Overseas student applications to UK universities rise again

For the second year in a row, the number of international students applying to study at the undergraduate level in the United Kingdom has risen.

This year’s number of 115,730 marks an increase from last year’s 114,910 and is a step closer to the all-time high of 116,110, recorded before the Covid-19 pandemic led to travel restrictions.

International students in the 2021/2022 academic year alone contributed £41.9 billion to the UK economy

Dr Jo Saxton, Chief Executive of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), said the rise in international student applications “should not be a cause for concern for domestic students” as domestic applications were also on the rise, with 479,210 applications from across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The rise comes despite the new rules put in place by the government from 1 January 2024, which aimed to reduce the number of international students migrating to the UK.

This change, criticised by those in the higher education sector, denied international students the right to bring their dependant partner or children to the UK unless they were studying for a PhD or postgraduate research programme.

Nick Hilman, Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), suggested the government’s changes would lead to the UK’s education sector becoming less competitive.

Similar concerns were echoed by Vivienne Stern, CEO of Universities UK (UUK), who said a fall in overseas students would be “seriously bad for universities because … they need international students to fund domestic education.” Previous data collected by UUK showed that international students in the 2021/22 academic year alone contributed £41.9 billion to the UK economy.

A report from the British Council has suggested that the growth in migration is merely part of a post-Covid boom

This rise isn’t expected to be repeated in future years. A report from the British Council has suggested that the growth in migration is merely part of a post-Covid boom, and growing political pressure against migration as well as the increased cost of living is likely to reduce international student applications in the future.