THE IMPACT OF THE

CORONAVIRUS ON
PROSPECTIVE
INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS
The latest look at exclusive QS survey data, revealing how prospective
international students are responding to the coronavirus crisis

Published in May 2020

https://www.qs.com/contact/
Contents

Introduction 1

How prospective international students have shifted their study plans 2

How students are adapting to online learning 6

What communications are they seeking from universities? 10

What role do they think universities should play in addressing the coronavirus? 13

Conclusion 15

About QS 16

II The Impact of the Coronavirus on Prospective International Students

Introduction
The coronavirus crisis has reshaped the world as we know it, and the higher education sector is not immune.

As an insights-led partner to the higher education sector, QS established ongoing surveys to take the pulse of
prospective international students and higher education institutions throughout the coronavirus crisis.

Since it was established in mid-February, the QS prospective international student survey has attracted more than
30,000 respondents.

An accompanying survey that targeted higher education professionals in universities across the globe has attracted
more than 1,000 respondents.

QS has released a range of resources which examine and explore the results of these surveys, including our first
major report, The Impact of the Coronavirus on Global Higher Education, which covered the responses from both
surveys, collected between mid-February to the end of March.

This follow-up report focuses on the results of the ongoing prospective international student survey, representing an
overview of responses collected between mid-February and May.

We hope this updated asset will help higher education institutions to continuously inform and update their
international student recruitment strategies as the coronavirus crisis evolves.

Further survey analysis:

HOW COVID-19 IS IMPACTING

This white paper explores This white paper also
PROSPECTIVE INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS ACROSS THE GLOBE the coronavirus student explores the coronavirus
survey results, focusing student survey results,
HOW COVID-19 IS IMPACTING
PROSPECTIVE INTERNATIONAL
on responses from China, STUDENTS AT DIFFERENT
examining how responses
STUDY LEVELS
India, the European Union, A comparative overview of how undergraduate, postgraduate, and postgraduate
research students are responding to the coronavirus crisis
differ between prospective
and the US. undergraduate,
postgraduate by
coursework, and
Discover how prospective international students in China, India, the European Union,
and North America are responding to the coronavirus crisis
postgraduate by research
https://www.qs.com/contact/
https://www.qs.com/contact/
students.

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How prospective international students have
shifted their study plans

One of the key findings from the QS coronavirus student survey is how the global health emergency has shifted the
study plans of prospective international students.

As an update to our previous report, we examine how these responses have shifted over February, March, April, and May.

Firstly, we asked respondents whether the coronavirus had impacted their plans to study abroad. To date, here are the
total percentages across the life of the survey:

Has the coronavirus affected your plans to study abroad?

25%

57%

18%

Yes No Don't know

In our previous report, released at the beginning of April, 46% of respondents said their plans had been affected, 29%
said they hadn’t, and 25% didn’t know.

With 57% now stating that their plans have been affected, this clear shift demonstrates that more and more prospective
international students are changing their study plans because of the coronavirus.

Below, we detail the trend data month by month and highlight the significant changes to prospective international
student decision making.

2 The Impact of the Coronavirus on Prospective International Students

Has the coronavirus affected your plans to study abroad?

12%
24% 25%
29%

14% 12%
16%
61%

62% 64%
55%

27%

February March April May

Yes No Don't know

The significant increase in students whose study plans had been affected by the coronavirus between February (27%)
and March (55%) demonstrates the escalating spread of the virus and tightening restrictions that many countries saw
that month.

These results are now averaging around 62-65%, as can be seen in the monthly averages above for April and May.

QS also asked prospective international students how the coronavirus had changed their plans to study abroad,
whether they expected to delay or defer their studies, decided to study in a different country, no longer planned to
study overseas, or something else.

https://www.qs.com/contact/ 3
Which of these best describes how the coronavirus has changed your plans to study abroad?

17%

13%
53%

7%

9%

I now intend to delay or defer my entry until next year I now intend to study in a different country

I now no longer want to study overseas Other

None of these

In our previous reporting, 47% of respondents intended to delay or defer, 13% intended to study in a different country,
and 8% no longer wanted to study abroad.

