The scale of UK higher education transnational education 2023–24

UK HE TNE in 2023–24  

This 10th anniversary edition of UUKi’s Scale of TNE report series provides a snapshot of where, at what level, and through what type of provision UK higher education (HE) transnational education (TNE) students studied during the 2023–24 academic year. The report uses data collected from universities by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) into the Aggregate Offshore Record (AOR) dataset to provide insights on the evolution of UK HE TNE through the past decade.  

UK TNE provision is world-leading in scale and quality, and forms an integral part of many UK institutions’ global engagement strategies. UK HE TNE has seen significant growth in the past decade, a +70.0% increase from approximately 379,500 TNE students in 2014–15, to 645,335 TNE students in 2023–24 (excluding Oxford Brookes; see A note on data).  

The total number of students on UK TNE courses in 2023–24 was 653,570 (all providers). TNE growth was relatively flat from 2016–17 to 2018–19, accelerated from 2019 to 2021, and has stabilised at between +7-9% per year over the last three years.    

The proliferation of high-quality research and guidance over the past 10 years has supported UK TNE providers to prioritise strategic, secure, equitable and sustainable TNE collaborations. This has been bolstered by insights from sector bodies, including UUKi, British Council, Jisc, and the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), with UK HE TNE forming a key pillar of the UK Government’s International Education Strategy.  

Mode of TNE delivery  

Globally, there are more TNE students studying in person than via distance learning. Across all providers, there were 491,765 in-person TNE students compared with 161,805 distance TNE students. Distance learning however is more geographically widespread. In 2023–24, 176 countries and territories hosted in-person TNE, while 231 hosted TNE via distance learning.  

In 10 years, from 2014–15 to 2023–24, in-person TNE has grown by +87.4%, while distance TNE has grown +32.5% (excluding Oxford Brookes). 

Through what types of provision are UK HE TNE students studying?  

In 2023–24, almost half of all TNE students (279,565 or 42.8%) were studying via collaborative provision, a +10.8% increase from the previous year. Around a quarter (24.8%) were studying via distance, flexible or distributed learning, while another quarter (25.9%) were registered at an overseas partner organisation. The remaining TNE students (6.6%) were studying at an overseas campus.  

Which types of TNE have grown the most?  

Over the past five years, since 2019–20, the most significant growth has been in the number of TNE students registered at an overseas partner organisation (+72.5% increase), and those studying via collaborative provision (+58.0% increase).   

Which types of TNE have the highest number of providers operating them?  

In 2023–24, 142 UK higher education providers were delivering TNE via distance learning; 100 via collaborative provision; 44 had students registered at overseas partner organisations; and 26 delivered TNE at an overseas campus. 

How has UK HE TNE provision changed in 10 years?  

Over 10 years, from 2014–15 to 2023–24, the growth of TNE students has been +66.0% for undergraduate students, +80.6% for postgraduate taught (PGT) students, and +48.6% for postgraduate research (PGR) students (all excluding Oxford Brookes). 

UK providers deliver TNE to a significantly higher number of undergraduate students than postgraduate students. In 2023–24, across all providers, there were 442,550 undergraduate TNE students – more than double the total 211,015 postgraduate taught and research UK TNE students combined.   

At postgraduate level, the number of PGT TNE students substantially outweighs PGR TNE students. In 2023–24, across all providers, there were 202,930 PGT TNE students (a +47.8% increase over the past five years), compared to 8,085 PGR TNE students (a +28.9% increase over the past five years).

Which regions of the UK deliver the most TNE?

England has the highest number of HE TNE providers in the UK, at 145 TNE providers, while Scotland has 16 TNE providers, Wales 9 TNE providers and Northern Ireland 3 TNE providers. Correspondingly, most TNE students are studying with providers located in England (569,430), followed by Scotland (46,730), Wales (34,945) and Northern Ireland (2,465).  

Of the devolved nations, Wales has seen the most significant five-year growth in the number of TNE students since 2019–20, with an additional 6,150 TNE students, compared to Scotland’s increase of 2,640 TNE students, and Northern Ireland’s increase of 1,030 students. England followed by Wales have the highest average TNE students per institution – an average of c. 3,930 TNE students per provider in England and c. 3,885 TNE students per provider in Wales.  

