The new QS World University Rankings have placed four UK universities in the top ten.
Cambridge, Oxford, UCL and Imperial College London have all been included in the list amongst the other six leading universities, which are all based in America. Massachusetts Institute of Technology top the number one spot while Cambridge came second.
I think it’s fantastic that British universities offer such exceptional higher education standards, but I am slightly worried about how future issues will affect our rankings. Ben Sowter, from QS Research, has predicted that there could be a drop in our rankings in 2012 because of the increase in tuition fees and new visa rules which might deter international students from attending British universities.
I think it is such a shame that university fees have been increased so dramatically and it is devastating to think that many people who richly deserve to go to university and further their education are being denied their chance. I was lucky that when I finished university a few years ago the fees were nowhere near the level that they are now.
I hope that the increased tuition fees will not lead to a time when only the rich can afford to be educated at universities. How are we ever going to see changes in the way this country is run if people from different social groups are being denied the opportunity to learn more and share their ideas?
I also think that it’s detrimental to our education system if international students do not come and study here. I studied with many people from different parts of the world and working with them offered new perspectives and insights that I would not have experienced studying solely with British students.
We do have a great reputation around the world for our education and it is worrying to think that we have now been overtaken by Mexico and Russia (according to QS research) in the amount that we invest in higher education. I hope that our reputation isn’t tarnished by overzealous government cuts; everyone deserves the opportunity to better themselves through education.