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A U S T R A L I A / N E W Z E A L A N D / U N I T E D K I N G D O M /E U / U N I T E D S T A T E S 20

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INTERNATIONALSTUDENT SURVEYVolume 3 - Defining The Student Experience

2 2020 QS International Student Survey: VOLUME 3: Defining the Student Experience

Australia/New Zealand/United Kingdom/EU/United States International Student Survey 2020

Having run for eight years, the QS International Student

Survey has grown consistently to become the world’s

largest survey of pre-enrolled international students. The

2020 iteration of the survey was our largest ever, featuring

the responses of 78,578 respondents and 93 institutions

from 16 countries around the world. The survey continues

to focus on the decision-making process that prospective

students undertake, as well as looking at the range of

external influences and wider factors that will play a role

in their decision making.

This third volume of the International Student Survey

reports, entitled ‘Defining the Student Experience’, looks

at how prospective students will assess and measure

the experience provided by their chosen institution, and

what those institutions can do to maximise that student

experience.

The other volumes in the 2020 report series are titled:

L Volume 1: Destination Australia

L Volume 2: Information and Influence

L Volume 4: The Decade Head

Volume one includes Australian data only, volumes two

and three includes benchmarks between Australia, New

Zealand, United Kingdom, United States and the European

Union, and volume four will include benchmarks between

Australia and New Zealand.

At the time of publication, international education has been

profoundly disrupted by COVID-19, resulting in widespread

travel bans and campus closures. The full impact of the

virus on society and the higher education sector specifically

is still unfolding. During this time of rapid change, we

believe it is more important than ever to listen to the views

of students in order to plan for student demand dynamics

and inform student recruitment strategies. We believe the

insights included in this and subsequent volumes will shine

a light on the underlying drivers and core priority interests

of students, which will remain important throughout this

time of change.

About the International Student Survey

2020 QS International Student Survey: VOLUME 3: Defining the Student Experience 3

Key facts

Collected78,578 respondents

193 nationalities/territories represented

93 institutions participated

Report demographics

58%Male

42%Female

56% 39% 5%

UG PG Foundation or Vocational

33% 63% 4%

22%Business andManagement

16%Engineering

8%Computing

17%$10k-$25k

14%$25k-$75k

7%>$75k

42%<$10k

Gen Z Gen Y Gen X



Australia European Union New Zealand United Kingdom United States

AgeGen Z – 55%Gen Y – 40%Gen X – 5%

Gen Z – 53%Gen Y – 42%Gen X – 5%

Gen Z – 38%Gen Y – 51%Gen X – 11%

Gen Z – 54%Gen Y – 40%Gen X – 6%

Gen Z – 63%Gen Y – 33%Gen X – 4%

Gender Male – 59%Female – 40%

Male – 61%Female – 38%




Study Level

Undergraduate – 39%

Postgraduate (Coursework)– 36%

Postgraduate (Research)– 19%

Other– 7%


Postgraduate (Coursework) – 48%


Other– 3%




Other– 6%



Postgraduate (Research)–21%

Other– 3%




Other– 3%

Participate in the International Student Survey

Your participation helps ensure the research remains robust and representative of the market. And as a thank you, we will produce a benchmarking report specific to your institution, showing how your prospective international students compare against the rest of the market, offering useful insight that enables you to better attract international students.

For more information visitwww.internationalstudentsurvey.com/take-part


Contents

About the International Student Survey 2

Introduction from Edward Harcourt 6

Industry Comment from Lucy Evans 7

Key findings 8

Section 1 What is ‘Student Experience’ 10

Defining student experience 10

Measuring teaching quality 13

Defining ‘up-to-date’ technology 14

Section 2 The Importance of Support Services 16

Support services and mental health 16

Language skills 21

Section 3 Social Impact and Responsibility 25

About QS 29



Introduction from Edward Harcourt

With COVID-19 precipitating extreme levels of disruption to

teaching and learning in universities around the world, including

a rapid shutdown of face-to-face teaching and transition to online

learning, it is important that we understand what challenges

students might be experiencing, and what types of information,

programs and support services universities can implement to

ameliorate their effects. The International Student Survey Volume

3: Defining the Student Experience provides insights to help us

better understand where the most common hurdles might be

and what we can do to minimise their impact on student success.

