International student recruitment data

Source: HESA. Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2021/22 – Where students come from and go to study. Accessed Online: February 2023. 

In 2021-22, there were 679,970 international students studying at UK higher education institutions. 120,140 of these students were from the EU and 559,825 were non-EU students. 

Chinese students made up the largest group of international students with 151,690 studying in the UK in 2021-22. China was followed by 126,535 students from India and 32,945 from Nigeria (up from 14,270 students in 2020-21). 

French and Italian students remain the two largest cohorts from the EU with 11,870 and 11,320 students respectively studying in the UK in 2021-22. 

In 2021-22 the total number of non-EU students grew by 23.8% whilst EU students fell by 21.4%.

Before 2020-21, a consistent rise in new enrolments from China drove the growth in non-UK student numbers. In 2020-21, new enrolments from China fell for the first time in HESA recorded data (2007-08), however in 2021-22 new enrolment numbers returned to slight growth, up 0.8% from 2020-21. New enrolments from India totalled 87,045 students in 2021-22 (up 64.2% on 2020-21), reflecting continued growth at a higher rate than in the previous year (26.8% in 2020-21). New enrolments from Nigeria have grown faster than both China and India, reaching 32,945 in 2021-22, up by 130.9% from 2020-21.

Within the EU, the highest number of new enrolments came from Ireland (4,415), France (4,355), Germany (3,695) and Italy (3,105). First year enrolments dropped from all of the top 10 EU countries in 2021-22. New enrolments from Ireland decreased the smallest amount (-3.4%) from 2020-21, with modest declines from France (-34.3%), Germany (-38%) an Italy (-50.1%), and the steepest declines from Poland (-78.4%) and Romania (-82.3%).

Most major non-EU sending countries' total student population and new enrolments increased from 2020-21 to 2021-22, with the only exception being Saudi Arabia (-0.8% in total student population). Nigeria and Bangladesh were the fastest growing sending countries. New enrolments from these two countries increased by 107.4% and 90.5% respectively.

The total student population from key North American sending countries, the USA and Canada, both increased in 2021-22 following small descreases in the previous year. Total student numbers from South-East Asian sending countries Hong Kong and Malaysia also increased this year, following modest decreases in recent years.

According to HESA total enrolment figures for the top 10 sending countries to the UK in 2021-22 were:  

1. China (151,690) 
2. India (126,535) 
3. Nigeria (44,195)
4. Pakistan (23,075) 
5. United States (22,990) 
6. Hong Kong (17,630) 
7. Bangladesh (12,700) 
8. Malaysia (12,135) 
9. France (11,870) 
10.  Italy (11,320) 

Source: HESA. Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2021-22. Where do students come from?. Accessed Online: February 2023. 

According to HESA the number of new enrolments for the top 10 sending countries to the UK in 2021-22 were:  

1. China (99,965) 
2. India (87,045) 
3. Nigeria (32,945) 
4. Pakistan (16,550) 
5. United States (13,550) 
6. Bangladesh (9,170) 
7. Hong Kong (8,170) 
8. Malaysia (5,665) 
9. Ireland (4,415) 
10. France (4,355)

First year enrolments:  

In 2021-22, the number of international students (EU and non-EU) enrolling for the first-year of an undergraduate degree decreased by 11% from 129,145 to 114,965 students. Non-EU first-year undergraduates increased by 11.9% from 2020-21 after falling by 3.2% in the previous year. In contrast, EU first-year undergraduates decreased sharply by 62.6% in 2021-22 after growing by 6.1% the previous year.

In 2021-22, the number of first-year international postgraduates grew by 31.8% on 2020-21, (up from a growth of 6.6% the previous year) totalling 266,760 students. This was driven by a rise in first-year non-EU postgraduate, which increased by 42.7%, counteracting a decrease in the number of first-year EU postgraduate students of 38.7%. Non-EU students now make up 93.8% of all first-year postgraduate students in 2021-22.

Postgraduate taught (PGT) vs postgraduate research (PGR), total enrolments:  

The postgraduate student population totalled 372,500 in 2021-22 (up 23.8% on 2020-21). When we break down this population by PGT and PGR courses, we can see that this growth was driven by non-EU PGT students. The non-EU PGT student population (303,375) increased by 42.8% between 2020-21 and 2021-22, while non-EU PGR students (35,145) increased by just 4.1% while EU PGT students (22,775) and EU PGR students decreased by 22.6% and 14% respectively.

