Students regard facilities as more important than reputation when choosing their university, research suggests.

A survey of 2,000 students, commissioned by the Association of 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ Directors of Estates, found that more than two-thirds (67 per cent) viewed facilities as a crucial part of their decision. Forty-seven per cent of students viewed reputation as important, while course and location - 79 per cent and 69 per cent, respectively - were the most significant factors.?

Sue Holmes, chair of AUDE and director of estates and facilities management at Oxford Brookes 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, commented that universities were ¡°acutely aware¡± that facilities play an important role. ¡°As the cap on student numbers is lifted and a free market emerges, having excellent, well-maintained facilities is going to be a key driver for all universities.¡±

But she warned that ¡°in a climate where [institutions¡¯] income is reducing in real terms, universities are having to become even more efficient to enable them to continue to invest¡±.

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Last week, Times Higher Education reported how new research for the Higher Education Funding Council for England showed that many universities were struggling to fund capital spending, with a third seeing it drop by more than 25 per cent since 2008.

Andrew May, director of estates, hospitality and contract services at the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Hertfordshire, said that government policy changes, including those mentioned by Ms Holmes, were making the ¡°importance of estates and facilities more and more relevant" and he was not surprised that students viewed it as more important than reputation.

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He said that Hertfordshire had invested heavily in response to these ¡°drivers for change¡±, to give students a better campus environment and facilities.

¡°Reputation is important, of course it is. But if they come on an open day and get a great feeling from the facilities, that is going to count for a lot towards whether they go to that university,¡± he said.

¡°[Students] look at facilities and ask: ¡®Am I really going to be able to learn and grow here? Is this going to be the catalyst to help me move away from mum¡¯s apron string and create a new life?¡¯¡±

john.elmes@tesglobal.com