How is COVID-19 Shaping the Higher Education Sector?

COVID-19 shaping the higher education sector

The global higher education sector has been dramatically transformed as a result of the coronavirus. Learn more about the impact of this crisis and our exclusive survey findings below.  

COVID-19 has created a new normal for the higher education sector, revolutionizing the online learning landscape, reshaping application processes, and refreshing crisis management strategies.  

QS has undertaken a range of research projects to support institutions and students during these challenging times.  

To present this research, QS has published a comprehensive report of the findings: The Impact of the Coronavirus on Global Higher Education. 

This includes findings on how prospective international students are responding to the coronavirus.  

According to our analysts, 46% of respondents stated that the coronavirus had impacted their plans to study abroad.  

Of these respondents, 47% had decided to defer their entry until next year, 13% now intend to study in a different country, and 8% no longer want to study abroad.  

In an accompanying survey of higher education institutions, respondents stated that the coronavirus had caused their institution to implement several measures, including:  

  • Switching some of their scheduled courses online (50%) 
  • Delaying the start dates for some of their courses until the following semester (19%) 
  • Changing application deadlines for their next intake (17%) 
  • Changing offer acceptance deadlines for their next intake (16%) 
  • Deferring some of their 2020 offers to 2021 (13%) 
  • Starting to conduct their own English language tests (8%) 

Additionally, the QS survey found that 50% of respondents believed that the coronavirus would have a detrimental impact on the number of student applications they received at their institution, while 26% thought they would stay the same.  

To discover more insights from exclusive QS research, please download a free copy of our report: The Impact of the Coronavirus on Global Higher Education.

 

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