Regionally, the highest proportion of TNE students are studying with providers located in London (42 providers) and the South East of England (24 providers). However, since 2019–20, the regions of the UK with the highest growth in the number of UK TNE students have been the North West (+84.4% increase) and the South West (+80.6% increase), followed by the South East (+78.2% increase) and the East of England (+68.9% increase). This is higher than the five-year TNE student growth rate of London (+36.6% increase).

Who provides UK HE TNE?  

UK providers continue to deliver TNE at a scale that suits their strategic priorities and resources. Some universities manage portfolios of large partnerships across multiple regions, while others focus on smaller arrangements tailored to specific disciplines or country contexts. In 2023–24, 173 TNE providers delivered TNE, with a national average of c. 3,780 TNE students per provider. 79.2% of TNE providers had under 5,000 TNE students; 36 TNE providers had over 5,000 TNE students; and 18 TNE providers had over 10,000 TNE students.  

Nine UK providers have developed TNE portfolios with over 15,000 TNE students: The Open University; University of London; Coventry University; University of Liverpool; Liverpool John Moores University; Cardiff Metropolitan University; University of East London; University of Nottingham; and University of Greenwich.  

The largest two providers of TNE by a substantial margin remain The Open University and the University of London due to their unique structures and delivery models.

What does UK HE TNE growth look like at the provider level in 2023–24?

From year to year, some universities expand their TNE provision while others remain steady or scale back due a diverse range of factors. In 2023–24, 106 UK TNE providers increased their TNE numbers from the previous year. 17 UK providers increased their TNE numbers by more than 1,000 students.  

In five years, 84 UK providers have increased their TNE student numbers by more than 25%.  

The median change in student numbers among UK TNE providers in one year was+5.6% and over five years was+28.1%. For UK providers with well established TNE portfolios (over 1,000 students in 2019–20), the median change in student numbers over five years was+23.7%.  

In 2023–24, nine UK TNE providers saw a growth of over +2,000 TNE students from the previous year: The Open University; Coventry University; De Montfort University; University for the Creative Arts; University of the West of England, Bristol; Oxford Brookes University; Liverpool John Moores University; University of East London; and University of Liverpool. 

Figure 7 below shows the growth of the top 20 providers in 2023–24. For a version of figure 7 featuring all providers with more than 100 students in 2023–24, see here: Figure 7a: UK HE TNE headcount by provision type, 2019–20 vs 2023–24.

Where are UK HE TNE students located?  

Asia continues to hold just over half of the market share of TNE students, at 51.1% in 2023–24. The other half of the UK’s TNE students are mainly hosted by Europe (18.4%), the Middle East (14.3%) and Africa (10.6%), while fewer numbers of TNE students are hosted by North America (4.6%), South America (0.6%) and Australasia (0.4%).   

In five years, Asia has seen the fastest growth in absolute terms, with an additional 106,415 TNE students (representing a +46.7% increase), while the Middle East has seen the fastest growth in percentage terms, a +57.7% increase (an additional 34,140 TNE students).  

Since 2019–20, there has been relative consistency in world regions hosting similar proportions of the total market share of TNE students, with a slight rise in Asia (+0.9% increase) and the Middle East (+1.2% increase), with a slight drop in Europe (-1.3% decrease). 

What types of UK TNE provision exist across world regions?  

In 2023–24, the most prominent type of TNE in Asia and Africa was collaborative provision, whereas in Europe and the Middle East, there were more TNE students registered at overseas partner organisations than studying via the other types of TNE. In North America, South America and Australasia, the majority of TNE students studied via distance, flexible or distributed learning.  

In 2023–24, what countries and territories had the largest number of UK HE TNE students per type of provision?  

Most TNE students studying at an overseas campus were studying in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (13,590), China (11,565) and Malaysia (8,520).  

The majority of TNE students registered at an overseas partner organisation were studying in China (28,005) and Saudi Arabia (18,825), followed by Greece (12,745), Malaysia (11,575), Egypt (10,740) and Kuwait (10,685).   

