Only around a third (36%) of UK undergraduate students say their education is good value for money, the second lowest of any country surveyed after South Korea (27%) and equal to Japan (36%). This is lower than the US, where 56% of students say their education is good value for money, and lower than other major European economies like France (66%) and Germany (70%). By contrast, 89% of Chinese students say their education is good value for money, the highest of all the surveyed countries followed by Mexico (79%), Indonesia (78%), and Argentina and Saudi Arabia (both 77%).

These findings are among those published by Chegg.org, the nonprofit arm of education technology company Chegg. They are based on in-depth opinion polling by Yonder (formerly known as Populus) of nearly 17,000 undergraduate students aged 18-21 years across 21 countries around the world, including 1,002 students in the UK. The Chegg.org Global Student Survey is 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.

UK undergraduates are also the most likely to be in debt of any country polled.  Over eight in 10 (84%) UK undergraduate students have a debt or loan related to their university studies, more than any other country surveyed. 14% of UK students with debt have lost sleep over their debt, while 5% have been made so anxious by it they have sought medical help, and 16% say it makes them wish they’d made a different choice. Australia follows the UK as the country with the second highest proportion of students in debt, with around two-thirds (67%) saying they have a debt or loan related to their university studies. By contrast, only 6% of Russian and Italian students, 7% of Argentinian students, and 8% of Spanish students say they have a debt or loan related to their studies, the lowest of the surveyed countries.

Over half (52%) of UK students with debt think they will never pay it off, the second highest of all the countries surveyed behind Saudi Arabia (65%).

Seven in 10 (70%) British students say their mental health has suffered during the period of COVID-19, the fourth highest of any country surveyed after Brazil (76%), the US (75%) and Canada (73%). Of those, 1% have attempted to end their life, 15% have contemplated ending their life, 9% have self-harmed, 17% have sought help for their mental health and 84% say their stress and anxiety have increased. The survey also shows UK students are among the least optimistic of any country surveyed. Only 44% of UK students feel optimistic, compared with 82% in China, the highest of the surveyed countries followed by Saudi Arabia (76%), Kenya (75%) and India (71%).

UK students are also among the least happy of all the countries surveyed. 18% disagree with the statement ‘In general, all things considered, I feel happy’, the third lowest after Turkey (29%) and the US (23%). By comparison only 2% of Chinese students disagree with the statement ‘In general, all things considered, I feel happy’, the lowest unhappiness recorded across all the countries surveyed, followed by Saudi Arabia (4%) and Indonesia and Malaysia (both 6%).

Only 20% of UK students think the country is a better place to live than it was five years ago, the second lowest of any country polled after Argentina (8%). Over half (55%) of UK students think the country is a worse place to live.

Nearly four in 10 (38%) UK students say they devoted fewer hours to their studies during the COVID-19 lockdown than they did before, while only 20% said they devoted more hours - the second lowest of any country surveyed after Kenya, where 14% said they devoted more hours.  On average, UK students say they devoted 18 hours per week to their studies during lockdown. In Indonesia, by contrast, 53% said they devoted more hours, amongst the highest of all the countries polled alongside Spain (52%) and Mexico (50%). Over half (55%) of UK students think ethnic minorities are well represented at their university – the highest of all the European countries surveyed.

The survey’s global findings show UK students agree with their peers across all 21 countries when it comes to how higher education should embrace online learning. Around two-thirds (65%) of students across all the surveyed countries say they would rather their university offered the choice of more online learning if it meant paying lower tuition fees. In all of the 21 countries surveyed, significantly more students would rather their university offered the choice of more online learning if it meant lower fees than students who do not want the choice. 

Dan Rosensweig, President and CEO of Chegg, said: “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. This survey shows the COVID pandemic has laid bare for students that the higher education model needs to be reimagined, shorter, on-demand, personalized and provide scalable support. Technology and online learning are a permanent part of modern education and should dramatically reduce the cost of learning and make it more skills based.

“When approximately two-thirds of students across the countries surveyed say they would like their university to offer the choice of more online learning if it means paying lower tuition fees, and when over half of students say they would prefer their university course to be shorter, if it was more affordable, we know something has to change.”

Chegg’s Director of Social Impact and Head of Chegg.org, Lila Thomas, said: “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. Addressing these challenges is more important than ever in the wake of the economic devastation wrought by COVID, and education is the key.”

Other key findings – UK:

1.     Over two-thirds (68%) of UK students think their education is preparing them well for the job market. By comparison, under half (46%) of South Korean students think their education is preparing them well for the job market, the lowest of any country polled, while 87% of Indonesian students think their education is preparing them well, the highest of any country polled.

