Two pictures illustrate the factors that influenced students’ choices on colleges or universities in both 1982 and 2002 in the UK.
Students attached more importance on facilities and school reputation in application in 2002. The percentage of students that cared about reputation of the institution increased remarkably from 5% in 1982 to 25% in 2002. A similar pattern also appeared on the factor of amenities, social activities & sports facilities, with the figure for it rose to 18% in 2002, which is significantly higher than 5% in 1982.
In contrast, less attention was paid to costs, location, and the content of courses or degrees. We could see a dramatic drop in the proportion of students that took costs into account, as the number declined from 28% in 1982 to 5% in 2002. There was also a slight decrease in the percentage of students that preferred colleges with location closer to parental home (19% in 1982 and 16% in 2002) or those with more suitable courses & degrees (40% in 1982 and 34% in 2002). Admission criteria remained as a minor factor in students’ choices, and only 3% of students in 1982 and 2% of them in 2002 considered about it.
In summary, compared with students in 1982, those in 2002 still prioritized suitable courses & degrees when choosing their colleges or universities. Factors such as reputation of the institutions and school facilities became more favored, while other reasons contributed stable or less in their decisions.