Postgraduate taught (PGT) vs postgraduate research (PGR), first enrolments:  

In 2021-22, first year postgraduate enrolments grew from outside the EU but fell sharply from within the EU. EU first year PGT enrolments dropped by 38.2% while EU PGR enrolments fell by 41.5%. Growth in non-EU first year PGR enrolments was modest at 4.5%, while growth in non-EU first year PGT enrolments was anything but at 45.3%.

Source: The Home Office

This section looks at sponsored study visas granted via the Student, Child student, Tier 4 General Student and Child Student, and Student- legacy routes. The latest visa figures for the year ending March 2024 show:

• The Home Office granted 446,924 sponsored study visas to main applicants. Visas issued for main applicants decreased by 6.2% compared to the year ending March 2023 and increased by 66% compared to the year ending March 2019. The number of sponsored study visas reached a peak in the year ending June 2023 at 498,626 and has since decreased consistently. The growth rate in the latest year ending March 2024 (-6.2%) reversed the trend in the preceding year ending March 2022 (21.3%) - indicating a significant decline in recruitment.
• India (116,455) was above China (108,582) as the nationality with the highest number of granted study visas, with an increase of 118,350 compared to 2019. Chinese nationals were granted the second highest number of sponsored study visas, seeing a slight increase of 7,820 (+7.8%) compared to the preceding year. At a combined 225,037 visas, Chinese and Indian nationals comprise slightly more than half (50.4%) of all sponsored study visa grants. 
• Within the top 20 nationalities for granted sponsored student visas, students from Nepal (70.1%), Pakistan (23.1%) and Iran (19.1%) had the largest relative increases in granted visas compared with the year ending March 2023. The United States remains the most stable in the top five nationalities, with 14,472 study visas granted, a very modest decrease of 156 (-1.1%) on the preceding year, and a decrease of 156 (-1.1%) on the year ending March 2019. 

The top ten nationalities granted study visas in the year ending March 2024 were: 

1. India (116,455) 
2. China (108,582) 
3. Nigeria (35,331) 
4. Pakistan (33,941)
5. United States (14,472)
6. Nepal (9,003) 
7. Bangladesh (7,963) 
8. Hong Kong (6,181)
9. Malaysia (6,111)
10. Saudi Arabia (5,594)

Source: The Home Office

Freedom of movement ended on 1 January 2021. The latest visa figures for the year ending March 2024 show:  

• A total of 22,527 sponsored study visas were granted to EEA and Swiss students. These visas reflect 5.0% of the total number of overseas student visas issued in this period (+0.5% on previous year). 
• German students had the highest number of sponsored study grants (4,019, 17.8% of total, -0.4% on the previous year), followed by French students (3,857, 17.1% of total, -5.5% on previous year) and Spanish students (3,096, 13.7% of total, -2.5% on previous year). 
• Together these three nationalities accounted for nearly one half (48.7%) of all EEA and Swiss grants to study in this period.

Source: The Home Office

The Graduate route was introduced on 1 July 2021. The Graduate route allows eligible students to stay in the UK for a period of two or three years after successfully completing their studies to work or look for work. 

The latest visa figures for the year ending March 2024 show:  

• 139,175 individuals were granted a Graduate visa, an increase of 45,457 (48.5%) on the previous year. The Graduate visa had a rejection rate of 0.6%, implying that most students that choose to apply can access the route. 
• Indian, Nigerian, and Pakistani students form the top three nationalities progressing onto the Graduate route, with increases of 65.8%, 121.8% and 88.4% on year ending March 2023, respectively. These nationalities account for 69.2% of all accepted applications. Indian nationals account for 46.3% of grants. 
• The year ending March 2024 showed signs of EEA and Swiss students beginning to use the Graduate route in significant numbers. The total number of Graduate visas granted to EEA and Swiss students was 1,707, up 17.9% from only 1,448 in the previous year ending March 2023.

Source: UCAS (UCAS end of cycle data resources 2022)

A total of 152,100 EU and non-EU international applicants of all ages applied in 2023 (+1.5% on 2022), with 71,570 accepted (-3.0%). 128,965 people applied from outside the EU (+2.5%) with 61,005 accepted (-2.3%); while 23,135 people applied from within the EU (-3.7%) with 10,570 accepted (-7.0%). This year also saw the highest number of accepted applicants on record from India (6,810, +3.0%) as well as continued growth in numbers from Pakistan (1,595, +19.5%) and Canada (1,560, +4.0%). Meanwhile, China (-5.9%) and Nigeria (-12.8%) saw a decline in accepted applicants.