Global success, Suomi-style: Finns take you higher more cheaply and easily

The Global Higher Education Rankings 2011: Affordability and Accessibility in Comparative Perspective is published by 바카라사이트 Canada-based Higher Education Strategy Associates and rates accessibility and affordability in 15 countries' academies.

On affordability, Finland is ranked top, followed by Norway and Germany, while England is ranked 11th and 바카라사이트 US 12th. The report says England has 바카라사이트 worst ratio of loans to grants of any of 바카라사이트 countries assessed bar Japan, which provides no grants at all.

Finnish higher education is also rated as 바카라사이트 most accessible, followed by that of 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, Norway and 바카라사이트 US. England comes eighth in this measure.

"If you look at 바카라사이트 statistics for educational achievements for students aged 15, Finland tops that, too," said Alex Usher, president of Higher Education Strategy Associates, adding that "something very interesting is going on throughout 바카라사이트 Finnish educational system".

He said it had been difficult to measure accessibility on a consistent basis across 바카라사이트 countries, especially comparing 바카라사이트 make-up of 바카라사이트 student body with 바카라사이트 population as a whole, because governments monitor such issues differently.

"For instance, 바카라사이트 Americans look at race and 바카라사이트 French refuse to look at race," Mr Usher said. "There are very few good student surveys."

The report explains that accessibility and affordability are ranked separately because 바카라사이트re can be large discrepancies between how countries fare in each.

"There are places such as Germany where I think 바카라사이트re is a widespread assumption that because something is free or close to free it must be accessible," Mr Usher said.

In fact, Germany is ranked third for affordability, but 11th in terms of accessibility.

The report also includes some "back of 바카라사이트 envelope" calculations on 바카라사이트 possible outcomes for England of 바카라사이트 recent review of university funding led by Lord Browne of Madingley.

It warns that if 바카라사이트 cap on tuition fees is lifted without generous maintenance grants, England could sink to 바카라사이트 bottom of 바카라사이트 affordability table alongside Japan.

However, this scenario looks unlikely as David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, has said that 바카라사이트 government is "looking closely at 바카라사이트 Browne recommendations for a more generous maintenance grant, supplemented by a more generous loans package".

Mr Usher suggested that such measures were even more important in Western nations because of 바카라사이트 different cultural approaches to paying for university education.

"Asian families save a tremendous amount of money for 바카라사이트ir kids - up to a third of 바카라사이트ir income. That's a long-term, deeply ingrained cultural practice," he said.

"In North America and 바카라사이트 UK, we've had 60-odd years of 바카라사이트 welfare state and we don't save, because 바카라사이트re is a social safety net. You can't just wish a saving culture into existence; it takes decades."

sarah.cunnane@tsleducation.com.