Over the last decade, undergraduate education enrolment across the Asia Pacific region has been growing rapidly. Alongside this, more universities in the region have been noted on global rankings, making the education sector very competitive.

According to the MasterCard survey on Consumer Purchasing Priorities – Education (H2 2014) released today, close to two-thirds of parents in Asia Pacific plan to send their children to local universities, with the majority of those in Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, India and Taiwan intending to do so. Read the full press release here.

“Asia Pacific universities are moving up in global university rankings, and today, one-eighth of the world’s top 200 universities are from the region^[2]. The increased investments in education as well as tie-ups with universities abroad have enhanced the education offerings available in the region, encouraging more parents to consider sending their children to attend local universities,” said Georgette Tan, group head, Communications, Asia Pacific, MasterCard.

“In addition, today’s parents are making education decisions long before children reach university level. Recognizing the importance of giving their children a head start in life, parents are taking an early, more holistic approach to education by investing in enrichment classes and activities – aiming to give children a more well-rounded upbringing,” she added.

[2] Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2014-2015