Comparatively, we can see that 53% of respondents now intend to delay or defer, and only 9% intend to study in a
different country. Furthermore, the data shows that only a minority of 7% now no longer want to study overseas,
suggesting that the market for international students is as strong as ever.

This highlights the shifting attitudes of prospective international students as the coronavirus crisis continues.

Below, we have detailed the trend data over time, month by month.

Which of these best describes how the coronavirus has changed your plans to study abroad?

February 37% 32% 10% 9% 12%

March 51% 8% 8% 13% 21%

April 61% 7% 7% 14% 10%

May 60% 7% 6% 15% 12%

I now intend to delay or defer my entry to next year I now intend to study in a different country

I now no longer want to study overseas Other

None of these

4 The Impact of the Coronavirus on Prospective International Students

Prospective international students were also asked why the coronavirus had impacted their plans to study abroad, in
their own words. Many spoke about travel restrictions; university closures; flight cancellations; difficulties with obtaining
scholarship interviews, visa applications, or language tests; exam cancellations or postponements; and health concerns.

Below is a small selection of the responses from prospective international students:

“I am unwilling to pay deposits now for the study year of 2020/2021 because I am worried that
the coronavirus will not be over and that all classes will be online. I don't want to pay thousands to
only get online tuition. I am also unable to book flights in this uncertainty.”

“COVID-19 has spread across the globe and so the airlines have stopped the incoming and
outgoing of passengers of all countries. My family is now scared to send anyone anywhere, be it a
foreign nation or just a trip to the grocery store! I'm now sticking to online study platforms for my
studies.”

“I am afraid of going abroad nowadays. The world is going to face an economic collapse. So,
education could become costly. That would be unbearable for my middle-class family, as well as
for me. Almost every country has stopped taking foreign students. That will create a long line of
scholarship candidates. That scares me because I don't have extraordinary result or merit. All I
have is the mentality of hard work and a dream to do something.”
Addressing these concerns with consistent, clear communication needs to be a key priority for higher education
institutions throughout this crisis.

https://www.qs.com/contact/ 5
How students are adapting to online learning

Since our first report was published at the beginning of April, online learning has become the norm across the global
higher education sector.

As a result, the survey questions centered around online learning were expanded to take the pulse of prospective
international students when it comes to online learning and their perceived value.

Firstly, we asked respondents how interested they would be in studying their degree online due to the coronavirus crisis.

How interested would you be in studying your degree online because of the coronavirus?

10%

10%

40%

20%

20%

Extremely interested Very interested Somewhat interested

Slightly interested Not at all interested

In our April report, 58% of prospective international students expressed some interest in studying their degree online
due to coronavirus restrictions, while only 42% stated that they had no interest in studying online.

Comparatively, the results above indicate that 60% have some level of interest in studying online, and 40% have no
interest at all, representing a minimal shift in attitudes.

Following the previous report, we added a question that prompted prospective international students to reveal whether
they would be interested in starting their studies in the upcoming academic year, even if this was initially delivered online.

The results show that a promising 46% would be interested in starting their studies online as a temporary measure, if
that meant that they could begin their studies in the upcoming academic year.

6 The Impact of the Coronavirus on Prospective International Students

If starting your studies this academic year meant doing the beginning of your course online, would you be
interested in this?

27%

46%

26%

Yes No Unsure

However, while a significant proportion were interested or at least unsure about whether they would like to start their
degree online, many stated that they would expect a discount as a result.

If you were to start your studies online until you're able to travel for face-to-face teaching, do you think this
should affect tuition fees?

1%
14%

8%

77%

Yes, they should be discounted No, they should stay the same Unsure Other

This vast majority of respondents who believe that tuition fees should be discounted demonstrates the value that
prospective international students assign to on-campus education.

When breaking down the level of discount that these respondents expect, the results vary across the financial spectrum.

https://www.qs.com/contact/ 7
It is important to note that any questions that ask about cost will inevitably have a bias to over stipulate discount, so
the results below should be viewed through that lens.

How much do you think tuition fees should be discounted by during online studies until you're able to start
face-to-face classes?

21%
19%

16%

13%

10% 10%

7%

4%

Up to 10% 11% to 20% 21% to 30% 31%-40% 41%-50% 51%-70% More than Don't know
70%

Given the higher level of responses across the discount range of 21-50%, it is clear that prospective international
students expect a significant discount.

