The following bar chart provides information about the students’ main factors for choosing a particular university in the UK in 1995 and 2005, including quality of resources, suitable degree courses, proximity to parental home, quality of teaching, and good sports with social activities. Overall, while the figures for suitable degree courses, proximity to parental home, and quality of teaching exhibited increasing trends, the reverse was true for quality of resources, and sports with social activities. Moreover, suitable degree courses was always the most popular reason for choosing a university in both years. While the least popular reason in 1995 was the proximity to the parental home, it recorded the biggest increase by the end of the period.
Focusing on the increasing trends first, these were the figures for suitable degree courses, proximity to parental home, and quality of teaching. The percentage of students choosing university regarding its degree courses was recorded as 35% in 1995, which then slightly increased to about 37% by 2005. Regarding the proximity to parental home, it accounted for only 10% in 1995, after which it increased significantly by doubling to 22% in 2005. The reason for choosing a university regarding its quality of teaching made up 15% and 18% in 1995 and 2005, respectively.
By contrast, the figures for the quality of resources and good sports and social activities bucked this trend. The share of students choosing a university for its resources accounted for about 21% in 1995, after which it decreased to about 16% by 2005. Regarding the good sports and social activities, it was recorded as almost 20% in 1995, after which it experienced a dramatic decline to about 5% by 2005.