The Global Student Survey undertaken by Chegg.org – the nonprofit sector of education technology company Chegg –  has revealed that only 36% of UK undergraduates believe their education to be ‘good value for money.’ The survey encompasses 21 countries, and the UK is the second-lowest after South Korea (27%), and equivalent to Japan (36%).

Furthermore, the survey found that UK undergraduates are the most likely to be in debt out of all countries polled. Over 80% have a debt or loan, and over half of these students think they will ‘never pay their debt off,’ with 14% losing sleep over this debt. A particularly unsettling find by the survey is that 16% of the UK students sought medical help due to anxieties caused by this debt.

Moreover, 70% of UK undergraduates surveyed said that their mental health has ‘suffered’ during the pandemic, the fourth-highest percentage of any country surveyed. It comes as no surprise, then, that these UK students are ‘among the least optimistic of any country surveyed’ – only 44% felt optimistic. Of those 70%, 15% have contemplated suicide, 9% have self-harmed, and 1% have made an attempt to end their own life.

Only 20% of UK undergraduates felt that ‘the country is a better place to live than it was five years ago,’ the second-lowest percentage after Argentina’s 8%. Over half of UK students think the country is a ‘worse’ place to live.

In comparison, 56% of students in the USA and 70% of students in Germany said that their education is ‘good value’. The highest of all surveyed came from China, where 89% of undergraduates polled felt that their education was worth the money.

The ‘in-depth opinion polling’ published recently by Chegg.org encompassed nearly 17,000 undergraduates aged between 18 and 21, across 21 countries around the world – including 1,002 students in the UK. The survey is described by Chegg as ‘the most comprehensive up-to-date survey of the lives, hopes, and fears of undergraduate students throughout the world in the age of COVID and beyond.’

Overall, UK students tend to agree with their international peers regarding tuition fees; around two-thirds (65%) of all students surveyed say they ‘would rather their university offered the choice of more online learning if it meant paying lower tuition fees.’

Responding to the survey, the President and CEO of Chegg, Dan Rosensweig, stated that ‘one thing that unites students around the globe is that they have experienced first-hand the greatest disruption to education the world has ever known,’ observing that the survey has displayed how the pandemic has ‘laid bare for students that the higher education model needs to be reimagined, shorter, on-demand, personalised, and [needs to] provide scalable support.’ Rosenweig concluded that ‘technology and online learning are a permanent part of modern education,’ noting that the use of technology ‘should dramatically reduce the cost of learning.’

Furthermore, Lila Thomas, Chegg’s Director of Social Impact and Head of Chegg.org, observed that ‘across the world, students have told us loud and clear that the biggest issues facing their generation are access to good quality jobs, and growing inequality.’ Thomas noted that these challenges are ‘more important than ever’ as the impact of the ‘economic devastation wrought by COVID’ is felt ever more keenly – in her words, ‘education is the key.’ 

In an informal survey conducted by Redbrick via ‘Fab ‘N’ Fresh’, the University of Birmingham’s unofficial student community page, 346 students responded to a poll asking if they, too, felt their education was ‘good quality for money.’ Of these, 337 said that it was not, with only 9 students agreeing with the statement – a somewhat damning result that only confirms Chegg.org’s original findings.

Liked this article? Here are some more from Redbrick News:

UK Universities are using Private Arrangements to Secure Places for Students

Cadbury Classic Coming Home to Bournville

The Percentage of State-Educated Students Drops at Top Universities