Two thirds of students influenced by north-south divide in university choice

Almost two thirds of students are influenced by the north-south divide and "regional rivalries" when it comes to choosing a university.

According to new research by The Student Room, an online community for students, universities in the south of England are the most popular among students.

Almost 62 per cent of students who expressed their preference said they would rather study in the south, the data shows.

This is compared to 38 per cent of students who said they would rather study in the North of the country. 

Students said they believe that universities in the south were less dangerous, with a lower crime rate, fairer weather and a better academic reputation . 

According to the survey of over 2,700 prospective students, the cost of living was a big factor in why students chose to study in the north, 54 per cent listed this as their biggest influence. 

For students heading north, academic reputation ranked low as a reason for choosing a university - less than a quarter said it had significant influence compared to almost half of students attending university in the south.

A third of respondents said they would feel safer in a southern town or city, but this ranked low for those choosing to study in the north as just 23 per cent cited safety as an influence. 

Students said they chose to study up north because "northerners were more friendly". 

The research also shows that Northern students are more eager to fly the nest than their southern counterparts.

Of the northern respondents, 33 per cent listed getting away from home as a deciding factor in their choice of university, compared to just 12 per cent of southerners. 

Students from the south said that staying close to parents was a big influence in their choice of university, as 62 per cent said they wanted to stay close to home. 

One student said: “I applied almost exclusively to southern universities because the difference in weather is heavenly.

They added: "I'm from the north and was fed up of the rain and cold and the sun rising at 12pm and setting at 12:05pm”.

The research comes with just over a month to go until the Ucas university application deadline on January 15.

Source: AFP