The charts present the findings of a survey about what British students
considered when choosing a tertiary institution in two different years.
The availability of suitable courses and degrees was the most important
consideration in both years , although the proportion of students who
chose this factor dropped from 40% to 34% . The cost of education was
the next consideration in 1982 , mentioned by 28% of students , but the
figure decreased sharply to 5 % in 2002 . A similar trend was seen in the
attitude towards the distance to parental homes , with the figure declining
from 19% to 16 %.
Different patterns were seen in the changes to other three factors . The
proportion of students who focused on the reputation of the university
increased fivefold to 25% , while the percentage of those who valued the
access to amenities and sports facilities more than tripled to 18% in 2002 .
By comparison , only a fraction of respondents chose admission criteria
( 2 % and 3% respectively in these two years ).
Overall , university applicants in the UK paid closer attention to suitable
courses and degrees than to any other factor . The fame of a university
and the access to amenities or sports facilities increased in importance ,
while the weight of other factors dropped or remained basically unchanged.