The relatively stability of the reasons given for choosing a country suggest that while international students are increasingly considering a much broader range of locations, this does not mean they are changing their priorities.
Instead, a growing number of countries and institutions are gaining the international visibility and recognition prioritized by international applicants – as well as satisfying other criteria, such as costs and post-graduation employment prospects.
Why are more students choosing to study in Germany? Germany is a good example of these points. One of the biggest trends in student mobility has been the rise in popularity of Germany (which is also, by the way, the most visited country guide on
TopUniversities.com). Between 2000 and 2011, the number of overseas students in Germany grew from 175,000 to 250,000, making it the world’s fourth largest study abroad destination (behind the US, UK and Australia). It was also the fourth most popular country in the latest QS survey, and gained the most between the two survey years.
So, why are more international students choosing to study in Germany? Germany’s success in challenging the big four Anglophone destinations appears to be a combination of having strong universities, which are recognized in the international rankings; strong government-led programs to raise the country’s international profile; and (certainly not least important) relatively low tuition fees and attractive employment rights for international students.
With more than 40 universities in the top 500 of the 2012/13 QS World University Rankings, Germany offers plenty of choice for those seeking an internationally recognized qualification.
Like so many governments worldwide, Germany’s has also been investing in initiatives to raise the international profile of its institutions. For example, through one scheme run by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), German universities can receive up to €250,000 per year to spend on projects aimed at increasing international visibility.
At the same time, Germany has undoubtedly benefitted from
having relatively low tuition fees and also attractive post- graduation rights for overseas students. It’s also interesting to note that most of the other countries which gained in popularity between the two QS surveys were European destinations similarly known for having comparatively low fees – notably France, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway.
Conclusions? It seems international students are increasingly broadening their search, though their priorities remain largely the same. The ‘big four’ Anglophone destinations are of course still well established, largely due to the international prominence of their universities. But as more countries and institutions attain greater international recognition, students will be able to place greater emphasis on other motivations, such as costs and culture, when deciding where to study.
Find out more at:
www.topuniversities.com/ postgraduate-studies
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