New York, London remain top destinations for Chinese art students

New York and London, two cities renowned for their design, art and innovation industries, remain a top choice for this year's Chinese students looking to study an art major, according to a white paper on overseas study among students in China.

International students attend class. [Photo: VCG]

The University of the Arts London, Europe's largest specialist university for art and design, has become increasingly popular among Chinese applicants this year, said Hao Bin, president of SFK International Art Education.

He added that their statistics show that 42 percent of students expected to enroll in the fall have applied for continued studies in the United States. The applications focus on different design majors, including architecture, costume, interaction, animation, illustration and gaming.

Hao Bin said that a new trend for the fall semester enrollment sees Chinese students no longer confined to professional art colleges for undergraduate and postgraduate studies. They are likely to attend comprehensive universities in the U.S., including Princeton University, where they can engage into their favored art major.

"Chinese students have become more rational in their enrollment choices and they are beginning to acknowledge the advantages from studying in a comprehensive university," added Hao.

For art major students, Japan and South Korea have risen to become a new favorite destination because many Chinese students consider them to lead the field in animation and game design.

"There used to be a low rate for Chinese students to obtain a scholarship when applying for undergraduate studies in art majors in top universities in the U.S. and U.K.," noted Hao.

However, approximately 40 percent of Chinese students have been offered relatively high scholarships upon their 2020 fall semester applications, said Hao. "Due to the pandemic, these colleges probably hope to attract international students through the easing of scholarship restrictions."