Turks prioritize economy in studying abroad: Survey

ISTANBUL

Turkish students who prioritized quality education when choosing a university abroad are now keener on enrolling in institutions that offer scholarships or are in a place where they can work side by side, a survey prepared by a foreign education consultancy company has revealed.

Every year thousands of young people explore foreign education alternatives in order to get a quality education in the field they are interested in, learn foreign languages and get to know different cultures.

However, the financial problems experienced after the pandemic and the increasing future anxiety have changed the priorities of Turkish students for studying abroad.

The priority of 95 percent of students when choosing a university is to be able to work while studying and the variety of scholarship opportunities.

According to the survey conducted in previous years, the most important criterion for students wishing to continue their education abroad was the quality of education.

Answering the question regarding the main reasons that push them to study abroad, 30 percent of the participants responded as a “new life” and “new career.”

Career and future anxiety and financial problems are the other factors that prompt students to research different education opportunities.

The U.S. and the U.K. are on the top of the list of countries which Turkish students prefer the most to pursue education in universities.

Canada followed them with 13 percent, while Germany ranked fourth with 12 percent.

The students that preferred universities in Canada stated that their motivation behind this decision is the working opportunity the universities in the country offer in their education programs.

Even though business administration and economics came first for Turkish youth in their department choice, today engineering and departments related to the technology are on the top of the list.

The Psychology Department is in the third place for department choice, as the survey revealed an increasing demand for career options in the psychology field after the pandemic.