Well this is just pure speculation but London has some very well-known universities with naturally competitive courses so as the number of people who apply to university increases year on year so too will the competition at these universities.

Some people also have a certain idea or image of London and want to explore it.

Whilst the cost of living may well put some students off applying to London universities, the number will be smaller than those who do apply.

Reply 5

Blue_Cow

Original post by Anonymous

So you know how the living cost has risen significantly, do you think people will be less likely to apply to london unis?

London has always been expensive - doesn't stop people applying there.

Reply 6

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

As above, unlikely to change, or certainly not to become less competitive. UCL, LSE and Imperial alone will still likely command a large share of applicants simply because they are regarded as strong academically. Likewise London tends to exist as a sort of fantasy in a lot of applicants' minds, and attracts a large number of applicants simply because "it's London" (and some otherwise more average courses get floated as being much better than they are as a result of the "London" angle).

These points go double for international students - for many of whom London is the only city they really know (of) in the UK, and London unis some of the only ones along with Oxbridge that maintain a level of perception/prestige in their home countries. This is why London unis have quite high numbers of international students especially...

Also a lot of people already living in London (which is a lot! It's a big city with a huge population) try and stay there - you wouldn't believe how many times people make posts asking for advice on which unis to apply for but won't choose any outside of London because they want to stay living at home during uni and they live in London.

Reply 7

Anonymous #1

Yeah I guess you are right- just hoped that I would have a greater chance of being accepted cos I live in London :frown:

Reply 8

domesticengineer

I'm a parent here and we've been visiting quite a few universities this month for the open days. We went to Imperial this week and the accommodation was about £330 a week. That's more than our mortgage! It really put us off. There was cheaper accommodation but it was about an hour away by bus. So you'd also have to factor in transport fees. I got the impression ( just my humble opinion) they were trying to attract rich international students more than home students. It's been in the news this week that due to inflation the home student fees are now not enough at £9250 and more and more universities are trying to attract international students who pay over £20k plus a year. I think at Imperial about half of the students are international. Personally I think a uni with students from all over the world is great but it might mean places are more competitive for home students as they don't bring in enough money for the unis with inflation costs. Personally I wouldn't want my daughter to get in massive debt for those accommodation costs - and we can't afford to pay that for her. I think if you already live in London, and can live at home then it would be ok - but moving into halls there is expensive

Reply 9

ageshallnot

Original post by domesticengineer

Yes, imperial's premium accommodation (en-suite single) is £331 per week. However, this is only a small proportion of what they offer and in every location that this type of accommodation is offered there are far cheaper alternatives, eg £186pw. Therefore a lot of the cost comes down to what type of accommodation the student wants.