Of those studying through collaborative provision, a majority were in Sri Lanka (53,305) and China (41,720), with significant numbers in Egypt (19,735), Malaysia (18,025), Singapore (17,380) and Greece (16,495).   

For distance, flexible or distributed learning, the top host country was Pakistan (13,480) – the only country with over 10,000 distance TNE students – followed by the US (9,035), Singapore (8,785) and China (8,135).  

At what level are UK HE TNE students studying across world regions?  

Globally, there are significantly higher proportions of undergraduate TNE students in Asia (76.6% UG) and the Middle East (75.3% UG), in contrast to higher proportions of postgraduate TNE students in Australasia (68.2% PG), North America (60.6% PG) and South America (58.4% PG). A more even split exists in Africa (57.0% UG; 43.0% PG) and Europe (52.1% UG; 47.9% PG) 

Top 10 host countries/territories for UK HE TNE students 2023–24 

In 2023–24, the top host country/territory for TNE was China, followed by Sri Lanka and Malaysia. The strongest five-year growth has been from Saudi Arabia (+142.2%), Sri Lanka (+104.2%) and the UAE (+88.1%).  

In 2022–23, Egypt ranked in 5th place, Saudi Arabia 9th place, and India 10th place. In 2023–24, Egypt rose to 4th place above Singapore at 5th place; Saudi Arabia rose to 8th place over Hong Kong in 9th place, and Germany claimed 10th place, moving previous top 10 country India to 11th place. 

There are significant differences between the top 10 TNE host countries/territories for 2023–24 for in-person TNE and for distance learning. Three countries not included in the overall top 10 host countries/territories of TNE are in the top 10 for in-person TNE: Saudi Arabia, Oman and Nepal. Four countries not included in the overall top 10 host countries/territories of TNE are in the top 10 for distance TNE: Pakistan, US, Canada and South Africa.  

Asia  

In five years from 2019–20 to 2023–24, TNE student numbers in Asia grew by +46.7%, from 227,795 to 334,210. The predominant type of provision in Asia in 2023–24 was collaborative provision, at 57.6% comprising 192,345 TNE students. 60,520 (18.1%) TNE students studied via distance, flexible or distributed learning, a similar quantity to the 60,365 (18.1%) registered at an overseas partner organisation. A further 20,975 (6.3%) studied at an overseas campus in Asia. 

China was the top host country for TNE students in Asia in 2023–24, with 89,425 TNE students, followed by Sri Lanka (62,935) and Malaysia (43,155). Pakistan hosted the highest number of TNE students studying via distance learning, at a total of 13,480 TNE students, while China hosted the highest number of those studying in person, at a total of 81,290. 

Most TNE students in Asia in 2023–24 studied at undergraduate level with 255,920 (76.6%) undergraduates in 2023–24. A significant proportion (22.5% or 75,045 TNE students) studied on postgraduate taught courses and a small proportion (1.0% or 3,240 TNE students) studied on postgraduate research courses. 

Europe  

In five years from 2019–20 to 2023–24, TNE students in Europe grew by +34.5%, from 89,180 to 119,980. The predominant type of provision in Europe in 2023–24 was students registered at an overseas partner organisation, comprising 47,100 TNE students (39.3%). 35,510 (29.6%) TNE students studied via distance, flexible or distributed learning, a similar figure to the 32,390 (27.0%) that studied via collaborative provision. 4,980 (4.2%) studied at an overseas campus in Europe. 

Greece was the top host country in Europe in 2023–24 for TNE students, with 30,515 TNE students, followed by Germany (16,635) and Cyprus (11,800). Germany hosted the highest number of TNE students studying via distance learning, at a total of 4,835, closely followed by Ireland with 4,450 TNE students. Greece hosted the highest number of those studying in person, at a total of 29,300 TNE students.  

Most TNE students in Europe in 2023–24 studied at undergraduate level with 62,545 students (52.1%), while 55,575 (46.3%) studied on postgraduate taught courses. A smaller quantity of 1,865 TNE students (1.6%) studied on postgraduate research courses. 

