UK: Price too high?

British universities risk becoming too expensive for overseas students and are losing their grip on the market, says a report by the Higher Education Policy Institute. Research comparing leading universities in 11 countries found that it cost more to study in England, for example, than anywhere else, other than the US, reports TimesOnline.

Fees paid by international students account for 8% of income earned by universities across Britain, according to the report. Soaring numbers of students are choosing to study here, bringing in £1.5 billion in 2005-6, but institutions face increasing competition from abroad. Britain's share of the booming market in educating overseas students has fallen from 16% 10 years ago to about 12% last year.

The report compared the cost, in US dollars, of studying similar courses at leading universities in other countries. The fees ranged from a very modest $235 (£120) at the Sorbonne in Paris to about $18,000 at the University of Sydney, to $21,653 at Oxford. Only Harvard, at $31,456, was more expensive but Harvard also offers generous bursaries.

The authors of the report say: "It is expensive for an international student to study in England, more so than in almost any other country in the world. UK degrees are marketed as a premium product for a premium price. So far we have been able to maintain our position but if price sensitivity becomes an issue, this may not be sustainable."
Full TimesOnline report