These challenges are not limited to those experienced by

international students in the classroom. Employment, housing,

and managing the costs of daily life are among the greatest

concerns for incoming students, and the capacity for many current

students to meet their own needs in these areas is being severely

tested by the pandemic.

While the current focus is understandably on how COVID-19 has

impacted student life and may continue to do so into the future, we

must not lose sight of the ultimate aim of international students

the world over – to gain a high quality educational experience. the

QS International Student Survey provides a roadmap for what that

experience should look like, with international students expecting

an education defined by high quality teaching; pedagogy shaped

by the latest technologies; a welcoming study environment; and

ultimately a degree that will help them get to where they want

to go in their career.

Universities around the world are currently grappling with how

best to maintain student safety in light of the challenges posed

by COVID-19, but we must be careful to not miss the forest for

the trees, and to remember that a positive student experience

is defined by an environment where students are made to feel

safe and welcomed.

Edward Harcourt

Managing Director – QS Enrolment Solutions


Industry Comment from Lucy Evans

Universities all over the world have been profoundly impacted

by COVID-19. The pandemic has not only impacted universities’

capacity to maintain their student recruitment pipelines for

the coming semesters, it has also necessitated a rapid and

fundamental shift in how we deliver teaching, communicate with

students, and conduct our day-to-day operations.

But whatever challenges universities are faced with during this

time, they pale in comparison to what the students themselves

are often contending with. International students are by their

very nature a highly resilient cohort – they have chosen to pursue

their studies in a foreign country, away from their friends and

families, and often in a secondary language. In doing so, they

demonstrate an appetite for challenge that has held them in

good stead for what has confronted them in 2020, and what

may await in the coming months.

I found the section on the importance of support services and

mental health particularly valuable. As the data shows, prospective

students are particularly worried about the economic challenges

of studying abroad – housing, employment and cost of living.

Universities can set our next generation of students up for future

success by providing a robust network of informational and

support services to help them navigate these sometimes-tricky

considerations, and allow our students to focus on what’s most

important: achieving academic success and having a fulfilling

international study experience.

The International Student Survey provides an insightful look at

how we can best assist our cohort of current students during this

difficult period, as well as how we can equip future students with

the tools and information they need to arrive, study, and flourish.

Lucy Evans

Chief Student Officer – University of Surrey



Key findings

A positive student experience is defined by a high quality, modern teaching experience in an environment where students are made to feel safe and welcomed

‘Student Experience’ is a multi-faceted concept which means many different things to different students. In this

respect, it closely resembles the same types of considerations that prospects take into account when making decisions

about where and what to study. When choosing a university, prospective students place greatest importance in

the quality of the teaching staff and the technological capabilities of the university, when choosing a course, the

most important factors are that course’s ability to meet their career outcomes and help them establish a pathway

into their preferred industry, and when choosing a country to study in, the most important considerations are

whether that country can guarantee their physical safety and provide a welcoming and supportive atmosphere.

Recommendation: Focusing on the things that are most important to students – studying at a high-quality

course which will lead to their chosen career, while living in a welcoming, supportive community, will ensure

that the student experience is being prioritised.

Teaching quality is defined not only by the quality and capabilities of the teaching staff, but by the universities’ effective use of modern technology and teaching tools

Rather than being defined solely by the competency and capabilities of a university’s teaching staff, the availability

of the most up-to-date technology and ‘teaching and learning’ tools are of great importance when judging

the overall teaching quality of a university. In particular, prospective students are looking for fast, modern

IT infrastructure and internet capability, tool which can facilitate online, interactive and remote teaching, and a

curriculum which is constantly updated to reflect the latest technological development in their chosen field.

Recommendation: Promote the innovative and advanced ways that your institution has utilised technology

to enhance and augment the overall learning experience.

The greatest concerns about studying abroad typically relate to life outside of the classroom – housing, employment, and physical safety

Most prospective students are not particularly worried that they will struggle academically or be unable to adjust to

the cultural differences of living and studying in a different country. Rather, they are mostly concerned about material

conditions – managing the cost of living, finding a job and appropriate housing, and maintaining their physical safety.

