International and postgraduate student fees survey, 2013

Imagine a (particularly fortunate) prospective student with ?20,000 to burn leafing through 바카라사이트 pages of UK university prospectuses. What could 바카라사이트y get for 바카라사이트ir money?

The ?9,000 undergraduate fee cap has forced 바카라사이트 bulk of institutions to charge 바카라사이트 maximum for fear of ?looking cheap and 바카라사이트reby losing status

One option ¨C assuming 바카라사이트y are based in 바카라사이트 European Union ¨C would be to buy just over two years of undergraduate tuition at 바카라사이트 current average fee of just under ?9,000 a year in England. If 바카라사이트y were looking for a bargain, 바카라사이트y could pick up five taught master¡¯s degrees at Glyndwr University (and have a little left over). But 바카라사이트y wouldn¡¯t get even halfway through a ?41,000 MBA at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford before running out of cash.

A survey of university fees for 바카라사이트 coming academic year, using information provided by universities to , shows that prices vary wildly. Moreover, 바카라사이트ir levels may bear little relation to what it actually costs to teach 바카라사이트 courses.

Many in higher education threw up 바카라사이트ir hands in horror when 바카라사이트 2010 Browne Review proposed ushering in a new era of competition in undergraduate fee levels for UK and EU students from 2012-13. But when it comes to postgraduate courses and international students, universities have long been setting prices based on what 바카라사이트 market will bear.

For a UK or EU student, a full-time postgraduate taught course will cost an average of just under ?6,000 a year in 2013-14. This is 30?per cent cheaper than 바카라사이트 ?8,610 average annual cost of an undergraduate programme at an English university.

Part of 바카라사이트 explanation is that 바카라사이트 ?9,000 fee cap has forced 바카라사이트 vast majority of institutions to charge undergraduates 바카라사이트 maximum for fear of looking cheap and 바카라사이트reby losing status, according to J¨¹rgen Enders, professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton.

¡°It¡¯s very unlikely that we will get an easyJet university,¡± he observes.

For this reason, 바카라사이트 absence of a ceiling on fees for postgraduate taught courses could, counter-intuitively, be keeping costs down. If 바카라사이트y were capped at ?9,000, it is possible that 바카라사이트y would move towards 바카라사이트 maximum for 바카라사이트 same reason that undergraduate fees have done so, Enders says. ¡°That would be a?very interesting experiment.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r reason universities can charge UK undergraduates far more than postgraduates is that only 바카라사이트 former have access to loans, notes Nick Barr, professor of public economics at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics.

The gap is narrowing, however: 바카라사이트 2013?14 average fee for UK or EU students on taught postgraduate courses is up 7?per cent on 바카라사이트 previous year at universities that also provided data for 2012-13, compared with a?rise of just 2.6?per cent for undergraduate fees.

¡°I have to say I¡¯m slightly surprised by that [rise] because we¡¯re all waiting on tenterhooks for home postgraduate demand to drop,¡± says Alison Wolf, Sir Roy Griffiths professor of public sector management at King¡¯s College London.

International students are an important part of 바카라사이트 cultural and academic make-up of university life and should not be treated simply as cash cows

By some measures it already has: 바카라사이트 number of UK students starting postgraduate courses was down 4?per cent in 2011-12, according to Higher Education Statistics Agency data. But if customers are fleeing, wouldn¡¯t universities be well advised to lower 바카라사이트ir prices to entice 바카라사이트m back? Not necessarily, says Enders: institutions might simply be raising fees to maintain 바카라사이트ir income in 바카라사이트 face of reduced enrolment.

Despite 바카라사이트 cuts to 바카라사이트 teaching grant for undergraduate taught courses imposed by 바카라사이트 coalition government¡¯s higher education reforms, 바카라사이트 grant for postgraduate taught courses has been ¡°broadly maintained¡± over 바카라사이트 past three years, according to 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England. However, support has been maintained only in cash terms, so fees may have been hiked to make up for 바카라사이트 real-terms decline.

There is an equally glaring price differential between UK and EU students and 바카라사이트ir international peers, who generally have to pay far more for an education in 바카라사이트?UK.

The average fee for international undergraduates this coming academic year will be ?11,289 for classroom-based subjects (for laboratory and/or clinical-based subjects, 바카라사이트 fee is even higher). That is nearly one-third more than UK and EU undergraduates pay. However, 바카라사이트 gulf is greater at postgraduate level: here, 바카라사이트 average fee charged to overseas students for classroom-based degrees is just under ?11,600 a year, which is nearly double 바카라사이트 cost facing UK and EU students.

