The two pie charts show the main reasons why students chose a UK university in 1987 and 2007.
Overall, suitable degree courses were the most popular reason in both years. However, some other reasons changed significantly over time.
In 1987, the biggest reason was suitable degree courses at 35%. This increased slightly to 37% in 2007. The quality of resources was also important, but it decreased from 21% in 1987 to 17% in 2007.
One major change was the percentage of students who chose a university because it was close to their parents. This rose from 10% in 1987 to 22% in 2007, showing a strong increase. On the other hand, quality of teaching became less important, dropping from 15% to 8%.
Finally, good sports and social activities fell significantly from 19% in 1987 to only 6% in 2007. Overall, students’ priorities changed over the 20-year period.
