While the UK has gained ground on its rivals as a first-choice education destination, marketers have been urged to produce more “holistic” offerings for international students.
Education services company IDP said the UK needed to articulate “a broader set of reasons” for overseas students to choose Britain. “It is also essential to protect current policies that are important to students, such as the graduate visa route,” said Simon Emmett, chief executive of the company’s recruitment arm IDP Connect.
IDP’s survey of about 10,000 prospective and current students, conducted online in July and August, has tracked a rise in the UK’s popularity. The country was identified as first-choice destination by 22 per cent of respondents, up from 18 per cent in the previous survey in February and March.
But Australia was named top choice by 25 per cent of students, up two percentage points on its March result. It now shares top billing with Canada, which slipped from 27 per cent to 25 per cent.