2.     Climate change is the biggest issue UK students feel is facing their generation, chosen by 35% of respondents. The next two biggest issues are the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer (27%) followed by access to quality jobs (19%).

3.     Students are optimistic about their prospects of home ownership with nearly six in 10 (58%) believing they will own their own home before they are 35.

4.     Jobs are the main motivation for UK students going to university with 26% saying the specific career they want requires a degree, while 15% say to broaden their job prospects. Meanwhile, 24% say the main motivation for them going to university was passion for their subject.

5.     Nearly half (47%) of UK students say if it was cheaper, they would prefer their university degree take a shorter amount of time to complete, while 37% said they would not.

6.     Nearly two-thirds (65%) of UK students say they would rather their university offered the choice of more online learning if it meant paying lower tuition fees.

7.     Almost one-third (30%) of UK students have struggled with their living costs in the last year. 14% have struggled with food, 18% with rent / mortgage, 7% with utilities and 5% with medical bills.

8.     79% of British students say their university stopped in-person teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key Findings – International:

1.     Around two-thirds (65%) of students across all the surveyed countries say they would rather their university offered the choice of more online learning if it meant paying lower tuition fees. In all of the 21 countries surveyed, more students would rather their university offered the choice of more online learning if it meant lower fees than students who do not want the choice. 

2.     Over half (54%) of students across all the surveyed countries say if it was cheaper, they would prefer their university degree take a shorter amount of time to complete.

3.     After the COVID-19 pandemic, 48% of students across all 21 countries surveyed would like their university course to incorporate more online learning, versus only 34% who would not. In 14 out of the 21 countries surveyed, there are more students who want their university course to incorporate more online learning post-pandemic than those who do not.

4.     Over half (56%) of students across all 21 surveyed countries say their mental health has suffered during the period of COVID-19. Of these, 3% have attempted to end their own life, 15% have contemplated ending their life, 8% have self-harmed, 17% have sought help for their mental health and 81% say their stress and anxiety have increased.

5.     A third (33%) of all students surveyed do not believe they live in an open and free society that supports diversity, the less fortunate, and gives everyone equal opportunities.

6.     The rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, and access to good quality jobs, are the two biggest issues students feel are facing their generation, chosen by 27% and 25% of respondents respectively across the 21 countries surveyed. This is followed by climate change (20%), ensuring every child gets an education (8%), war and conflict (7%), healthcare provision (7%), and access to good quality housing (6%). ​

7.     In all the Latin American countries polled – Brazil, Argentina and Mexico – more students thought their country was a worse place to live compared with five years ago than students who thought it was a better place to live. In most Asian countries, with the exception of South Korea, more students thought their country was a better place to live compared with five years ago than students who thought it was a worse place to live.

8.     57% of students in Asian countries surveyed thought their country was a better place to live than five years ago compared with 26% in Latin American countries, 29% in European countries and 39% in North American countries surveyed. The three Latin American countries surveyed, alongside Russia, saw the lowest proportion of students saying their country was a good place to live.

9.     Students in emerging economies were more likely to feel hopeful about their finances in the future than students in developed economies, with China (84%), Kenya (84%) and India (80%) polling highest and Japan (31%), Italy (45%), South Korea (46%) and Spain (50%) polling lowest.

10.  Students in emerging economies are more confident they will own their own home before the age of 35 than students in developed economies, with Kenya (92%), Indonesia (86%), India (84%) and Brazil (78%) polling highest and Japan (31%) and South Korea (39%) polling lowest.

11.  Jobs are the main motivation for students going to university. Across all 21 countries polled, 21% of students say their main motivation was that the specific career they want requires a degree, while 19% say it was to broaden their job prospects. Another 19% say it was because they are passionate about their subject. Meanwhile, 14% say to increase their earning potential, 7% say they felt they were expected to go, 5% say to experience the social life of a student, 5% to network or meet contacts that might help them in the future, and 4% say there were few job opportunities available, so they chose to continue their studies.

12.  Over half (53%) of students across all countries surveyed have struggled with their living costs in the last year. 23% have struggled with their rent / mortgage, 23% with utility bills, 22% with food, and 16% with medical treatment / services.

13.  Over three in 10 (31%) students across the surveyed countries have a debt or loan related to their university studies. The proportion of students with debt tended to be considerably lower in continental European (11%) and Latin American countries (12%) surveyed compared with the Anglo-Saxon countries (61%).

14.  35% of students who have a debt or loan related to their studies lose sleep over it while 21% say it makes them so anxious they have sought medical help and 38% say it makes them wish they’d made a different choice. Three in 10 (31%) think they will never pay their debt off.