Conversely, the UK government announced that UK university students will pay the full tuition fees as usual, even if
campuses are still closed.

UK Universities Minister, Michelle Donelan, states that: “We don't believe students will be entitled to reimbursement if the
quality is there. We have already seen over the last few months courses being delivered online and virtually, and to an amazing
quality. To be clear, we only expect full tuition fees to be charged if online courses are of good quality, fit for purpose, and help
students progress towards their qualification.”

Many students argue that the value of the on-campus experience is a crucial component of the higher education offering
and should be considered when determining tuition fees.

In the 2020 International Student Survey (ISS) (available to download at http://www.qs.com/iss2020), which was undertaken
before the coronavirus outbreak, QS asked those prospective international students who weren’t interested in studying
online why that was the case.

The most prominent barrier was access to university facilities (79%), followed by meeting other students (72%), living
overseas while studying (63%), the structure of scheduled classes (60%), feelings of isolation while studying online (57%),
teaching quality of an online degree (55%), and value for money (27%).

8 The Impact of the Coronavirus on Prospective International Students

These responses shed light on why prospective international students may be hesitant to adopt online learning, even
amidst the restrictions of a global health emergency.

Conversely, the 2020 ISS also asked those prospective international students who were interested in online learning
what their top reasons were for this decision.

The most important benefit was flexibility (75%), followed by studying while working (74%), the convenience of studying
from any location (72%), cost (64%), access to study materials online (54%), and that they don’t need to relocate to gain
the benefits of an overseas degree (41%).

Given these results, higher education institutions may wish to focus on some of these key benefits of online learning
when communicating with prospective international students in their current recruitment efforts.

This will help assuage prospective students’ fears and concerns and ensure that starting their studies online will not be
a significant deterrent to enrolling.

It will be interesting to see how the coronavirus crisis and the subsequent rapid shift to online learning changes global
attitudes towards distance learning and digital learning platforms.

The 2020 ISS has already highlighted that openness towards these online learning options had already been increasing
significantly in recent years, prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus. The below graph details these shifts and suggests
that the online learning market has matured in recent years.

How interested are you in the following delivery options?

(% who are very or somewhat interested)

43%
Blended study 42%

31%

28%
Distance/online study 27%

21%

31%
MOOCs 30%

25%

2020 2019 2018

https://www.qs.com/contact/ 9
What communications are they seeking from
universities?

During these turbulent times, prospective international students have a range of pressing concerns and needs that
universities need to address.

If your institution can position itself as a helpful provider of up-to-date information and clear communication this will
be a clear differentiator.

To understand what these students need, respondents were asked what coronavirus-related information they would
like to receive from universities.

What information would you like to receive from universities about the coronavirus?

Changes to my application deadlines 48%

Changes to the application process 47%

Changes to my course structure (e.g. how much is

now online learning) 43%

Measures the university has implemented to slow the

spread of coronavirus on campus 40%

Changes to the dates of any entrance examinations 40%

Restrictions on the number of international students
the university can enroll 38%

Restrictions on the ability of universities to make

unconditional offers 30%

Changes to English language test requirements 27%

How to defer my application 12%

None of these 5%

Other - please specify 2%

Most notably, changes to my application deadlines and changes to the application process top the list, which demonstrates
that there is still a healthy appetite to apply for the upcoming academic year. This is further supported by the fact that
only 12% of respondents wanted information on how to defer their application.

In an additional question, respondents stated that they needed more information on funding and scholarships (62%),
choosing a study destination (35%), how to prepare for admissions exams (32%), and application and essay writing (28%).

10 The Impact of the Coronavirus on Prospective International Students

This is unsurprising given the uncertain economic climate with 41% of respondents stating that a scholarship (either
from a university, funding body, government, or organization) would be the main source of funding for their course fees.

On the other hand, 27% of respondents stated that their parents or family would be their main source of funding, while
13% said they would fund it themselves.

Clearly, institutions need to provide clear, up-to-date information to prospective students about how the coronavirus
is impacting application deadlines, admissions requirements, tuition fees, and scholarships.