Recommendation: One of the best way to help newly-arrived students adjust to their new life in a different

country is to reach out to with advice on how to find housing, how to secure a job, and how to manage

their daily expenses.


Equipping students with ample knowledge about their destination country prior to arrival is essential to alleviating their worries

The most effective ways of reducing prospective students’ worries about studying abroad are to facilitate interactions

and discussions with existing students prior to travel (to answer questions and provide advice on the experience), and

to equip prospective students with ample information about the culture of their destination country prior to arrival.

Recommendation: To equip students with the confidence they need to succeed in their studies starts before

they arrive, universities should seek to provide as much information, and as many opportunities to talk

to current students as possible, and do so as early in the enrolment journey as possible.

Mental health is seen as a major issue facing young people today, and something which universities will be expected to help address

Mental health is a major – and growing – problem through society, with younger people particularly vulnerable In

addition, international students face additional pressures which may amplify the effect and impact of poor mental

health. The results show that there is a large appetite for on-campus resources to help prevent and treat mental

health issues, such as access to counselling session, help lines, and referral services to mental health specialists.

Recommendation: As well as providing cost-free mental health services and making them easily available,

they should be pro-actively promoted to students, as often those who are in greatest need are the least

likely to seek out help.

Most students are confident in their ability to manage English-language coursework, but many anticipate having more difficulty in public speaking in English

Most prospective students have a relatively high degree of confidence that they will be able to successfully

manage their English-language coursework. However, more anticipate challenges in delivering

presentations and publicly speaking in English, and in participating in group work with English-speaking

classmates. There is a large appetite for additional English support, particularly in the assignment of

an English-speaking ‘buddy’ to help international students with spoken and conversational English.

Recommendation: Look for opportunities to facilitate international students in developing their conversational

English skills, such as by pairing them with English-speaking ‘buddies’.

While universities are seen to be doing a reasonable job at promoting environmental sustainability, there is an appetite for greater action

Most students believe that universities are currently doing a reasonably good job in terms of environmental

friendless and sustainability, with over 80% believing the sector is ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ friendly to the environment.

However, there is a very strong appetite for greater levels of sustainability from the university sector, with over

90% believing that universities ‘could do more’ than they are currently doing to be environmentally sustainable.

Recommendation: Given the importance of the environment to most prospective students, promotion of

your university’s commitment to environmental sustainability may be an effective marketing tool.



Section 1 What is ‘Student Experience’

Defining student experience

While ‘student experience’ is a broad concept and different students may have very different conceptualisations of

the term, we will attempt to define the most important factors in the student experience by looking at how important

a range of factors are when choosing where and what to study.

Firstly, when deciding on a university to study at, the quality of teaching staff stands out as the most important

consideration, with 72% of prospects deeming it ‘very important’. Of similar importance was ‘up-to-date technology and

online learning’, which 61% deemed very important. In conjunction, these items suggest that the ‘student experience’

is in some ways analogous to ‘academic experience’ – a university provides a good student experience by providing a

high-quality education. Conversely, the ‘reputational’ aspects of a university, such as how well-known it is, how often it

is mentioned in the media, and how long it has been in existence for, are much less important considerations.

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40

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61

72

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1319

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Often mentioned in the media

Has a long history

Location

Globally well known

High rankings

Modern facilities

Up-to-date technology and onlinelearning

Teaching staff are highly qualified

Combined figures for all markets

Very important Important Neutral Not very important Not important at all

When thinking about choosing a university to study at, how important are the following:


In terms of choosing a course to study, the most important factors typically relate to graduate outcomes – 76% said it

was very important that the content was linked to their career, while 62% thought that industry networking opportunities

were very important. A majority also thought it was important that the course provided a pathway to further study

(59%) and that it provided close engagement with teaching staff (55%).

When thinking about choosing a course to study, how important are the following:

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55

59

62

76

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30

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17

30

19

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14 4

8 6

5

12

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5

13 8Small class sizes

Course content is linked to facultyresearch

Good reputation in home country

Close engagement with teaching staff

Pathways to further study

Industry networking opportunities

Course content is linked to career





When it comes to choosing a country to study in, there are many highly important factors that are taken into consideration,

but physical safety is of greatest importance, with 78% rating this very important. Similarly, 71% said it was very important

that international students were made to feel welcome in that country.

