Broadening Horizons 2014 UK students abroad; photo: Shuji Moriwaki under Creative Commons licence
Broadening Horizons 2014 UK students abroad; photo: Shuji Moriwaki under Creative Commons licence ©

Photo: Shuji Moriwaki under Creative Commons licence: https://www.flickr.com/photos/shujimoriwaki/13510752444

Title

Broadening Horizons 2014: Embedding a culture of overseas study

Date

April 2014

Authors

Elizabeth Shepherd

About 

This report captures the views of over 7,300 UK and US students on studying overseas, with the aim of understanding the barriers, perceived and real, that students face when pursuing an international experience, and what factors may drive them to undertake an overseas experience in the future. 

Overall, the 2014 data show that 37 per cent of UK respondents were considering studying overseas, an increase of 17 per cent on the previous year. The biggest perceived barriers to studying overseas among UK students are worries about fitting in with another culture, lack of confidence in foreign language skills, and concerns about cost and foreign travel.

Through the Broadening Horizons research we hope to capture and track over time the views of students on international study opportunities, access to information, scholarships and the perceived barriers that prevent them from taking up the growing number of programmes on offer.