Surveys conducted in 1982 and 2002 show different pictuers of what motivate students to choose a college or university in the UK

The two pie charts compare six types of different contributors to high school graduates applying to their desired colleges over two decades (1982-2002) in the UK. Obviously,

while

had considered more about amenities, various activities and facilities provided by the university, whether majors and modules were fit for them or not still played a key role in their choices. The spending,

however

, was paid less attention by them over the period shown. In 1982, 40% of college applicants prioritized courses and degrees suitable over other factors in choosing colleges, which dropped by 6% 20 years later but still played a big part among students. In terms of the costs considered by students, it witnessed a significant decrease, plummeting from 28% to merely 5%.

By contrast

, the proportion of students under the influence of reputation increased fivefold during the period, rising from 5% to 25%. The trend of applicants considering amenities, social activities and sports facilities was the same, rising to 18% from 5%.

Although

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the percentages of applicants considering the reputation and location of colleges were in decline, they only reduced by 1% and 3%, with the figures declining from 3% to 2% and 19% to 16% respectively.