Social and Economic Conditions of Student Life in Europe: Synopsis of indicators - Final report - Eurostudent IV 2008-2011

This publication is a compendium of key indicators on the social dimension of higher education. It presents the findings of the 4th round of the EUROSTUDENT project, to which 25 countries forming part of the European Higher Education Area have contributed. With a view to obtaining internationally comparable data on the social and economic conditions of student life in Europe, more than 200,000 students were surveyed by the 25 national partners between 2008 and 2011. The thematic design of this report reflects a lifelong learning student's course of study, from transition into higher education to a forecast on future studies. It concentrates on 3 main topic areas: access to higher education and the organisation of studies, students' resources and expenses as well as international student mobility. The Synopsis of Indicators intends to contribute to the ongoing process of establishing a European-wide monitoring infrastructure on the social dimension of higher education, thereby inspiring policy debates and further research in the field. "This Synopsis of Indicators, together with the associated national reports and the online data base, provide an important resource for higher education policy makers and researchers." (Extract from Foreword by Prof. Patrick Clancy