When thinking about choosing a country to study in, how important are the following:

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50

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53

58

61

71

78

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16 12Country has been recommended

Outdoor environment and activities

Graduate salaries

People, food and culture

Studying there will improve jobprospects in home country

Cost of food and bills

Transport, accommodation and services

Welcoming to international students

Safety



Aggregating each of these three questions, we can build an understanding of the types of things which may go into

judging the overall student experience. It appears that prospective students are most commonly looking for:

L A university which can provide a high level of teaching quality, with dedicated staff and modern facilities.

L A course which will help them reach their desired career outcomes and allows them to build on-the-job experience

through work-integrated learning.

L A location which can ensure their physical safety while provides a welcoming and supportive atmosphere.

This tendency is consistent across destination countries, with prospective students tending to value the same thing

regardless of where they are intending to study.


Measuring teaching quality

It is clear that the quality of the teaching and learning experience is one of the more critical components of the overall

student experience, but how exactly is ‘teaching quality’ defined and measured?

Overall, the most important factor in defining the overall quality of a university’s teaching is the quality of the teachers

themselves – 43% placed the quality of the teaching staff in their top three, while ‘up-to-date’ technology was in the

top three of 42% of prospects.

Which three factors are most important to you when assessing a university’s teaching quality?

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30

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36

42

43

Good online learning options

High graduate starting salaries

Quick responses to enquiries

Course includes work placements

High volume of F2F teaching

High graduate employment

Ranked well overall

Has received recognition via a measurement scheme

Up-to-date technology

Quality teaching staff

Destination Differences

European Union New Zealand United States

+6 quality teaching staff +5 quick response to enquiries

-5 work placements-7 quick response to enquiries



Defining ‘up-to-date’ technology

Prospects were asked to define what ‘up-to-date technology’ meant to them, with some common responses mentioning

aspects like modern computing infrastructure:

As I come from a developing country, most of the technology we have here in institutions are not ‘up-to-date’. I prefer universities

that provide technologies that are more advanced than the ones provided in my country. Technologies that can run multiple data

at once and save time. Technologies that provide additional assessment without researchers having to spare time to conduct

simple data analysis.

The ability to use technology to augment traditional teaching methods: Availability to blend traditional teaching with technology

such as computer software which are modern and new

Keeping the curriculum up to date regarding the latest technologies:

For me, up-to-date technology means constantly changing and adapting the courses to the new scientific discoveries.

Ubiquitous access to high-speed internet:

Fast internet, ability to access information quickly. New computer systems.

And using technology to facilitate distance and off-campus learning:

Using best methods of distance learning. Facility provided in university. Visualizations facilities. Online library.

Prospects were given a series of statements concerning how they made judgements about teaching quality. The results

suggest that teaching quality is generally consistent across all areas of a university – 82% agree than a university with

good undergraduate teaching quality will also have good postgraduate teaching quality, while 68% agree that research

expertise is also an indicator of good teaching quality.

However, only 52% agreed that it is easy to assess a university’s teaching quality before studying there, while 26%

were neutral and 22% disagreed. This highlights the importance of a university being able to effectively and clearly

communicate the quality of teaching they can provide (most importantly, through the quality of its teaching staff and

technology).

There was also a mixed response in terms of the appetite to pay more for higher teaching quality – while 49% agreed

that they would pay a premium to study at a university with demonstrably superior teaching quality, 29% were neutral

and 22% disagreed.


Do you agree or disagree with the following statements about teaching quality?

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45

43

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26

22

12

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18

8

5

I would pay higher tuition fees for a university that provides the best teaching quality

It is easy to assess a university's teaching quality before you being studying there

A university's research expertise shows whether or not that university will have good teaching

I would expect a university with goodundergraduate teaching quality to also have good

postgraduate teaching quality


Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

Key Points

L The student experience is defined by:

• A high-quality teaching experience, featuring highly qualified and engaged teaching staff, and incorporating

the most up-to-date technologies.

