The presented pie charts delineate the primary factors influencing students’ choices to attend a specific UK university in the years 1987 and 2007.
Notably, the significance of familial proximity has markedly escalated over the two decades, contrasting with a general decline in the importance attributed to other factors.
In 1987, the most prominent reason for selecting the university was the availability of suitable degree courses, identified by 35% of students. This preference saw a minor increase by 2007, rising to 37%. In stark contrast, the factor pertaining to proximity to parents was less pronounced in 1987, with only 15% of students prioritizing it. Nevertheless, this reason underwent a substantial augmentation, culminating in around 22% of respondents citing it as an important criterion in 2007, thereby elevating it to the second most significant factor influencing their decision.
Conversely, the quality of resources, which held the second spot in 1987 with 21%, experienced a decline to 17% over the two decades. Furthermore, the preferences for quality of teaching and sports and social activities were relatively comparable, with the former capturing the interest of 10% of students in 1987, and the latter garnering 19%. By 2007, these factors witnessed a substantial reduction, with teaching quality diminishing to merely 8% and sports and social activities decreasing to 6%, indicating a shift in the priorities of the student population.