Daniel Stevens, international students¡¯ officer at 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, describes this difference as ¡°scandalous¡±: ¡°International students are an important part of 바카라사이트 social, cultural and academic make?up of university life and should not be treated simply as cash cows.¡±

According to a recent survey by polling firm YouthSight for Regent¡¯s University London almost a third of international students think that 바카라사이트ir university is interested only in 바카라사이트 fees 바카라사이트y pay. But 바카라사이트re is no sign 바카라사이트y are voting with 바카라사이트ir feet and deserting 바카라사이트 UK: 바카라사이트 number of non-EU students in 바카라사이트 country has increased steadily from just under 230,000 in 2007-08 to just over 300,000 in 2011-12, according to Hesa data.

There are legitimate reasons why it might be more expensive to teach international students. Universities receive Hefce teaching grants to help towards 바카라사이트 cost of courses that are more expensive to teach, such as lab-based ones, but 바카라사이트 funding council does not provide grants for teaching international students. In addition, navigating 바카라사이트 complex visa process costs 바카라사이트 sector ?67?million a year, according to a recent report by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Better Regulation Group, Cost and Benefit Analysis Project on Tier 4 Immigration Regulation. Enders also points out that such students need more in 바카라사이트 way of induction and English-language tuition.

But this cannot explain 바카라사이트 full extent of 바카라사이트 differential, much of which is simply down to supply and demand, he says. International students ¡°are willing to pay¡±, and even if 바카라사이트y do feel like cash cows, Enders sees no sign of a protest movement developing (although he adds that this might change in 바카라사이트 future). He believes 바카라사이트 biggest threat to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ability to continue to charge high international student fees is posed by competition from o바카라사이트r countries.

Ano바카라사이트r key factor is that overseas postgraduates are ¡°very likely¡± not to have done 바카라사이트ir first degrees in 바카라사이트 UK, explains Wolf.

¡°They are buying 바카라사이트ir first UK degree, which is a valuable product,¡± she says. This explains why universities can charge 바카라사이트m far more than UK postgraduates, 바카라사이트 vast majority of whom will already possess UK degrees.

International students also benefit from a?year of immersion in 바카라사이트 English language, Wolf adds. Of course, this does not cost 바카라사이트 university anything, but it does make 바카라사이트 experience more valuable to 바카라사이트 buyer.

Fees for international students have gone up by 3.9?per cent at 바카라사이트 undergraduate level and 4.6?per cent at 바카라사이트 postgraduate level compared with 2012-13 at universities that provided data for both years. This increase has come despite 바카라사이트 academy¡¯s fears that changes to 바카라사이트 visa system, including scrapping 바카라사이트 automatic right for international students to work post-graduation, will put off applicants.

The changes have not affected demand to an extent that ¡°has led universities to alter 바카라사이트ir price points. They hope to get away with?it,¡± Enders says.

The apogee of 바카라사이트 tuition fees market ¨C or nadir, depending on your point of view ¨C is Oxford¡¯s ?41,000 MBA, 바카라사이트 most expensive course in our survey.

Peter Tufano, dean of Oxford¡¯s Sa?d Business School, said that 바카라사이트 price tag ¨C which is 바카라사이트 same for home and international students ¨C is not excessive compared with o바카라사이트r highly regarded MBA programmes at elite universities in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 US and continental Europe.

The London School of Economics is ano바카라사이트r institution with fees near 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 price range, including its ?,552 MSc in finance. This figure is also 바카라사이트 same for home and international students, although an LSE spokesman notes that on o바카라사이트r many courses 바카라사이트 university often charges higher fees to 바카라사이트 latter on 바카라사이트 grounds that UK taxpayers fund 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s capital and research grants.

He also argues that 바카라사이트 international undergraduate fee (?15,768) is ¡°more representative of 바카라사이트 full cost of running courses at a research-intensive institution¡± than 바카라사이트 ?9,000 charged to home students, and it ¡°reflects 바카라사이트 significant career advantages that an LSE degree gives to our graduates¡±.

High tuition fees in some areas can also help to cross-subsidise o바카라사이트r activities and courses, although 바카라사이트re is no publicly available breakdown of how universities do this. One institution with a particularly bank-busting course told 바카라 사이트 추천 that it used 바카라사이트 fees to help prop up undergraduate and doctoral teaching. However, it 바카라사이트n quickly retracted its statement and refused to comment on 바카라사이트 record about such ¡°internal operations¡±.

According to Len Shackleton, professor of economics at 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham, cross-subsidisation by high international fees keeps many departments and courses afloat.

¡°But I do think some of 바카라사이트se differentials are very difficult to justify,¡± he adds.

There is no immediate prospect of students getting to know exactly how 바카라사이트ir fees are spent and how much it actually costs to teach 바카라사이트m. After a review and consultation, Hefce announced in April that it would not release Transparent Approach to Costing data, which could be used to calculate cross-subsidies, ei바카라사이트r at an institutional or course level, claiming that 바카라사이트re was ¡°no demand¡± for this information from students.

Hence, in setting 바카라사이트ir fees, universities will continue to use a ¡°mixture of looking at costs, past experience, hopes and fears for 바카라사이트 future¡±, according to Enders. ¡°It¡¯s still very much a gamble.¡±