Factors that influence students' choices of schools The chart shows different situations in terms of 6 kinds of motivations for British students to choose a college or university respectively in 1982 and 2002. Students in 2002 thought most highly of suitable courses and degrees, the percentage of which was more than a third, while it decreased by 6 percent from 1982 to 2002. Right behind it was the students who consider the reputation of the institution as an important factor, which soared from 5% to 25% over 20 years. Meanwhile, the percentage of students who valued amenities, social activities, and sports facilities more than tripled from 5% to 18% in 2002, which is the third common reason for choosing a university. Next was the students who were concerned with location. The percentage of those was 16% in 2002 and 19% in 1982 with no remarkable change. In contrast, there was a steep fall in the percentage of students who considered the cost of education from 28% to 5%. At last, admission criteria was the least important factor for choosing a university, the percentage of which was only 2% in 1982 and 3% in 2002. Overall, reputation and amenities became increasingly more important factors for students when deciding on schools in the UK, while costs were given much fewer considerations.