Tag Archives: recruitment

Hobsons Choice – International Student Decision Making

Posted on by

A recent publication by Hobsons EMEA “Beyond the Data: Influencing international student decision making” provides a ten point plan which provides an insight into how international students make decisions about overseas study. The report contain useful information on who a typical international student might be, the motivations for selecting a particular institution, information gathering, decision making and application, and ends with questions about “what is teaching quality”.

In addition the report shows that ‘student experience’ and contact time are much less important to applicants than institutional and course-specific league table rankings.

The ten point plan is summarised as:

  1. Course, then country, then institution: that is the order of an international student’s decision-making process. Students select a course to study first, then they evaluate the country and only after doing that will they select the institution
  2. Fees are the second most important consideration for international students and are the number one reason for declining offers
  3. Subject/course rankings are more important in student decision-making than institution rankings or other factors including fees
  4. Perception of student satisfaction does not drive choice of institution
  5. Graduate outcomes are a key factor in international students’ decision-making
  6. Each institution has a role to play in marketing their country as a desirable destination
  7. Country level messaging reinforcing welcome and safety of international students will support institutional marketing
  8. Institutions must be clear on their brand value proposition for each course
  9. Students want to engage with institutions and their content through visual social media sites (YouTube and Instagram) during the research phase of selecting an institution
  10. It is not just about giving out information or an offer: students need to be nurtured from the information gathering phase through to enquiry and then application.

As someoen who works with league tables and portfolio performance, I was interested in teh survey results on how international student perceive teaching quality:

When students are asked to rate the importance of factors related to teaching quality respondents said that academic reputation (76 per cent), subject or course ranking (76 per cent), student satisfaction with the institution (74 per cent), tuition fees (72 per cent) and use of technology in teaching (72 per cent) were their most important determinates for teaching quality. It was interesting to us that graduate employment rates (64 per cent) and teaching hours per week (57 per cent) were less important. The two least important factors were the age of the institution (33 per cent) and high entry requirements (39 per cent).

When studnets were asked to comapre the variosu factors, and trade themm off against each pther, then fees can be seen to be the ost important, with subject ranking just behind. Studnet satisfaciiotn seems to be of little importance!

hobson

Overall, a document worth reading, especially for anyone involved in international student recruitment – it may reinforce the things we already know, but, for example,  I didn’t know that student satisfaction was seen of being as such little importance when used in deciding where to study, That doesn’t mean it’s unimportant, as it’s of massive importance once a student is with us.

 

UCAS Enrolment figures for 2011 and 2012 – lessons to be learnt?

Posted on by

The latest UCAS figures for the last cycles of enrollments and acceptances has been published, and commented upon in the Higher.

“Data released by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service on 18 January reveal the full extent of shortfalls in undergraduate numbers by institution, showing that the government’s reforms have produced often wild variations in recruitment.

The figures relate to acceptances, meaning actual enrolments could be different. They also include overseas students who applied via Ucas. However, the data do not include students who applied directly (via access courses, for example).

Some in the sector suggest that declining post-1992 university figures indicate that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are most likely to decide against higher education with higher fees”

although

“The post-1992s that increased their intake appear to be largely drawn from those that won places under the margin system, which reallocates places to cheaper institutions.”

 

The table below shows the percentage change between 2011 and 2012, sorted by size of change. Staffs comes out pretty much mid-table this way, and it is interesting to see where our competitors are.

