International Postgraduates Surpass Domestic Counterparts in the UK for Second Year
2 Min Read
For the second consecutive year, international students pursuing postgraduate degrees in the United Kingdom have outnumbered their domestic counterparts, new data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) confirms.
Despite a 4% drop in overall international enrolments across UK universities in the 2023/24 academic year, nearly 60% of postgraduate students hailed from overseas, highlighting the sector’s continued reliance on international talent.
The total number of international students fell from 760,000 in 2022/23 to 730,000 in 2023/24, with analysis from ApplyBoard attributing this dip to stricter dependant visa rules, uncertainty surrounding the UK’s Graduate Route, and less welcoming messaging from the previous Conservative government.
Currency fluctuations in key markets also played a role — Nigerian enrolments dropped by a steep 23%, while countries like Ghana experienced similar declines. Meanwhile, student visa submissions were down 12% in 2024, suggesting that this year’s intake may face even steeper declines.
Nevertheless, ApplyBoard believes this downturn may be short-lived. With the current UK government striking a more positive tone on international education, and increasing political instability in destinations such as the US, Canada, and Australia, the UK appears to be regaining favour. Visa applications rose by 9% in Q4 2024 compared with the same period the previous year, reflecting renewed global confidence.
The report further revealed that almost 70% of international postgraduate students in the UK came from Asia, with sharp enrolment growth from Pakistan (38%), Nepal (51%), and Ghana (20%) — pointing to a more diversified student base.
Business and management programmes remained the most popular among international postgraduates, accounting for 40% of enrolments.
As the UK awaits a new immigration white paper and a refreshed international education strategy, experts caution that if domestic postgraduate numbers continue to decline, international recruitment will become even more vital to sustaining UK higher education.
Source: THE PIE NEWS
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