When it comes to the frequency of this communication, respondents demonstrated a clear preference towards regular
contact.

How often would you like to hear from universities with news/updates relating to the coronavirus?

3% 5%
7%
28%

27%

31%

Daily or more A few times a week

Once per week Fortnightly or less

I wouldn’t want to hear any information from universities Don’t know

Given that 28% want daily or more communication and 31% want updates a few times a week, it is apparent that
prospective students are eager for news, and don’t mind a high frequency of contact from universities.

Unsurprisingly, their preferred mode of communication is email (81%), followed by WhatsApp (35%) and SMS/text
message (24%).

https://www.qs.com/contact/ 11
Which of the following would you like to use to get information from universities on the coronavirus?

Email 81%

WhatsApp 35%

SMS/Text message 24%

Facebook 21%

Real time chat/messaging on the university website 19%

Twitter 13%

Phone call 11%

Letter 7%

Skype 6%

None of these 4%

Finally, respondents were asked what their preferred format would be to receive coronavirus-related information, with
online newsletters and dedicated sections on university websites topping the list.

Which of the following formats would be useful for receiving information from universities on the
coronavirus?

Online newsletters 53%

Dedicated sections on university websites 46%

Online forums/discussion groups 34%

Videos 30%

Instant messaging/chatbots 24%

Blogs 22%

Pictures 20%

Phone calls 14%

Printed newsletters 12%

Podcasts 12%

None of these 3%

12 The Impact of the Coronavirus on Prospective International Students

What role do they think universities should play
in addressing the coronavirus?

Beyond the information and resources mentioned in the previous section, prospective international students would
like institutions to implement a range of measures during the coronavirus crisis.

When asked what they think universities should be doing to limit the impact of the coronavirus, moving more of their
lectures online was the top result (58%)

Which of the following do you think universities should be doing to limit the impact of the coronavirus?

Moving more of their lectures online 58%

Ensuring access to dedicated health professionals (e.g.

49%
nurses) for students

Establishing a 24-hour helpline for students 49%

Ensuring that hand gel is widely available on campus 47%

Holding lectures and seminars in larger rooms to

40%
minimize close contact in larger gatherings

Other - please specify 6%

None of the above 4%

While some of these measures may not be relevant currently, once campuses slowly reopen institutions should consider
introducing more of these measures.

Thankfully, most institutions have already shifted to a completely online offering, quickly adapting to digital learning
platforms and tools and ensuring staff and students are liaising effectively.

As part of an ongoing interview series with Italian higher education institutions, QS recently spoke to the University of
Padua’s Rector, Rosario Rizzuto, who stated that the institution was prepared to scale up its online learning efforts.

“Both students and staff have responded very positively to online teaching activities. Staff have
been required to make an extra effort to redesign teaching materials and record classes, with no
delay on the academic calendar nor any reduction in the course content. Students have shown very
high attendance rates and are performing very well during both the exams and graduation sessions.”

https://www.qs.com/contact/ 13
 “As COVID-19 might really shape a ‘new normal,’ the university will extend some of these
measures at least through the first semester of the next academic year, with blended teaching in all
courses. The current situation is unpredictable, and we don’t know when travel restrictions will be
suspended. Therefore, online learning will be an essential driver to make our services available to
our community.”
Beyond online learning, it is important to note that 49% of respondents think that universities should introduce a 24-
hour helpline for students.

Whether this is application assistance, a general query, or mental health support, supporting and guiding both current
and prospective students has never been more critical.

Gianmario Verona, Rector of Bocconi University, says that his institution is providing mental health and emotional
support to its students.

“Bocconi operates a counseling and self-empowerment service whose objective is to promote the
psychological well-being of students, help them to enhance self-awareness, and to value resources and
networks of relationships.”
“In this period, however, I believe that the real support, what the students ask for and appreciate,
is what professors and staff are giving them daily to solve any type of problem. These days, I keep
telling them to respond promptly to requests via email, to be available to call via Teams or on other
platforms, and to make students feel part of a community, as these are the things that are making
the difference.”
To aid students further, previous sections highlighted the importance they place on application deadlines and changes
to admissions requirements, demonstrating that institutions can be a clear source of support in this area.

