According to a report in the Australian, 88 per cent of respondents rated teacher quality as their top consideration, followed by the format of the course, the overall university reputation, tuition fees and the rate of graduate employment. According to the survey rankings played a minor part in the decision-making process. 

15,000 current and prospective postgraduate students across 14 countries took part in the survey. Apart from finding that teacher quality mattered most to students the survey also gathered data on how long students took to make a decision. The survey found that people invested on average 500 days longer to make their choice than to make common purchases, such as a laptop or a car. 

Interestingly the survey also found that most students ended up choosing a university they had included in their original shortlist. 

Read more at:The Australian