Universities near Premier League clubs attract more undergraduates, study finds | Universities

There are lots of issues to think about when selecting a college: the place is one of the best course, what’s the campus like, who’re the lecturers? And likewise, maybe, how did the native soccer group get on final season?

In line with analysis, college students will be influenced of their alternative of college in England by the efficiency of Premier League soccer golf equipment linked to the college’s city or metropolis.

A research led by the College of Stirling suggests universities with profitable native soccer groups could also be extra engaging for potential college students – however universities whose native groups wrestle can see their utility numbers drop.

Amid the deepening monetary disaster going through universities – with warnings that tuition charges in England must rise to £12,500 a yr for them to interrupt even – vice-chancellors ought to possibly think about donning their native group’s scarf and hoping they keep away from the drop.

The research discovered that over the previous 20 years, universities linked to soccer golf equipment relegated from the Premier League recorded a 4% to eight% drop in undergraduate admissions in contrast with these whose golf equipment survived.

In circumstances the place the group bounced again to the Premier League after one season, the drop in admissions was about 4%, however that stretched to eight% if they didn’t instantly regain their place within the high tier.

“We discovered that having a soccer group that’s doing effectively is usually a profit to your admissions when you’re a college chancellor,” stated Dr Carl Singleton, a senior lecturer in economics on the College of Stirling.

Researchers consider the elevated model consciousness that comes from being in English soccer’s high flight helps lure college students to related universities. “Sport is a global language and soccer’s attain is unbelievable,” stated Singleton. “The identify recognition associated to a spot actually issues.”

Whereas understood to be the primary research in England of its variety, the outcomes didn’t come as a shock to folks working in college admissions, stated Singleton, who added he had been contacted by admissions employees telling him they already knew the research’s findings. “The schools most likely ought to know this already, however our paper is the primary form of one with the scientific proof to again up the idea,” he stated.

Universities already make efforts to capitalise on an affiliation with a widely known native soccer membership. For instance, Bournemouth College – whose native group completed final season in twelfth place within the Premier League – has referenced the membership in its advertising supplies, whereas employees from the College of Manchester have accompanied Manchester United on their pre-season excursions in south-east Asia. “With the present setting in UK greater schooling, it wouldn’t be stunning to see extra golf equipment trying to kind advertising hyperlinks with their native soccer groups,” stated Singleton.

The analysis, carried out with Birmingham Enterprise College and the College of Studying, excludes small universities with fewer than 7,000 admissions a yr and universities that might be related to a number of groups, corresponding to Manchester, Sheffield and London. It used information on annual admissions for UK universities from the Increased Schooling Statistics Authority and EPL season information from worldfootball.web.