One way that institutions are doing this is by relaxing language test requirements, with more than 1,000 US institutions
now accepting language test results from the Duolingo English Test (a language learning app), either as supporting
evidence in conjunction with other English proficiency measures or as stand-alone proof.

Flexibility and outside-the-box thinking will be essential in the coming months as universities and students adapt to
this new normal.

14 The Impact of the Coronavirus on Prospective International Students

Conclusion
The insights and analysis provided in this report are
presented to help higher education institutions inform
their decision making and strategy planning during this
unprecedented crisis.

By leveraging these insights, QS hopes that institutions

can strategically tailor their recruitment efforts, marketing
messages, and communication to better inform and
support prospective international students.

While the challenges the higher education sector is facing

are complex and daunting, up-to-date data and insights
can equip institutions with the tools they need to make
informed decisions.

Please reach out to the QS team at https://www.qs.com/

contact if you have any questions or concerns.

For any media queries, please contact

qspressoffice@qs.com.

https://www.qs.com/contact/ 15
About QS

QS Quacquarelli Symonds is the world’s leading provider of services, analytics, and insights to the global higher education
sector. Our mission is to enable motivated people anywhere in the world to fulfil their potential through educational
achievement, international mobility, and career development.

Our QS World University Rankings portfolio, inaugurated in 2004, has grown to become the world’s most popular source
of comparative data about university performance. Our flagship website, www.TopUniversities.com – the home of our
rankings – was viewed 149 million times in 2019, and over 94,000 media clippings pertaining to, or mentioning, QS were
published by media outlets across the world in 2019.

QS portfolio
Ÿ QS Digital and Events provides prospective undergraduate, graduate, and MBA applicants with independent
guidance throughout their search and decision making. Our world-class digital platforms include TopUniversities.
com, TopMBA.com, and QSLeap.com which support search and inform applications to programs matching their
profile and aspirations. In parallel, prospective students can meet, either virtually or face-to-face, with admissions
officers of international universities and business schools. For universities and business schools, it offers effective
and innovative digital and off-line student recruitment and branding solutions.

Ÿ QS Enrolment Solutions supports higher education institutions to maximize their student recruitment with a range
of specialist services, from data-driven insights and high-quality lead generation to optimized communications
and student conversion. With over 20 years of experience QSES has an unequalled understanding of international
student decision-making. Our international office locations (UK, Romania, India, Malaysia and Australia) enable us
to operate across time zones to deliver high value to our partners and exceptional services for applicants.

Ÿ The QS Intelligence Unit is a leading originator of institutional performance insight drawing on unique proprietary
datasets gathered in pursuit of its published research. Best known for the widely referenced QS World University
Rankings, today comprising variants by discipline and geography, the unit also operates a sophisticated, multi-
dimensional quality standard; a comprehensive analytics platform facilitating advanced benchmarking; and an in-
demand consulting team. Our insights both inform and are informed by frequent presence and digital conferences
for educators, university leaders, and policy makers.

Ÿ QS Unisolution is dedicated to developing SaaS technology solutions to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of
international mobility, relations, and recruitment functions within education, positively impacting the educational
experience for the students, staff, and partners we serve.

16 The Impact of the Coronavirus on Prospective International Students

For more information about the QS services, please contact b2bmarketing@qs.com

To continue empowering motivated individuals and institutions across the world alike during the coronavirus outbreak,
QS’s response has included:

Ÿ Moving its student recruitment events online, ensuring that universities and talented potential applicants across the
world are still able to achieve high-quality personalized engagement.

Ÿ Expanding its range of digital marketing offerings, empowering student recruitment teams as they seek to maintain
outreach and enrolment efforts.

Ÿ Launching a webinar series designed to enable university faculty and administrators alike to share best practices as
they transition their educational offerings into the virtual classroom.

Ÿ Ongoing surveys of prospective students and institutions globally to analyze how the COVID-19 crisis is impacting them.

In 2019, as part of our commitment to sustainability, QS became a certified CarbonNeutral® Company, reflecting our
efforts to reduce our impact on the environment through a range of efficiency initiatives and offsetting unavoidable
emissions through a verified carbon offset forestry project in Brazil.

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