• Coursework which will help them achieve their career aspirations and help them build professional experience

through links to their preferred industries and employers.

• An on- and off-campus environment where students are made to feel safe, welcome, and part of the community

in which they are living and learning.

L Despite the importance of teaching quality to the overall student experience, many prospects believe that it is

not always simple to assess the quality of a university’s teaching before studying there.



Section 2 The Importance of Support Services

Support services and mental health

Mental health is an area of particular and growing importance, both in wider society and within educational institutions

in particular. Students often experience a range of challenges relating to achieving academic success, balancing study

with other aspects of life, and other potential stressors such as financial, social and relationship difficulties. These

issues can be amplified for international students, who are facing these challenges in a different country to the one

they are most familiar with, and away from their family and established support networks.

It is imperative that universities have in place appropriate and accessible support services to help students address

and overcome these challenges (both academic and non-academic), that will often arise over the student journey.

As the next chart shows, by far the greatest issue that most prospective students face when thinking about studying

in a different country is cost of living – three quarters cited this as a potential worry, while 64% were concerned with

the cost of their tuition and the availability of scholarships to offset this. The next three most important issues also

relate to physical and economic security, with 53% are concerned about their safety, 52% about finding appropriate

housing, and 48% about finding employment.

Comparatively, fewer prospective students believe they will have cultural adaption issues – only 21% were concerned

about communication in English, 22% about the food choices available to them, 27% about the climate of their

destination country, and 29% about experiencing cultural differences.

Overall, there is clear evidence that the worries that prospective students are most likely to have concern life outside

the classroom, and are often financially-based – will they be able to afford to study, find a place to live and a job, and

to remain safe in their destination country?


What worries you most about studying in a different country?

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30

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36

48

52

53

64

75

Communicating and studying in English

Food choices

Ability to meet family expectations

Speaking the local language

Climate

Cultural differences

Missing home, family and friends

Doing well academically

Feeling unwelcome

Getting a job

Finding accommodation

Safety

Availability of scholarships

Cost of living

While those intending to study in Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom are broadly similar in terms of their

worries, those intending to study in the European Union are somewhat more likely to hold worries about speaking

the local language, meeting family expectations and finding accommodation. Those intending to study in the United

States were more likely to be worried about doing well academically and securing employment, but were less likely to

be worried about cost of living or finding accommodation.


European Union United States

+8 speaking the local language+4 meeting family expectations+5 finding accommodation

+5 doing well academically+6 getting a job

-6 cost of living-8 finding accommodation



In terms of what would make prospects feel less worried about international study, the two most effective measures are

to facilitate interactions between prospective and current students (who can provide advice on their own experience)1,

and to provide ample information about the culture of their destination country. As an example of how this might look

in practice, the New Zealand Government has developed a website called NauMai NZ which features details or what life

and study is like in New Zealand, and focuses specifically on many of the major concerns listed in the previous question.

It should be noted that both of these measures are things which can be done pro-actively – students can be equipped

with this knowledge during the application process, to help equip them with the tools they need to succeed before

they arrive.

What would make you feel less worried about studying abroad?

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36

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39

42

45

46

Promotion of mental health services

Support services available in my preferred language

Could visit country beforehand

Confident there would be no language barriers

If I knew others at the institution

Heard from friends or family that int. students weresupported

Had family or friends in the country

If I knew a lot about the culture of the country

Could ask questions of existing int. students


New Zealand United States

+5 having family or friends in the country

-7 having family or friends in the country-9 if I knew others attending the institution

1 For more on the role of P2P Recruitment, see “International Student Survey Volume 2: Information and Influence”

https://naumainz.studyinnewzealand.govt.nz/


The most important support services that a university can provide to international students broadly reflect their greatest

concerns, with a majority of prospects believing it very important that their university offers a health and medical

centre (66%), a dedicated advice service for international students (64%), a careers advice service (63%), a visa advice

service (59%), and a housing advice service (50%).

How important is it to you that the university you choose offers the following support services?

