report, reflected by almost all of the customers surveyed, is that the biggest problem when initially coming to study in the UK is the lack of support and information provided on helping them move and setting up basic requirements, such as bank accounts, on arrival.

Commenting on the findings, Shane Spiers, Managing Director at UNITE, said: “The UK’s Higher Education sector and indeed the UK economy rely heavily on the income derived from international students, which is becoming increasingly important as we see deeper UK Government cuts.”

To be precise, in 2010, a total of 405,000 international students studied at UK higher education institutions, an increase of 10% on 2009 (369,000). 16% of all students in the UK are international and, unsurprisingly, are geographically biased towards London, where 24% of the city’s entire student population is from outside the UK.

Mr Spiers concluded, “We are pleased that this research demonstrates the ongoing appetite from international students to study at UK institutions and that they are making their decisions based on the UK’s world class reputation.”