Europe is recalibrating its approach to international students
The Netherlands recently recorded its first-ever decline in international student numbers following policy measures designed to curb growth.
Elsewhere, governments and institutions are responding to the pressures created by international student growth, from housing and infrastructure constraints to tighter visa and compliance requirements.
At the same time, rising travel costs continue to create uncertainty for students planning to begin their studies this autumn.
The UK’s planned return to Erasmus+ from 2027 has also reignited debate about the future of student mobility. While the move has been broadly welcomed, many in the sector argue the next phase should combine the collaborative strengths of Erasmus+ with the global outlook and widening participation focus of the Turing Scheme.
Speaking to The PIE News, EAIE said that international student recruitment is increasingly being viewed through several lenses, including talent attraction, migration management and institutional resilience.
“Institutions are operating in a more politically sensitive environment shaped by employability concerns, housing pressure, and immigration debates,” said Jody Hoekstra-Selten, manager of knowledge development at EAIE.
Laura Rumbley, EAIE’s director for knowledge development and research, pointed to developments outside Europe as another factor reshaping the landscape. Political and policy upheaval in the major “big four” destination countries, she said, is “reframing the landscape of interests and possibilities” for internationally mobile students.
European institutions are consequently seeing themselves more clearly as “active players in an increasingly multipolar picture” for global student recruitment and mobility, she added.
Competition for global talent is intensifying
France has stepped up efforts to position itself as a destination for international researchers, recognising the opportunities created by changing geopolitical dynamics and increasing global competition for academic talent.
Germany, meanwhile, continues to demonstrate the value of connecting education with employment outcomes, with international graduates significantly more likely to find work after completing their studies.
“Attracting and retaining international talent could potentially become as important as recruiting students,” said Hoekstra-Selten.
Demographic decline and skills shortages are affecting countries across Europe, she added, while broader EU initiatives are seeking to make Europe a destination of choice for scientific and professional talent.
But making that ambition work will require more than recruitment, she said, warning that “pathways will need to be developed and put in place”.
Partnerships are becoming a bigger part of the internationalisation mix
As international enrolment becomes harder to predict, universities are looking beyond traditional student recruitment to build their global reach.
The UK’s transnational education activity is a good example: TNE exports grew 17% in 2024, reaching £3.6bn, even as growth in overall education exports slowed. Meanwhile, the number of students studying for UK university qualifications offshore is increasingly approaching the number of international students studying in the UK.
Across Europe, university alliances are taking international partnerships beyond traditional exchange agreements, with institutions exploring joint degrees, collaborative teaching, research and new forms of mobility.
EAIE is seeing a similar shift, with European institutions increasingly prioritising “deeper, longer-term partnerships over traditional exchange agreements”, said Hoekstra-Selten.
The range of purposes is also expanding, she added, with institutions looking to partnerships for student mobility, research collaboration, curriculum development, transnational education and innovation.
“The shift seems to be driven by funding opportunities, geopolitical uncertainty, and a desire to create more sustainable and measurable international engagement,” she said.
Rumbley also highlighted a broader shift in how European institutions engage with partners beyond Europe, including in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Southern Mediterranean.
European institutions have “much to share with the world, but also much to learn from international counterparts”, she said, with partners increasingly insisting on mutual benefit as the starting point for collaboration.
The cost of studying in Europe is rising
Affordability has long been one of Europe’s advantages in the global international student market, but that proposition is coming under pressure.
France has raised the minimum funds international students must demonstrate for a study visa by 43%, while non-EU tuition fees have also increased.
In Flanders, several universities are hiking fees for non-EU students after the government announced it would only subsidise 2% of non-EU enrolments. At the same time, international students face stricter visa scrutiny and tighter requirements for renewing residence permits from next year.
For institutions, the challenge is increasingly about balancing financial pressures with the need to remain attractive to international students.
Higher fees and proof-of-funds requirements are part of a wider affordability challenge, Hoekstra-Selten said, alongside housing shortages and rising living costs.
“Europe’s reputation for quality education remains strong,” she said, but institutions increasingly need to demonstrate that they understand students’ financial concerns and are prepared to support them through measures such as scholarships, housing support and clear communication around return on investment.
“Accessibility and competitiveness are important keywords at this moment in time,” she said.
Rumbley stressed that there is no single European experience when it comes to affordability, with study and living costs varying significantly between and within countries.
“Higher education institutions situated in less expensive contexts have a compelling message to share in this regard, while any institution featuring strong academic programming and positive graduate outcomes has a powerful argument for return on investment,” she said.
“Larger scale economic trends may not be things the higher education sector can control, but there are meaningful ways institutions can play to their strengths and tell their unique story of adding value to students’ educational and professional journeys,” added Rumbley.
The global recruitment map is being redrawn
Europe continues to view Asia as a priority region for student recruitment, research collaboration and institutional partnerships. But universities are facing growing competition from within the region itself, as destinations across Asia invest heavily in higher education and internationalisation strategies.
Institutions in the UK and Ireland are also being urged to rethink established approaches to markets such as Southeast Asia and India, as student expectations become increasingly focused on outcomes.
Rather than assuming traditional recruitment patterns will continue, European universities are having to diversify their markets and think harder about what differentiates their offer.
For European institutions, differentiation will be increasingly important, according to Hoekstra-Selten — and not simply through rankings.
“As alternative study destinations in Asia and elsewhere become increasingly attractive, students are looking for strong employability prospects, welcoming communities, affordable study options, international networks and opportunities for mobility across multiple countries,” she said.
Europe’s strengths, she added, include the diversity of its higher education systems, research excellence, multilingual environment and growing network of cross-border alliances.
Rumbley said it is vital for Europe’s diverse higher education systems and institutions to “remain open to international engagement and to continually evolve” as the global landscape changes.
The next edition of the EAIE Barometer, which tracks the experiences, priorities and challenges of internationalisation professionals across Europe, is due to be released on September 7 – with Rumbley encouraging “every international education professional working in Europe to fill it in”.
