INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SURVEY

[Pages:57]ISS 2019 ?UK?

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SURVEY

Growing Global Education

Rising to the international recruitment challenge

UK International Student Survey 2019

About the International Student Survey

The International Student Survey is the world's largest survey of pre-enrolment for international and EU students. The 2019 survey was conducted by QS and ran from November 2018 to March 2019 with the participation of over 75,000 students and 71 universities globally. This report focuses on the responses provided by 23,557 prospective international students who identified that they are considering studying in the UK. For more information please visit

Key facts

Universities

71

participated

globally

Respondents

75,000

globally

Respondents

23,557

considering

the UK

Nationalities

191

represented

Respondent demographics:

55%

male

Gender

44%

female

1%

other

2

Growing Global Education | Rising to the international recruitment challenge



Respondent demographics:

Age

Percentage

31%

30%

17-21 22-25 26-30

Income

Percentage

53%

Under $25K $25-100K

Over $100K

35%

undergraduate

Planned study level

60%

postgraduate

24%

Business and

Administration

Top subject areas

15%

Engineering

20%

17%

4%

5%

other ( incl. foundation and vocational)

8%

Mathematical and Computer Science

Get a free place for your university in the next International Student Survey

Participation in the International Student Survey is free for universities, and all participating institutions receive a free benchmarking report with useful insights for student recruitment.

For more information visit take-part

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UK International Student Survey 2019

Contents

1. About the International Student Survey2 2. Foreword from Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Chair of the Treasury Select Committee 6 3. Introduction from Paul Raybould, Director of B2B Marketing and Marketing Intelligence7 4. Recommendations8 5. Section 1 ? Growing British higher education in a shifting geopolitical landscape10

How has the UK's planned departure from the EU impacted interest from international students looking to study in the UK?10 What are the main concerns with regards to Brexit and how have these changed over time?14 What can be done to alleviate these concerns and what can we learn from other markets?16 What does our Brexit Sensitivity Index tell us about the opportunities presented by Brexit?21 6. Section 2 ? Transnational education and branch campuses as opportunities to rise to the international recruitment challenge24 How could transnational education play a larger role in the UK higher education sector after Brexit? 24 What are the levers that can be applied and barriers to be addressed to grow EU branch campuses?26 Which EU cities would be an attractive location for an overseas campus of a UK university?28 7. Section 3 ? Assessing graduate employability30 What are the most important career considerations for prospective international students? 30 What do prospective students value most when it comes to graduate outcomes?32 What can universities do to help graduates plan for the future?33 8. Section 4 ? Understanding international student decision making to grow global education34 What is the order of decision making for prospective international students when applying to universities? 34 What factors are most important when choosing a course, country and university?35 How important is a university's ranking in a student's decision-making process?37 How are prospective students influenced by the opinions of their family and friends when making study decisions?39 Where do international education agents feature most in the decision-making process?42

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Growing Global Education | Rising to the international recruitment challenge



9. Section 5 ? The importance of information sources and communication channels 45 How do prospective students find the information they need? 45 How do prospective international students use prospectuses? 46 What information do prospective students want to see? 48 How is the use of social media changing with regards to prospective international students? 49

10. Section 6 ? Prospective international students' understanding of university funding 53 How do students think their tuition fees are spent?53 Which areas would prospective students be willing to accept a reduction in funding for?54

11. About QS 56

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UK International Student Survey 2019

Foreword from Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Chair of the Treasury Select Committee

As Secretary of the International Students APPG and the MP for a university town, I recognise the importance of international students to the UK.

A 2018 Universities UK report found that, in 2014/15, international students resulted in ?25.8 billion in output for our economy, were `responsible' for ?10.8 billion of export earnings and supported 206,600 jobs with their spending. Of course, these figures do not include the tax income from those who subsequently entered our workforce.

Alongside the considerable economic value of international students, it is also worth noting the wealth of social and intellectual benefits they bring to our universities, which help to enhance the academic experience of domestic students, and the support they lend to the sustainability of many courses at a regional level ? often in subjects where we need more graduates such as STEM.

Our universities have a reputation for being high quality producers of some of the best home-grown and international leaders in a vast array of fields. As I have mentioned, I am fortunate to have one such university in my own constituency. Since becoming an MP, I have worked closely with Loughborough University and I have come to learn that one of its greatest strengths is its diverse student body which consists of 2500 international students from more than 130 countries. The university's success in attracting international talent is due, in part, to its Students' Union which is one of only a few to have an International Development Officer to support international students and internationalise the campus.

As the UK prepares to leave the European Union, it is more important than ever that we remain globally facing and open for business, within and especially beyond the EU. Despite the UK being second only to the USA as a destination for international students, there is growing competition from many countries ? including Canada, Australia and China ? creating a real risk that we lose global market share in a crucial growth industry.

Whilst the Government has already taken a significant step by publishing its International Education Strategy (IES) setting out its ambition to increase the value of education exports to ?35 billion per year by 2030 and the number of international students choosing to study here to 600,000 per year, there remain a number of factors which prohibit us from achieving this goal.

I, therefore, welcome Quacquarelli Symonds' report which makes an important contribution to the discussion regarding future policy in this area. I am particularly supportive of its recommendation that the Government extend its post-study leave period further than the six months it has proposed in the IES. This, of course, complements the amendment to the Immigration Bill I co-signed, laid by the former Universities Minister, Jo Johnson, which would ensure that international students are able to work here two years after graduation.

