International student numbers are set to decline for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of several factors, including the UK government tightening immigration rules, the British Council has said.
“But this is a natural correction that will put the UK back on its long-term pre-Covid growth trajectory.”
The British Council, which is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations, explained that such cyclical trends included the reemergence of the American education market and a strong pound.
Migration policy is also a factor for the decline, researchers said, noting that “growth in issuance of UK study visas essentially ground to a halt by the third quarter of 2023 and will likely go into reverse in 2024 given rising domestic pressures to restrict migration.”
Responding to the report, a government spokesperson said, “We are fully focused on striking the right balance between acting decisively to tackle net migration, which we are clear is far too high, and attracting the brightest students to study at our universities.”
Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK (UUK), said: “International students are hugely beneficial both for UK universities and their wider communities, with a single intake bringing in over £40 billion to the UK economy in one year.
“Government is rightly focused on strong economic growth, and damaging our competitiveness as a study destination would be an act of economic self-harm.”
Ms. Stern added: “The British Council data demonstrates that the combined impact of government policy, rhetoric, and a slowdown following the extraordinary years of the pandemic are having an effect, and international student numbers are falling.
International Students and Migration
The report had cited recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, which the British Council said “underscores that migration pathways continue to be a strong motivating factor for international study.”Allegations of ‘Bad Practice’ in International Student Recruitment
In January 2024, Robert Halfon, the minister for higher education, announced an investigation into allegations of “bad practice” by UK university agents recruiting international students.Since 2017, university tuition fees for domestic undergraduate students in England have been frozen at £9,250 a year; there is no cap on international student fees.
UUK, which is an advocacy body representing university leaders, announced last week that it would also be reviewing international student admission practices.
Responding to The Sunday Times’ allegations, the Russell Group, an association of top-tier research universities, said the article discussed international foundation year programmes, which are routes for entry onto degree courses.
The Russell Group spokesman said admission onto main degree programmes from foundation courses “is not guaranteed,” saying, “Universities maintain robust admissions policies to ensure an equitable and consistent process for all applicants.”
