Reason for choosing a higher education provider Three quarters of respondents were able to identify a top choice of higher education provider, and this was more common among international applicants. Oxford and Cambridge were more likely to be chosen among international applicants who expressed a preference, whereas Russell Group universities were more popular with UK applicants, though one modern university also made the top 10. A free text question about the reasons for choosing a university revealed a clear difference between UK and international applicants’ motivations for university choice. Sentiment analysis finds that UK applicants are strongly motivated by location, whereas teaching quality, reputation and global recognition are front of mind for international applicants. The low ranking of teaching quality among UK based applicants suggests that TEF scores are not a motivator for them. Figure 25: Sentiment analysis of free text question “Why is this your first choice university?” by domicile 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 24% 0% Close to home 20% 6% Favoured location / city 14% 6% Course content 14% 12% Subject choice 12% 18% Top choice / “everything” 9% 19% Reputation 7% 6% Top university for chosen course 5% 7% Uni resources / opportunities 4% 24% Teaching quality 1% 15% Global recognition UK International Base = 1611 Unite Students | Applicant Index Report 34 INTRODUCTION THEMATIC ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY TOPICAL ISSUES BACK TO CONTENTS