House of Commons Library
15 July 2022
Overseas student numbers
Including alternative providers
In 2020/21, there were 605,100 overseas students across all types of UK higher education institutions. This was an increase of 109,000 since 2018/19 and meant the Government’s target of 600,000 international students by 2030 was met 10 years early. This figure includes around 21,000 overseas students who were studying at alternative providers. These are institutions which do not receive direct public funding.
Excluding alternative providers
In 2020/21 there were 584,100 overseas students studying at UK universities, 148,100 from the EU and 436,000 from elsewhere. This was another new record total and 22% of the total student population.
In 2015/16, the number of new overseas entrants to UK universities was just over 230,000, increases in the last five years saw overseas entrants numbers reach a new high of 318,400 in 2020/21.
The top sending countries for overseas students have changed over the last few years.
• China currently sends the most students to the UK, just over 97,000 in 2020/21; this number has risen by 82% since 2011/12 despite a fall in 2020/21.
• The number of students from some major ‘source’ countries has declined, for example, numbers from Malaysia and Thailand have fallen by around 50% since 2011/12.
• There has been a general drop in entrants from the major EU countries since 2011/12; Cyprus down by 37%, Ireland 35%, Germany 34%, Greece 31%, and France 19%. Italy and Spain were exception with numbers up by 41% and 62% respectively.
In recent years, the UK has been the second most popular global destination for international students after the US. In 2019, it was overtaken by Australia and fell to third. Other English-speaking countries, such as New Zealand and Canada, are also seeing substantial increases in overseas students, as are European countries which are increasingly offering courses in English. International students in UK higher education: FAQ
Government policy on international students
International Education Strategy The UK Government’s International Education Strategy sets out actions to meet ambitions to:
• increase the value of education exports to £35 billion per year by 2030;
• increase the total number of international students choosing to study in the UK higher education system (in universities, further education colleges and alternative providers) each year to 600,000 by 2030
The latter ambition was met for the first time in 2020/21, with 605,130 international higher education students studying in the UK.
The strategy also set out five cross-cutting strategic actions, which were developed through consultation with the education sector:
• Appoint an International Education Champion to spearhead overseas activity.
• Promote the breadth and diversity of the UK education offer more fully to international audiences. • Provide a welcoming environment for international students and develop an increasingly competitive offer.
• Establish a whole-of-government approach by implementing a framework for ministerial engagement with the sector, as well as formalised structures for coordination between Government departments, both domestically and overseas.
• Provide a clearer picture of exports activity by improving the accuracy and coverage of annually published education exports data.
Brexit
There was a sharp decline (40%) in applications for undergraduate study in the UK from EU countries in 2021/22. The number of EU accepted applicants fell by 50% in 2021/22. EU Applications for 2022/23 up to the 30 June preclearing deadline were down again by a further 18%.
New students arriving from the EU to start courses from August 2021 are generally no longer eligible for home student status, which means they must pay international fees and will not qualify for tuition fee loans. Students who started courses on or before 31 July 2021 remain eligible for support for the duration of their course.
In September 2021, the Turing Scheme replaced the Erasmus+ programme in providing funding for participants in UK universities to go on international study and work placements. The decision not to fund students coming to the UK as part of the Turing Scheme has prompted concern there will be a decrease in international students and the benefits they bring to the UK.
How have EU student numbers changed since Brexit?
There was a concern that following the result of the EU referendum in June 2016, international student recruitment would be affected by a perception the UK was now a less welcoming place for foreign students.22 However, there was no noticeable impact on EU student numbers immediately after the Brexit vote in 2016.
Data from UCAS on applicants to full-time undergraduate courses shows that there was a sharp decline in applications from EU countries in 2021/22, down by 40%. The number of EU accepted applicants fell by 50% in 2021/22. EU Applications for 2022/23 up to the 30 June pre-clearing deadline were down again by a further 18%.
The Higher Education Statistics Agency data on student numbers across all levels and modes does not yet cover the period from 2021/22, when home student status and associated funding was ended for new EU students.
Student and graduate visas
In October 2020, a new ‘student route’ for international students applying for visas to study in the UK opened, replacing the previous Tier 4 (General) student visa.
In July 2021, a new post-study work visa for international students, the ‘Graduate route’, opened. The graduate visa gives international graduates permission to stay in the UK for two years after successfully completing a course in the UK. For graduates who completed a PhD or other doctoral qualification, the visa lasts for 3 years.
Funding
Research income from the EU was worth £883 million to UK universities in 2019/20, or 14% of total research income. It included grants and contracts from EU Government bodies, charities, and the private sector.
Research income from non-EU overseas sources was £591 million, or 9% of all research income in the same year.
The costs and benefits of international students to the UK
A September 2021 London Economics report estimated the 2018/19 first-year cohort of international students would bring a net economic benefit of £25.9 billion to the UK over the course of their studies.
The report estimated the £2.9 billion economic cost of international students (from the teaching grant, student support for EU students, and cost of providing public services to students and their dependents) was outweighed by the £28.8 billion brought in through tuition fees, living cost expenditure, and the related knock-on (or ‘indirect’ and ‘induced’) effects of this spending throughout the UK economy.
Alongside these economic benefits, surveys have shown international students benefit the UK higher education experience by bringing an outwardlooking culture to campuses and preparing students for working in a global environment.
What is the UK’s share of the overall international higher education market?
