The global pandemic has caused huge disruption to education around the world and has directly impacted students’ decisions about where to study once they leave school, according to this Cambridge International’s annual Destinations Survey.
The survey asks schools across the globe where their Cambridge International AS & A Level students from the previous year have chosen to go to university, and what subjects they have elected to study. The responses give an insightful picture of the top destinations for Cambridge International students, and an idea of how the trends are evolving over time.
The research, gathered from 300 Cambridge schools worldwide, found the turbulent past year has had a significant influence on student choices. 84% of schools surveyed reported that many of their students had changed their minds about their first-choice destination or university – largely as a result of general uncertainty, difficulties with travel or financial hardship caused by the pandemic.
However, despite the impacts of the pandemic, the desire of Cambridge students to continue their higher education overseas has not changed. Over a third of Cambridge students are still estimated to have progressed to universities outside of their own country in 2020.
Whilst the impacts of the pandemic had a big influence on the decisions students took about their next educational steps, the research also found that students are becoming more aware of the wide range of study options available to them internationally. A quarter of schools say the trend for Cambridge students going to university outside their own country is increasing. When asked why, many cite a greater awareness of international education and a perception that overseas study can offer a greater choice of courses and wider career opportunities.