Why Hongkongers need to be careful when choosing an overseas university

Broadening young minds through overseas exposure lies behind most decisions to study abroad. And it's a trend that contributes much to the economy of the two top destinations, the US and Britain.

International students in London alone contribute net gains of £2.3 billion (HK$27.3 billion) a year to the British economy, a recent consultancy report revealed. In 2013-2014 almost 67,500 international students were attending London universities, comprising 18 per cent of the total student population in the capital and 22 per cent of the 310,000 international students across the UK. In comparison, the cost of providing them with public services was just £540 million, according to .

The chief executive of business lobby London First, which did the study with PricewaterhouseCoopers, called foreign students' expenditure a "modern-day export".

Britain is the second most popular host country after the US, which, in 2013-14, saw a record high number of 886,052 international students, an annual increase of 8 per cent.

It appears the age of Hong Kong students going abroad is falling, judging from the growing interest among parents in boarding education. Marketing efforts have paid off, but families should also be careful not to succumb to a herd mentality.

The sheer size of the two markets means standards could potentially vary considerably. Careful research and a cautious approach will better ensure value for money.