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50

59

63

64

66

Disability advisory service

Sports services

English Language Centre

Money advice service

Mental health counselling

Support for mental wellbeing

Housing advice service

Visa advice service

Careers advice

Dedicated advice for international students

Health/medical centre

% 'Very important'

Looking more broadly at the challenges faced by young people in society, by far the biggest issue is a lack of employment

opportunities, which was selected by 58% of prospects. The next most prominent issues are drug abuse (42%), mental

health problem (41%), and pressures created by social media (36%).

The appetite for support services is strongest among those considering studying in Australia, who were on average

4% more likely to select each item. Conversely, those intending to study in the EU or UK were 3% less likely to select

each item on average.

Given the prominence of a lack of employment opportunities, and the fact that improving employment opportunities is

one of the most common reasons for choosing to study internationally2, universities should see themselves as having

a critical role in helping students to overcome this problem, and should acknowledge the importance of producing

job-ready graduates who will be competitive in an increasingly competitive job market.

2 For more on reasons for studying overseas, see “International Student Survey Volume 2: Information and Influence”



What do you think are the top three most important issues facing young people today?

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Declining global biodiversity

Organised crime networks

Global terrorism

Negative stereotyping from older generations

Climate change

A lack of affordable housing

Family problems

The pressures of social networking

Mental health problems

Drug abuse

A lack of employment opportunities

Given that 41% of prospective students selected mental health problems as one of the key issues being faced young

people, it’s important for universities to consider what they can do to help protect and strengthen the mental health

of their students – domestic and international alike.

The availability of university-provided counselling sessions was the most commonly cited way of helping students with

their mental health (58%), followed by providing access to a mental health adviser (49%), promoting 24 hour help lines

for students (47%), and promoting access to specialist mental health support (41%).

While there are many different ways that universities can help support the mental health of their students, a holistic

approach which endeavours to promote good mental health in a preventative capacity, whilst also having specialist

mental health supports available for intervention where required, is likely to yield the best results.

Which of the following should universities be doing to help students with mental health?

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47

49

57

Restrict library opening hours to encourage sleep

Offering extra time in exams

Referring students to health services

Offering extensions of coursework deadlines

Establishing student-led support networks

Having healthy food in vending machines

Offering group therapy sessions

Promoting access to low-cost exercise classes

Promoting access to specialist mental health supports

Promoting 24 hour help lines for students

Offering access to a mental health adviser

Offering counselling sessions


Language skills

For students who are not native English speakers, adjusting to life in an English-speaking country can be one of the

greatest challenges they will face as an international students, both in and outside the classroom. The ability to not

just communicate at a conversational level, but to synthesise complex academic texts, is an essential component of

academic success at all levels and areas of study.

This section looks at some potential ways to make sure that non-native English-speaking international students are

equipped with the skills they need to succeed academically, as well as socially.

Around two-thirds of prospects for each destination market report that English is not the main language they speak

at home, highlighting the importance of English language tuition for most prospective students.

% English is not their main language

Australia European Union New Zealand United Kingdom United States

67% 68% 67% 63% 63%

Sizeable proportions expect to experience challenges in adjusting to English-language teaching – 60% believe that

delivering presentations and speaking publicly in English would by very or fairly challenging, 56% believe the same

of engaging in group work, and 50% expect to experience some challenges making friends with English-speaking

students.



Fewer expected to have difficulties reading and comprehending course content in English – just 18% expected this to

be very challenging, and 25% expected it to be fairly challenging.

How challenging do you expect to find the following elements of international study?

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Understand English coursework andreadings

Making friends with local English-speaking students

Participating in group work with nativeEnglish speakers

Delivering presentations and publicspeaking in English


Very challenging Fairly challenging Not very challenging Not challenging at all

% difference in ‘very challenging’

New Zealand United States

7 participating in group work-5 making friends with English speakers-5 understanding coursework

+6 delivering presentations in English+5 making friends with English speakers+5 understanding coursework

Considering this, it is understandable that English language courses are seen as a critical part of the learning experience

– 47% of non-native English speaking prospects think that holding English language classes alongside the regular

curriculum is very important, while 81% deem it ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ important.


How important is it to you that English language classes are offered alongside the regular curriculum?