Middle East   

In five years from 2019–20 to 2023–24, TNE students in the Middle East grew by +57.7%, from 59,195 to 93,335. The predominant type of provision in the Middle East in 2023–24 was for students registered at an overseas partner organisation, comprising 42,990 TNE students (46.1%). 20,295 (21.7%) TNE students studied via collaborative provision, 15,145 (16.2%) studied via distance, flexible or distributed learning, and 14,905 (16.0%) studied at an overseas campus in the Middle East.  

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was the top host country in the Middle East in 2023–24 for TNE students, with 27,840 TNE students, followed by Saudia Arabia (22,010) and Oman (16,235). The UAE hosted the highest number of TNE students that studied via distance learning at 6,710 students, and also the highest number of those that studied in person at 21,130 students.  

Most TNE students in the Middle East in 2023–24 studied at undergraduate level at a total of 70,245 students (75.3%). Smaller quantities studied on postgraduate taught courses (21,900; 23.5%), and on postgraduate research courses (1,190; 1.3%). 

Africa  

In five years from 2019–20 to 2023–24, TNE students in Africa grew by 43.1%, from 48,385 to 69,240. The predominant type of provision in Africa in 2023–24 was collaborative provision, comprising 28,010 TNE students (40.5%). 21,395 (30.9%) TNE students studied via distance, flexible or distributed learning, 17,880 (25.8%) students were registered at an overseas partner organisation, and 1,955 (2.8%) studied at an overseas campus in Africa. 

Egypt was the top host country in Africa in 2023–24 for TNE students, with 32,040 TNE students, followed by Nigeria (6,695) and South Africa (6,165). South Africa hosted the highest number of TNE students studying via distance learning, at a total of 4,705, while Egypt hosted the highest number of those studying in person, at a total of 30,475 TNE students.   

Most TNE students in Africa in 2023–24 studied at undergraduate level with 39,490 students (57.0%), while a smaller quantity of 29,150 (42.1%) studied on postgraduate taught courses, and 600 (0.9%) on postgraduate research courses. 

North America 

In five years from 2019–20 to 2023–24, TNE students in North America grew by +31.1%, from 23,170 to 30,375. The predominant type of provision in North America in 2023–24 was distance, flexible and distributed learning, comprising 23,825 TNE students (78.4%). 5,560 (18.3%) TNE students studied via collaborative provision, while 990 (3.3%) students were registered at an overseas partner organisation.  

The United States was the top host country in North America in 2023–24 for TNE students, with 9,540 TNE students, followed by Trinidad and Tobago (6,935) and Canada (6,665). The United States hosted the highest number of TNE students studying via distance learning, at a total of 9,035, while Trinidad and Tobago hosted the highest number of those studying in person, at a total of 4,505 TNE students.  

Most TNE students in North America in 2023–24 studied at postgraduate taught level with 17,320 students (57.0%), while a smaller quantity of 11,950 (39.3%) studied at undergraduate level and 1,105 (3.6%) on postgraduate research courses.  

South America 

In five years from 2019–20 to 2023–24, TNE students in South America grew by +45.1%, from 2,510 to 3,645. The predominant type of provision in South America in 2023–24 was distance, flexible and distributed learning, comprising 2,660 TNE students (73.0%). 940 (25.8%) TNE students studied via collaborative provision and 45 (1.2%) were registered at an overseas partner organisation.  

Guyana was the top host country in South America in 2023–24 for TNE students, with 1,405 TNE students, followed by Brazil (760) and Peru (440). Brazil hosted the highest number of TNE students studying via distance learning, at a total of 755, while Guyana hosted the highest number of those studying in person, at a total of 970 TNE students.  

Most TNE students in South America in 2023–24 studied at postgraduate taught level with 2,085 students (57.2%), while 1,515 (41.6%) studied on undergraduate courses, and 45 (1.2%) on postgraduate research courses. 

Australasia 

In five years from 2019–20 to 2023–24, TNE students in Australasia slightly dropped by -2.0%, from 2,845 to 2,790. Almost all TNE students in Australasia in 2023–24 were studying via distance, flexible and distributed learning, a total of 2,750 students (98.6%). 25 TNE students studied via collaborative provision and 15 students were registered at an overseas partner organisation. 

