The given pie charts illustrate the primary reasons students chose their universities in 1987 and 2007. The data is categorized into five factors: quality of resources, suitable degree courses, closeness to parental home, quality of teaching, and good sports and social activities.
Overall, the most significant reason in both years was the availability of suitable degree courses, with a slight increase from 35% in 1987 to 37% in 2007. Meanwhile, the importance of quality of resources declined from 21% to 17%, and quality of teaching also became less influential, dropping from 15% to 8%.
Another noticeable trend is the growing significance of proximity to parental homes, which rose from 10% in 1987 to 22% in 2007. Conversely, the importance of good sports and social activities saw a sharp decline from 19% to just 6% over the two decades.
In conclusion, while students in both years prioritized suitable degree courses, there was a notable shift towards choosing universities closer to home, with less emphasis on sports, teaching quality, and institutional resources.