Interest in studying abroad in the past two years has fallen by 16%

According to a survey by the British Council, interest in studying abroad in the past two years has fallen by 16%.

A variety of reasons, including not wanting to be separated from friends and family and concern over speaking a foreign language, means that fewer students have this year been interested in studying abroad.

Only 18% of UK undergraduates expressed interest in any form of mobile study this year, down from 34% in 2015.

The study highlights that the percentage of UK students studying in the US, despite remaining the top destination of choice of UK students, has also fallen dramatically from 40% in 2015 to 22% in these latest figures.

Despite this though, 68% of young Britons still said that ‘international experience’ is crucial.

The report highlighted that the main reason for the low interest in studying abroad is due to financial concerns.

Nearly three-quarters of the students who said they were not interested in studying overseas said they would change their point of view if funding assistance was available for mobile study

Research Director at the British Council’s Higher Education Research Service and author of Broadening Horizons: Addressing the Needs of a New Generation, Zainab Malik, said that the confidence of UK students has been negatively affected by the turbulent political and economic situation in the UK.

She said: “The UK’s place in an unpredictable global environment remains undefined, the pound sterling remains weak and political and economic shifts have left young people feeling lost and uncertain about their future.”

The report also suggests that a lack of properly directed information about the benefits of studying abroad, such as enhanced job prospects, may have turned some students away from considering international study.

The study advises the British international education sector that: “Delivering the message successfully to undergraduate students will be key to securing higher rates of uptake.”