In 2019, the US took 23% of international students who were studying overseas at universities in the OECD. Australia moved into second place in 2019 with 12%, followed by the UK in third place also with 12%.
The next largest destinations were Germany (8%), Canada (7%) and France (6%). In the same year the UK had one of the highest rates of international students5 in the OECD with 19%. This was more than double the EU average and behind only Luxembourg (49%), Australia (28%) and New Zealand.
How do international students choose where to study?
A survey of prospective international students in 56 countries revealed employment prospects (64%), followed closely by an institution’s reputation (61%), were the top factors influencing where they choose to study.7 Language, culture, and a country’s post-study visa policy were the next three most important factors.
What level courses do overseas students study?
Overseas students are much more likely than home students to study full-time and/or follow postgraduate courses. In 2020/21, 55% of non-EU students were on postgraduate courses compared to 29% from the EU and 21% of home students. At undergraduate level, overseas students were more likely to be on first degree courses than home students. Overseas students were also more likely to be studying full-time; 92% of those from the EU and 93% of non-EU entrants compared to 75% of home students.
In 2018/19 58% of Chinese students were studying at postgraduate level (mainly taught courses), a similar rate to those from the US (54%) and slightly below the proportion of Indian postgraduates (68%). The majority of EU students were undergraduates (69%).
Which universities have the most overseas students?
Overseas students in UK universities 2020/21: Top 10
By Absolute Number
1. University College London 23,360 51%
2. The University of Manchester 17,625 39%
3. The University of Edinburgh 15,590 41%
4. King’s College London 15,550 40%
5. Coventry University 13,760 35%
6. The University of Glasgow 13,245 36%
7. Imperial 11,265 53%
8. The University of Sheffield 11,260 37%
9. University of the Arts, London 11,230 53%
10. The University of Leeds 10,455 28%
By % of students
1. London Business School 80% 1,965
2. Royal College of Art 79% 2,155
3. LSE 67% 9,030
4. Royal College of Music 55% 510
5. Imperial 53% 11,265
6 London Sch of Hygiene & Tropical Med. 48% 530
7 Royal Academy of Music 48% 385
8 Cranfield University 43% 2,160
9 King’s College London 40% 15,550
10 Courtauld Institute of Art 40% 230
Source: HESA
What support was previously available for EU students?
Under EU rules on free movement, European students studying in another EU member state must be given the same access to higher education as local students. This means that EU students have the same right to student support as local students in EU countries.
During the UK’s membership of the EU, therefore, EU students studying in the UK had access to tuition fee loans on the same basis as UK students. Since EU students studying in the UK’s regions had to be treated the same as home students of that region, EU students in Scotland did not pay fees. EU rules do not apply to a member state’s own internal arrangements, so the devolution settlement meant English students could still be charged fees at Scottish universities.
EU students were not generally eligible for maintenance loans due to the residency criteria.
Student and Graduate Visas What kind of visa do international students need to study in the UK?
On 10 September 2020, the Government announced a new ‘student route’ for international students applying for visas to study in the UK. The student route opened on 5 October 2020 and replaced the previous Tier 4 (General) student visa.
The Government said the new route would be “streamlined” and allow all international students, including those from Europe, to use the “same, simplified route”.
Applicants for a student visa must:
• have been offered a place on a course by a licensed student sponsor;
• have enough money to support themselves and their course;
• be able to speak, read, write and understand English.
How long students can stay depends on the length of their course and what study they have already completed in the UK. If they are 18 or over and studying a degree-level course, international students can usually stay in the UK for up to five years.
It currently costs £363 to apply for a student visa from outside the UK and students will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of their application.
More information is available on GOV.UK at Study in the UK on a Student visa.
Can international students stay in the UK after graduation?
In April 2012, the Tier 1 Post-Study Work Visa, which had allowed international students to stay on and work for two years after their studies, was abolished.
International graduates remained eligible to apply for a skilled work visa if they had secured a graduate level job or training offer from an approved employer before the end of their student visa. The change in visa policy was controversial, however, and a report by the Higher Education Policy Institute
in January 2017 said it had resulted in a 20% reduction in enrolments at UK higher education providers.
On 11 September 2019, the Government announced the introduction of a new two-year post-study work visa for international students, the ‘Graduate route’.
The graduate visa gives international graduates permission to stay in the UK for two years after successfully completing a course in the UK. For graduates who completed a PhD or other doctoral qualification, the visa lasts for 3 years. The graduate visa cannot be extended, but graduates may be able to switch to a different visa, for example a skilled worker visa.
International graduates can apply for a graduate visa if all the following are true:
• they are currently in the UK;
• their current visa is a Student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa;
• they studied a UK bachelor’s degree, postgraduate degree, or other eligible course for a minimum period of time with their student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa;
• their education provider has told the Home Office they have successfully completed their course. It currently costs £715 to apply for a graduate visa and graduates will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of their application.
More information is available on GOV.U
How much fee income comes from overseas?
Overall academic fees from non-EU overseas students were worth £7.0 billion to UK universities in 2019/20 or 16.4% of their total income. 55 Trends are illustrated below and show a sustained increase in the importance of overseas fee income, up from below 5% in the mid-1990s.
How much are fees for overseas students?
A survey of typical fees for overseas students at UK universities gave the averages shown opposite for different types of courses in 2021/22. Overseas fees for classroom-based courses have risen faster than the home rate in recent years at both undergraduate (where the home/EU rate is capped) and postgraduate levels.