London-based courses top the list as 'best value for money in England

Despite paying greater fees, international students are more likely to be satisfied with the value of their London-based studies. London-based courses are the 'best value for money' in England, providing top-tier education in the heart of the bustling city.

According to a recent THE survey, students participating in London-based programmes are more likely to view their programme as a good investment and have higher levels of contentment than their counterparts studying elsewhere in England.

According to a new report from London Higher based on the 2022 Student Academic Experience Survey, international students in the capital are more likely than domestic students to regard their educational experience as good or very good value, with 41% versus 35%, respectively.

According to the group, students enrolling at smaller, more specialised institutions are more satisfied and see their London-based courses as advantageous, which is most likely due to lower staff-to-student ratios and the intensive, specialised instruction delivered.

According to the report "Living and Learning in London," which was created in collaboration with the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), the high scores for international students studying in London can be attributed in part to a significant number of domestic students who commute from their family homes in or near the city, avoiding the high costs of accommodation. 

Furthermore, London's higher proportion of senior students may have contributed to the city's good scores, since individuals aged 25 and up tend to have a better-than-expected experience.

International students in London who claimed their education was poorer than expected cited inadequate teaching and a lack of face-to-face peer interaction as the main factors, as well as ongoing industrial action that has resulted in class cancellations. 

Diana Beech, CEO of London Higher Education, commended the report's good findings about students' perceptions of their studies in London with London Based courses. 

However, she stressed the importance of remembering that some students' experiences were still worse than imagined. Because the number of student placements in the region is predicted to increase the greatest in the next 10 years, Beech emphasised the importance of addressing the underlying issues that contribute to negative experiences.

Despite London's reputation as an isolating and unwelcoming city, the study found that its student population was significantly more likely than that of any other region of the UK to rate their level of happiness as nine or 10 on a scale of one to ten.

Furthermore, when compared to students from other UK locations, students in London are the least likely to report feeling lonely, with the largest percentage reporting that they never or nearly never feel lonely.

While there are concerns about the high expense of living in London, which may prevent some students from studying there, evidence clearly shows that most students who choose to study in London benefit from their decision.

Sir Anthony Finkelstein, president of City University London, complimented the report for dispelling certain myths about what it's like to be a student in London. 

He stressed the high quality and diversity of London's educational institutions, as well as the benefits of studying in a global metropolis.

Sir Anthony was especially intrigued by the report's focus on the unique ways in which London institutions collaborate with the city's career opportunities.