Most TNE students in Australasia in 2023–24 studied at postgraduate taught level at a total of 1,860 students (66.6%), while 885 (31.8%) studied on undergraduate courses, and 45 (1.6%) on postgraduate research courses. 

Australia was the top TNE host country in Australasia in 2023–24 with a total of 2,150 TNE students, down slightly from 2,275 in 2019–20. This was followed by New Zealand (455 in 2023–24, up from 445 in 2019–20), Papua New Guinea (65 in 2023–24, up from 45 in 2019–20), and Fiji (60 in 2023–24, up from 40 in 2019–20).   

Spotlight on Scotland 

The number of students on TNE courses delivered by Scottish providers has grown by +6.0% in five years, from 44,085 students in 2019–20, to 46,730 students in 2023–24. In those five years, six Scottish providers have increased their TNE student numbers by more than +25%. In 2023–24, Scottish providers delivered TNE to 190 countries and territories worldwide. 

In 2023–24, most students on Scottish TNE programmes studied via collaborative provision, a total of 18,565, compared to 15,855 that studied via distance, flexible, or distributed learning. 8,325 students studied at an overseas campus, while 3,985 students were registered at an overseas partner organisation. 

Over half of TNE students that studied with Scottish providers in 2023–24 were undergraduates, at a total of 26,780 (57.3%), while 18,850 students (40.3%) studied on postgraduate taught programmes and 1,100 students studied on postgraduate research programmes (2.4%). 

Globally, most TNE students studying with Scottish providers in 2023–24 were in Asia, a total of 20,640, with a significant quantity of 8,890 students in the Middle East and 8,420 students in Europe. China was the top host country with 8,325 students, followed by the UAE with 5,830 students and Greece with 3,595 students. 

Spotlight on Wales 

Student numbers on Welsh TNE programmes have grown by +21.4% in five years, from 28,795 students in 2019–20, to 34,945 students in 2023–24. In those five years, four Welsh providers have increased their TNE student numbers by more than +25%. In 2023–24, Welsh providers delivered TNE to 156 countries and territories worldwide. 

In 2023–24, most students on TNE programmes delivered by Welsh providers studied via collaborative provision, a total of 26,175, compared to 5,040 students that studied via distance, flexible or distributed learning. 660 students studied at an overseas campus, while 3,070 students were registered at an overseas partner organisation.  

Over half of TNE students that studied with Welsh providers in 2023–24 were undergraduates, at a total of 24,280 (69.5%), while 10,360 students (29.6%) studied on postgraduate taught programmes and 305 studied on postgraduate research programmes (0.9%). 

Globally, most TNE students studying with Welsh providers in 2023–24 were in Asia, a total of 24,510, followed by 4,075 students in Europe and 3,840 students in the Middle East. Sri Lanka was the top host country with 15,610 students, followed by China with 3,215 students and Oman with 2,805 students. 

Data about TNE is collected annually by the Higher Education Statistics Agency via the Aggregate Offshore Record (AOR). AOR data has been collected since 2007–08 from UK higher education providers who subscribe to HESA. In accordance with HESA’s Standard Rounding Methodology:  

• Data has been rounded to the nearest 5   
• Any number lower than 2.5 has been rounded to 0   
• Percentages have been suppressed where totals are less than 25   

Historically, Oxford Brookes University students accounted for over 40% of all UK HE TNE student numbers, due to a partnership with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). However, in 2019–20 Oxford Brookes University changed its reporting practices, resulting in a 256,450 reduction in the total number of students reported to HESA for the AOR between 2018–19 and 2019–20. The longitudinal analysis in this report excludes Oxford Brookes University where appropriate, to reflect sector-wide trends more accurately over time.   

All analysis in this report excludes further education provision, and provision where the location of study is marked as England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, or Jersey.  

HESA Aggregate Offshore Record 2023-24 © Jisc 2025  

Neither Jisc nor Jisc Services Limited can accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from data or other information supplied by Jisc or Jisc Services Limited through Heidi Plus.  

For more information, visit: www.hesa.ac.uk 

The data behind all charts and tables in this expanded report and the summary report are available in a downloadable file: 

• download the expanded report data  
• download the summary report data 

In both spreadsheets, each tab corresponds to a figure or table in the report and is labelled accordingly.