Chinese students are less inclined to study in the US while countries like the UK, Germany and Japan have become increasingly popular destinations for them, according to a report released by New Oriental Education & Technology Group on Tuesday. 

Booth of a US art school in March in Beijing (Photo: IC)

So far this year, the proportion of Chinese students who are willing to study in the US has dipped to 43 percent. In 2018, the figure was 44 percent while in 2017 it was 49 percent, said the report from the US-listed company.

By comparison, countries including the UK, Germany and Japan have been steadily gaining popularity with Chinese students. This year,  Chinese students who want to study in the UK account for 41 percent, up from 35 percent in 2018 and 34 percent in 2017, second on the list and drastically narrowing the gap with the US.

The statistics were in line with the 2018 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange released by the Institute of International Education and the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in November. That report showed that the growth rate of Chinese students studying in universities in the US had declined. The figure was 3.6 percent in 2018, compared with 6.8 percent in 2017 and 8.1 percent in 2016.

Li Yi, a Chinese student who has just graduated from a UK university, told the Global Times on Wednesday that his decision to study in the UK instead of the US largely reflected a consideration of costs, the style of teaching and the application process. 

"Doing a master's degree in the US is more time-consuming and more expensive," Li said.

"A master's degree in the UK takes a year and costs about 400,000 yuan ($59,000) in total. That's already a lot, and if I went to the US, the cost would have been more than double."

The New Oriental report also showed that based on the data from the past five years, an increasing number of Chinese students studying overseas returned home immediately after graduation, accounting for 28 percent of the group, since more opportunities awaited them in China. 

"I was not planning to stay in the UK or the US in the first place," Li said. "I was more preparing myself to come back and was looking for opportunities in China even when I was still in the UK. 

"After graduation, I immediately came back in China and started my internship with a public relations company based in Beijing."

Cover image: booth of a German university on March 23, 2019 in Beijing (Photo: VCG)