When it comes to our enviable university reputation, we must ensure that the system continues to allow international students to study here, contribute to our economy and enrich our universities. I would, therefore, urge Ministers to use this report to further their discussions on what more can be done to attract the brightest and best international students in an increasingly competitive market.

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Introduction from Paul Raybould, Director of B2B Marketing and Marketing Intelligence

Brexit uncertainty and a shifting policy agenda have meant that it is vital the UK higher education sector looks ahead to understand the new attitudes and dynamics that are emerging. As the leading strategic partner for Higher Education institutions, QS are committed to helping universities rise to the international recruitment challenges and opportunities. The insights outlined in this report provide a deeper understanding of these changing dynamics and the response the higher education sector can take to help turn challenges into opportunities.

Higher education plays a critical role in the UK economy and society. Now more than ever, it is important that institutions listen to the views of students and respond with agile recruitment strategies. With the Government pledging to increase the total number of international students studying in the UK higher education system each year to 600,000 by 2030 through its International Education Strategy, the sector must look ahead and think strategically at how best to achieve this.

Through our annual International Student Survey, and our work to support international student recruitment, we have built up a significant amount of insight into the interests and behaviours of international students. As part of the seventh International Student Survey, we surveyed over 75,000 prospective students globally from 191 different countries, 23,557 of whom were interested in studying in the UK. This report doesn't just cover the results of the survey, it also outlines recommendations to help the sector in the UK to adapt to the changing expectations of international students and harness the opportunities presented by the shifting global higher education market.

With the UK's date for leaving the EU delayed until October and Brexit uncertainty set to continue, its long-term effects on the UK higher education sector have yet to be fully realised. By using our Brexit Sensitivity Index, our research presents a mixed picture on the effects of Brexit according to different regions across the world.

A key recommendation of this report is that the HE sector and policy-makers must work together to address the concerns of prospective EU students regarding the financial viability of the UK as a study destination upon the UK leaving the EU. While the impact of Brexit is mixed when analysing different regions, our findings show there is much that can be done by institutions to communicate clearly the post-Brexit fee structure for EU prospective students. In addition, our research found that immigration policies present one way to grow international HE exports through combatting negative perceptions that surround Brexit. One option that was well-received was the extension of the post-study work visa, helping to reinforce the message that the UK truly is welcoming to international students.

The UK higher education sector is world-leading and rightfully celebrated for its teaching quality and the student experience that it can offer prospective international students. It is crucial that this continues and international students feel welcome and inspired to study in the UK. In the midst of Brexit uncertainty and a shifting policy agenda, UK universities must look ahead to understand the new dynamics and attitudes emerging to ensure the sector rises to the international recruitment challenge.

We at QS will continue to play our part in providing insights and solutions, supporting the sector to grow global education.

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UK International Student Survey 2019

Recommendations

1. International student recruitment strategies and solutions should be informed by the changing dynamics in demand due to Brexit, as shown by the opportunities revealed in our Brexit Sensitivity Index.

With the UK's date for leaving the EU delayed until October and Brexit uncertainty set to continue, its long-term effects on the UK higher education sector are still far from being fully realised. It is crucial that universities look ahead to understand the impact on international student recruitment with new attitudes and dynamics emerging. To rise to the international recruitment challenge, our Brexit Sensitivity Index shows that prospective students from across North Africa and the Middle East, in addition to those from many Commonwealth countries, are in general more likely to be interested in the prospect of studying in the UK because of Brexit. This underlines the highly dynamic nature of UK higher education at present. As new attitudes emerge there is potential for UK universities to take advantage of the heightened interest from international students from certain regions coming to the UK post-Brexit.

2. In an increasingly competitive higher education market, it is more important than ever that institutions listen to students' communications preferences and respond with agile recruitment strategies.

Institutions that adapt their student recruitment strategies in an agile way to new trends will harness the opportunities available to grow their global education offer. The way that international students ? like all members of society ? seek information and use communications channels is constantly shifting. Whilst the use of social media has become more deeply embedded in the lives of prospective students, platform use is changing, with YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and internet forums growing in use in 2019. Meanwhile the use of Facebook as a platform has plateaued, albeit at a high level. Furthermore, because international students value the recommendations of friends and family so highly, universities could consider short condensed prospectuses tailored to the information needs of parents. Introducing incentivisation schemes for friends and family could also be a way to enhance their international student recruitment strategy. This would present a way to market their institution more effectively in the age of social media.

3. Communicating clearly the post-Brexit fee structure for EU students could alleviate concerns about the financial viability of studying in the UK and support growth in student recruitment.

EU students are concerned about the financial viability of the UK as a study destination upon the UK leaving

the EU. The lack of any long-term agreement on the amount that EU students would have to pay presents a

significant barrier to easing financial concerns. At the same time, only 6 out of 10 prospective EU students are

aware of the Government's announcement that they will be eligible for student loans and tuition fees at the same

rate as domestic students in the UK for courses starting in the 2019/2020 academic year. Highlighting this in

communications could help to alleviate concerns and presents itself as an opportunity to study in the UK at a lower

level of fees than in the future. To maximise the benefits of EU students choosing to study in the UK, it is important

that the Government provides clear, consistent information about the amount that EU students would be required

to pay in the future.

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Growing Global Education | Rising to the international recruitment challenge

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