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3

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14

United States

United Kingdom

New Zealand

European Union

Australia

Total

Very important Somewhat important Not very important Not important at all

There are a range of specific types of classes and initiatives that universities can undertake to help international

students build their English skills. 61% said that being assigned an English-speaking ‘buddy’ to help them in a social

context would be very useful, while 58% would find group English language classes useful, and 53% would find one-

on-one tutoring in English useful.

How useful would you find the following services in helping you improve your English language skillswhile studying?

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58

61

34

31

30

9

7

6 4

4

3

One-on-one English LanguageTutoring

Group English language classes

An English speaking 'buddy'


Very useful Somewhat useful Not very useful Not useful at all



Key Points

L Economic and material concerns dominate the greatest worries that prospective students have about studying

abroad, with finding appropriate housing, employment, and managing cost of living among their greatest worries.

L Mental health is perceived as a serious issue among younger people, and most prospects would expect a

university to provide services such as counselling, help lines, and access to mental health specialists in order

combat the risks of mental ill-health.

L Most prospective students have a language other than English as their primary language. They anticipate that

the greatest challenges on this front will be in public speaking and presentation and communicating verbally

with their classmates in English.

L There is a significant appetite for supplementary English teaching and mentoring to help students build confidence

in their written and spoken English.


Section 3 Social Impact and Responsibility

Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) (particularly in relation to the environment) is becoming increasingly scrutinised

among businesses and organisation of all kinds, with people looking towards large organisations with ample resources

to lead the way in taking action against climate change, as well as other issues of social, political, and environmental

concern.

Overall, most believe that universities are doing an acceptable job at being environmentally sustainable – 35% overall

said that universities were, in general, very environmentally friendly, while 47% said they were ‘somewhat’ environmentally

friendly.

This view was shared among prospects, regardless of their intended destination, although those intending to study

in Australia or New Zealand were slightly more likely to see universities as very environmentally friendly than those

intending to study in the northern hemisphere.

In general, how environmentally friendly do you think universities are?

Total

36

35

42

37

41

35

48

49

49

47

47

47

8

9

3

8

7

10

7

7

5

8

6

7

United States

United Kingdom

New Zealand

European Union

Australia

Very friendly Somewhat friendly Neutral Not very friendly Not at all friendly

The importance of climate change and the environment to an individual prospect appears to have an impact on how

they perceive the sustainability of universities - while 35% overall believe universities are very environmentally friendly,

only 27% of those who believe climate change is one of the top issues facing young people agree. Conversely, 30%

of those who believe climate change to be a top issue were neutral or critical of the sustainability of universities,

compared to 17% of the overall sample.



In general, how environmentally friendly do you think universities are? (By biggest issues)

27

36

35

45

43

47

15

12

10

13

8

7

Believe climate change isa top issue

Believe decliningbiodiveristy in a top issue

Total


There is also a near-universal belief that universities should be doing more to improve their environmental sustainability

– 91% said this to be the case, include at least 90% of those looking at each destination market.

It seems that although most prospects believe universities are seen to currently be doing a reasonable job in terms

of environmental sustainability, there is clearly room for improvement.

Do you think universities could do more to be environmentally sustainable?

Total

91

91

94

90

94

91 7

6

8

5

7

7United States

United Kingdom

New Zealand

European Union

Australia

Total

Yes No Don't Know

Looking at corporate and social responsibility more broadly, there is a similarly strong appetite for universities to

demonstrate that their values align with those of their student and prospective student body. 53% of prospective

students believed this to be very important to them, and a further 32% said it was somewhat important – figures which

were very similar across each intended destination country.


How important to you is it that a university’s corporate and social responsibility values align with yourown?

51

52

54

52

53

53

32

32

33

32

32

32

14

14

12

13

13

14

United States

United Kingdom

New Zealand

European Union

Australia

Total


In terms of communicating these CSR values, the most effective ways to do this are simply through the university

website and email campaigns, while 46% also said they would like CSR to be communicated within the coursework itself

via lecturers and teachers, 42% would like to see it in university marketing material like prospectuses, 41% through

student ambassadors, and 40% via on campus posters and signage.

How should universities communicate their corporate and social responsibility values to students?

