Dr. Merike Darmody:

Other factors mentioned include it being a different experience. In some cases, students are seeking to experience the non-academic side of student life as well.

They may want to experience another culture or other ways of learning and studying. That cultural enrichment aspect is important as well. Identifying the push and pull factors is very complicated because they tend to vary from one individual to another. For some, access to Oxbridge is really important. It may be expected that they will follow a certain route because of their family background. For some other students, the situation can be quite different. In her research, Professor Diane Reay has looked at who chooses what kinds of universities and the idea that some institutions are not for people like me. Many different factors are at play here.