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UK overtakes USA in student popularity
Can we believe the current hype about studying at a UK university or college? Is it really the most popular place to study in a world of increasing choice and unprecedented student mobility? According to research published in newspapers as respected as The Guardian, The Independent and the Times Higher Education the answer is a resounding YES! A survey of more than 11,000 international students from 143 countries indicates that the number one position of the USA as the world's most popular study destination is under serious threat for the first time.
95% of those responding to the survey rated the UK as an “attractive” or “very attractive” place to study, compared with 93% for the USA. With over 330,000 international students already enrolled at UK institutions, it’s likely that number will increase over the coming academic years as more students discover the benefits of UK graduate education.
So why is the UK becoming one of the most attractive study destinations for international students? According to current and former international students, the reasons are varied and touch on a unique combination of both studying and living in the UK. Nigar Baimova, from Azerbaijan and an alumna of Leeds University, offers some explanation: “While getting academic credits are really important, don’t forget to remember the type of experience you want to have while studying in the UK. Realistically, time spent being immersed in the culture, travelling and building relationships with locals will greatly outweigh the time you spend hitting the books. The experience in the UK will definitely help you grow.”
The academic and living environments in the UK offer a number of advantages for international students, not least the sheer variety of colleges and universities offering graduate programs.
With more than 160 institutions currently awarding Masters or PhD degrees, international students are faced with an unparalleled choice depending on their own personal preferences.
With more than 160 institutions currently awarding Masters or PhD degrees, international students are faced with an unparalleled choice depending on their own personal preferences. City universities, such as those located in Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London or Manchester, exist in an urban setting, offering the student the opportunity to enjoy the resources of both the city and the university; campus institutions, such as East Anglia, Essex, Keele, Sussex and Warwick tend to be more self-contained, purpose-built and convenient.
Sunil Bundoo, from Mauritius, graduated from the University of Warwick with a Masters degree in economics. Sunil’s reasons for selecting Warwick, having read his bachelors degree in Australia, match those of many students choosing the UK: “Aside from the academic concerns of picking a high quality, research related Masters program, I wanted to live at a campus university so that I had a community around me. I shared a flat with seven other students – a completely new experience and one that I really enjoyed. We all had the same interests, many of the same pressures and managed to help each other through the whole year.”
Many other international students select either a UK Masters or PhD program based on the quality of the teaching and research on offer and the learning methods that characterize the UK approach. Leonardo Stanley, a former Chevening Scholarship winner and Masters graduate from Queen Mary in London, chose the UK because of the high quality academic content of his program: “From a professional point of view, my stay in the UK provided endless opportunities. As an economist, having had the chance to attend courses with brilliant students from different countries and having been taught by professors with vast experience and high professional stature has enabled me to improve my knowledge of Latin American problems.”
Sri Lankan Vikram Nataraj and Masters graduate of the London School of Economics echoes these comments: “The opportunity to study at the graduate level in a program focused on research-driven content was very important for me.