Institution Name 2012 2011 Change in number of places Change %
American InterContinental University – London 56 6 50 833.3
Birkbeck, University of London 664 289 375 129.8
Richmond, The American International University in London 89 40 49 122.5
Regent’s College, London (incorporating Regent’s Business School, London) 78 46 32 69.6
European Business School, London 100 68 32 47.1
University of Stirling 1765 1253 512 40.9
University of Bristol 4717 3688 1029 27.9
University College London 4397 3617 780 21.6
University of Aberdeen 2900 2400 500 20.8
Glasgow School of Art 389 334 55 16.5
Ravensbourne 811 705 106 15.0
Royal Veterinary College, University of London 373 327 46 14.1
Royal Academy of Dance 58 51 7 13.7
School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 986 870 116 13.3
Cardiff University 5799 5130 669 13.0
King’s College London, University of London 4331 3881 450 11.6
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London 1416 1271 145 11.4
University of Edinburgh 5474 4951 523 10.6
York St John University 1638 1492 146 9.8
Queen Margaret University , Edinburgh 1107 1014 93 9.2
University of Winchester 1915 1756 159 9.1
Harper Adams University 792 731 61 8.3
BPP University College 1041 962 79 8.2
Aston University 2141 1992 149 7.5
Anglia Ruskin University 4362 4,065 297 7.3
Newcastle University 4669 4357 312 7.2
Coventry University 5432 5107 325 6.4
University of Glasgow 4406 4149 257 6.2
Durham University 4026 3800 226 5.9
University of Ulster 5675 5360 315 5.9
University of Bath 2990 2832 158 5.6
Bishop Grosseteste University 612 580 32 5.5
University of Chichester 1589 1511 78 5.2
Queen’s University Belfast 3920 3736 184 4.9
Robert Gordon University 2423 2321 102 4.4
University of Chester 3064 2936 128 4.4
University of Cambridge 3401 3261 140 4.3
Norwich University Of The Arts 635 609 26 4.3
Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London 233 224 9 4.0
Brighton and Sussex Medical School 141 136 5 3.7
Hull York Medical School 147 142 5 3.5
Goldsmiths, University of London 1800 1743 57 3.3
University of Exeter 4356 4220 136 3.2
University of Strathclyde 2899 2822 77 2.7
Falmouth University 1443 1410 33 2.3
Buckinghamshire New University 2379 2327 52 2.2
University of Huddersfield 4962 4866 96 2.0
Birmingham City University 5308 5214 94 1.8
University of Brighton 5417 5326 91 1.7
St George’s, University of London (formerly St George’s Hospital Medical School) 657 646 11 1.7
Glasgow Caledonian University 3530 3473 57 1.6
Bangor University 2410 2372 38 1.6
University of Oxford 3281 3237 44 1.4
University of York 3749 3701 48 1.3
University of East Anglia 3540 3505 35 1.0
St Mary’s University College, Twickenham 1245 1237 8 0.6
University of Sussex 3221 3203 18 0.6
University of the Highlands and Islands 2161 2153 8 0.4
University of Leicester 3114 3113 1 0.0
University of Reading 2945 2948 -3 -0.1
University of Portsmouth 5289 5305 -16 -0.3
University of Nottingham 7160 7187 -27 -0.4
University of Warwick 3828 3846 -18 -0.5
UCP Marjon 800 806 -6 -0.7
Swansea Metropolitan University 1425 1446 -21 -1.5
Rose Bruford College 213 217 -4 -1.8
University College Birmingham 1312 1337 -25 -1.9
University of Northampton 3017 3079 -62 -2.0
Cardiff Metropolitan University 2646 2704 -58 -2.1
Loughborough University 3359 3439 -80 -2.3
University of St Andrews 1696 1741 -45 -2.6
Staffordshire University 3790 3895 -105 -2.7
Southampton Solent University 3810 3920 -110 -2.8
Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh 1814 1872 -58 -3.1
University of Manchester 7861 8114 -253 -3.1
Royal Holloway, University of London 2375 2452 -77 -3.1
Oxford Brookes University 3810 3934 -124 -3.2
Lancaster University 2778 2882 -104 -3.6
Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London 51 53 -2 -3.8
Leeds Trinity University 870 905 -35 -3.9