23

24

25

27

29

35

40

41

42

46

55

65

University LinkedIn feed

University Twitter feed

University YouTube channel

In other university publications

University Instagram page

Unviersity Facebook page

On-campus posters

Via student ambassadors

In the university prospectus

Via lecturers and teachers

Email campaigns

Their own university website



Key Points

L Universities are broadly seen to be doing a reasonable job at being environmentally friendly, although the vast

majority would still like to see the university sector do more to improve their sustainability.

L It is highly important for most prospects that universities share their own values and demonstrate these through

their corporate and social responsibility programs. The most effective ways to advertise these values by promoting

them on their website and through email campaigns.


About QS

QS Quacquarelli Symonds is the world’s leading provider of services, analytics, and insights to the global higher

education sector. Our mission is to enable motivated people anywhere in the world to fulfil their potential through

educational achievement, international mobility, and career development.

Our QS World University Rankings portfolio, inaugurated in 2004, has grown to become the world’s most popular

source of comparative data about university performance. Our flagship website, www.topuniversities.com – the home

of our rankings – was viewed 149 million times in 2019, and over 94,000 media clippings pertaining to, or mentioning,

QS were published by media outlets across the world in 2019.

QS portfolio

� QS Digital and Events provides prospective undergraduate, graduate, and MBA applicants with independent

guidance throughout their search and decision making. Our world-class digital platforms include topuniversities.

com, topmba.com, and qsleap.com which support search and inform applications to programs matching their

profile and aspirations. In parallel, prospective students can meet, either virtually or face-to-face, with admissions

officers of international universities and business schools. For universities and business schools, it offers effective

and innovative digital and off-line student recruitment and branding solutions.

� QS Enrolment Solutions supports higher education institutions to maximize their student recruitment with a range

of specialist services, from data-driven insights and high-quality lead generation to optimized communications

and student conversion. With over 20 years of experience QSES has an unequalled understanding of international

student decision-making. Our international office locations (UK, Romania, India, Malaysia and Australia) enable us

to operate across time zones to deliver high value to our partners and exceptional services for applicants.

� The QS Intelligence Unit is a leading originator of institutional performance insight drawing on unique proprietary

datasets gathered in pursuit of its published research. Best known for the widely referenced QS World University

Rankings, today comprising variants by discipline and geography, the unit also operates a sophisticated, multi-

dimensional quality standard; a comprehensive analytics platform facilitating advanced benchmarking; and an in-

demand consulting team. Our insights both inform and are informed by frequent presence and digital conferences

for educators, university leaders, and policy makers.

� QS Unisolution is dedicated to developing saas technology solutions to increase the efficiency and effectiveness

of international mobility, relations, and recruitment functions within education, positively impacting the educational

experience for the students, staff, and partners we serve.



For more information about the QS services, please contact [email protected]

To continue empowering motivated individuals and institutions across the world alike during the coronavirus outbreak,

QS’s response has included:

� Moving its student recruitment events online, ensuring that universities and talented potential applicants across

the world are still able to achieve high-quality personalized engagement.

� Expanding its range of digital marketing offerings, empowering student recruitment teams as they seek to maintain

outreach and enrolment efforts.

� Launching a webinar series designed to enable university faculty and administrators alike to share best practices

as they transition their educational offerings into the virtual classroom.

� Ongoing surveys of prospective students and institutions globally to analyse how the COVID-19 crisis is impacting

them.

In 2019, as part of our commitment to sustainability, QS became a certified carbon neutral® Company, reflecting our

efforts to reduce our impact on the environment through a range of efficiency initiatives and offsetting unavoidable

emissions through a verified carbon offset forestry project in Brazil.

Acknowledgements and copyright notice

Research for this report was conducted in October 2019 – March 2020 and the report was published in July 2020.

Analysis and data visualization by Chris Strods, Market Research and Data Manager; layout and graphic design by

Izam Buhan and Jasreen Gill. With thanks to the many other contributors, the 93 participating universities, and all

who responded to our survey.

All information contained in this report is believed to be correct and unbiased, but the publisher does not accept any

responsibility for any loss arising from decisions made upon this information.

QS © 2020

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of the publisher.

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