New data from the UK’s higher education statistics agency (HESA) has revealed a 4% decline in international students at UK universities in 2023/24, capturing “the sector at a turning point”, according to ApplyBoard analysis.
Despite the overall decline, international students accounted for more postgraduate enrolments than domestic students, with nearly 60% of students from abroad pursuing postgraduate studies.
The 2023/24 figures reflect the uncertain environment for international students last year, caused by tightened dependant rules, uncertainty about the UK’s Graduate Route and unwelcoming messaging from the previous Conservative government.
Total international student enrolment in the UK fell from 760,000 in 2022/23 to 730,000 last year.
What’s more, currency devaluations in markets such as Nigeria and Ghana further contributed to the decline, with Nigerian student levels dropping most dramatically by 23%.
Against this backdrop and following a 3% reduction in 2023 visa applications, last year’s enrolment decline came as little surprise, with ApplyBoard suggesting that next year’s figures could chart an even larger drop.
“That’s because main applicant student visa submissions fell by 12% in the 2024 calendar year,” said ApplyBoard: “However, we expect this downturn to be more of an outlier than a long-standing trend”.
We expect this downturn to be more of an outlier than a long-standing trend
ApplyBoard
Amid more welcoming messaging from the current UK government and political instability across the US, Australia and Canada, visa applications to the UK grew by 9% in Q4 2024 compared to Q4 2023, signalling renewed confidence in the UK.
A recent report on outbound mobility from China found that shifting policies in the US, Canada and Australia was boosting the UK’s appeal among Chinese students, who make up the second largest international student cohort at UK universities.
Meanwhile, as postgraduate interest in the US plunged by 40% in the first two months of Trump’s second term, stakeholders are anticipating a growing interest in the UK.
The report comes as the sector awaits the government’s immigration white paper and a refreshed international education strategy expected imminently, which will have a significant bearing on institutions’ recruitment strategies.
If domestic student postgraduate enrolment continues to fall, international student recruitment will be “more important than ever” for UK institutions looking to maintain and grow enrolment levels, the report advises.
It reveals that nearly 70% of postgraduate students in the UK came from Asia, while rapid growth from Pakistan (38%), Nepal (51%) and Ghana (20%) reflects growing diversification, another factor key to continued resilience.
In a continuation of longer trends, business and management continued to dominate the landscape for international postgraduate studies in the UK in 2023/24, comprising 40% of enrolment figures.