City University 2880 2997 -117 -3.9
London South Bank University 3740 3893 -153 -3.9
University of Abertay Dundee 1242 1301 -59 -4.5
Bath Spa University 1919 2021 -102 -5.0
University of Wolverhampton 4587 4855 -268 -5.5
Arts University College at Bournemouth 953 1011 -58 -5.7
Queen Mary, University of London 3484 3704 -220 -5.9
Keele University 2023 2153 -130 -6.0
University of Leeds 6428 6844 -416 -6.1
Imperial College London 2226 2377 -151 -6.4
University of the West of Scotland 4228 4516 -288 -6.4
Canterbury Christ Church University 3675 3927 -252 -6.4
University of Kent 4942 5281 -339 -6.4
University of Birmingham 5135 5520 -385 -7.0
Nottingham Trent University 6356 6857 -501 -7.3
ifs School of Finance 36 39 -3 -7.7
University of the Arts London 4305 4665 -360 -7.7
University of Gloucestershire 2215 2403 -188 -7.8
Stranmillis University College: A College of Queen’s University Belfast 244 265 -21 -7.9
University of Worcester 2681 2919 -238 -8.2
University of Essex 2907 3166 -259 -8.2
Roehampton University 2254 2455 -201 -8.2
Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts 219 240 -21 -8.8
Kingston University 6210 6809 -599 -8.8
Edge Hill University 3550 3900 -350 -9.0
Northumbria University 5714 6290 -576 -9.2
University of Sheffield 4711 5197 -486 -9.4
Sheffield Hallam University 7425 8211 -786 -9.6
University of the West of England, Bristol 6584 7284 -700 -9.6
Edinburgh Napier University 3480 3854 -374 -9.7
University of Liverpool 3945 4369 -424 -9.7
Bournemouth University 3920 4342 -422 -9.7
Middlesex University 4139 4619 -480 -10.4
University of Hull 4356 4880 -524 -10.7
De Montfort University 4638 5230 -592 -11.3
University of Bedfordshire 3815 4303 -488 -11.3
University of Westminster 4503 5088 -585 -11.5
University of Sunderland 2503 2831 -328 -11.6
Swansea University 2939 3326 -387 -11.6
British School of Osteopathy 69 79 -10 -12.7
Plymouth University 5173 5923 -750 -12.7
University of West London 2394 2742 -348 -12.7
Liverpool John Moores University 5473 6284 -811 -12.9
University of Southampton 4499 5189 -690 -13.3
Brunel University 2821 3279 -458 -14.0
Royal Agricultural College 313 364 -51 -14.0
University of Derby 3002 3555 -553 -15.6
University of Lincoln 3135 3715 -580 -15.6
University of Hertfordshire 4730 5618 -888 -15.8
Manchester Metropolitan University 7642 9083 -1441 -15.9
Liverpool Hope University 1476 1760 -284 -16.1
University of Central Lancashire 5318 6355 -1037 -16.3
University for the Creative Arts 1727 2064 -337 -16.3
University of Surrey 2104 2515 -411 -16.3
University of Salford 3953 4808 -855 -17.8
University of London Institute in Paris 49 60 -11 -18.3
University of Cumbria 1950 2391 -441 -18.4
University of Bradford 2748 3377 -629 -18.6
University of Dundee 2141 2637 -496 -18.8
Newman University College, Birmingham 535 659 -124 -18.8
Aberystwyth University 2655 3283 -628 -19.1
University of Wales, Newport 1147 1426 -279 -19.6
University of East London 4385 5510 -1125 -20.4
University of Glamorgan, Cardiff and Pontypridd 3265 4105 -840 -20.5
Glyndwr University 731 926 -195 -21.1
Scottish Agricultural College 275 350 -75 -21.4
Heythrop College, University of London 149 192 -43 -22.4
Leeds Metropolitan University 6265 8084 -1819 -22.5
University of Greenwich 4034 5223 -1189 -22.8
University Campus Suffolk 1398 1811 -413 -22.8
Peninsula College of Medicine & Dentistry 239 319 -80 -25.1
University of Bolton 1259 1686 -427 -25.3
University of Wales Trinity Saint David 821 1156 -335 -29.0
University of Buckingham 157 244 -87 -35.7
Writtle College 293 458 -165 -36.0
London Metropolitan University 4079 7209 -3130 -43.4
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (Coleg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymru) 31 60 -29 -48.3
Institute of Education, University of London 28 –