International student recruitment data

This page includes the most up-to-date figures on: 

• new enrolments from international students 
• student visa applications 
• applications from international students made through UCAS 
• where students worldwide are interested in studying 
• regional and country breakdowns of where and what students are studying, or want to study 

Including data from HESA, UCAS, the Home Office, ONS, IDP Connect and Study Portals. This data is updated on a quarterly basis.

With thanks to IDP Connect and Study Portals for providing exclusive access to their insights data.

Key facts: 

• In 2020-21 there were 605,130 international students studying in the UK. 152,905 of these were from the EU and 452,225 were non-EU.
• In the year ending December 2021 there were 432,279 Sponsored study visas granted (including dependents). This is the highest annual number of study visas granted on record and represents both a recovery from the lower number of visas granted during the Covid-19 pandemic but also an increase on pre-pandemic levels. 

Global data

How many international students are there in the UK and where do they come from?

How is the number of new enrolments from each sending country changing year on year?​

How many students applied for a study visa in recent years and where do they come from?​

How many international students applied to study in the UK through UCAS?

How many international students are there in the UK and where do they come from? 

Source: HESA. Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2020/21 – Where students come from and go to study. Accessed Online: April 2022 

In 2020-21, there were 605,130 international students studying at UK higher education institutions. 152,905 of these students were from the EU and 452,225 were non-EU students. 

Chinese students made up the largest group of international students with 143,820 studying in the UK in 2020-21. China was followed by 84,555 students from India and 21,305 from Nigeria (up from 13,020 students in 2019-20). 

Italian and French students remain the two largest cohorts from the EU with 14,605 and 14,090 students respectively studying in the UK in 2020-21. 

In 2020-21 the total number of non-EU students grew by 10.6% whilst EU students grew by 3.5%. 

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), dropping by 4.9% to 99,160 students. New enrolments from India totalled 53,015 students in 2020-21 (up 26.8% on 2019-20), reflecting continued growth but at a slower rate than in previous years (42.8% increase in 2018-19, and 128.4% increase in 2019-20). However, students from China and India still represented 37.4% and 18.7% of all new enrolments from outside the EU. 

Within the EU, the highest number of new enrolments came from France (6,630), Italy (6,220), and Romania (6,040). New enrolments from France stagnated between 2019-20 and 2020-21, after declining year-on-year between 2016-17 and 2019-20. New enrolments from Italy grew slightly in 2020-21, after declining year-on-year between 2016-17 and 2018-19. The number of enrolments from Romania have grown year-on-year since 2017-18. New enrolments from Romania totalled 6,040 students in 2020-21 (up 23.6% on 2019-20). 

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, most major sending countries total student population and new enrolments increased in growth from 2019-20 to 2020-21. Nigeria and Pakistan were the fastest growing sending countries. New enrolments from these two countries increased by 88.51% and 81.47%. 

The total student population from the US, a top sender, fell between 2019-20 and 2020-21 after declining over the past 3 years.  Students from Malaysia and Germany have also declined steadily over the past 5 years, dropping by 30.2% and 12.4% respectively since 2016-17. 

According to HESA total enrolment figures for the top 10 sending countries to the UK in 2020-21 were:  

1. China (143,820) 

2. India (84,555) 

3. Nigeria (21,305), up 6 places from 2019-20 

4. United States (19,220) 

5. Hong Kong (SAR) (16,655) 

6. Italy (14,605) 

7. France (14,090) 

8. Pakistan (12,975) 

9. Romania (12,860) 

10. Spain (12,290) 

How is the number of new enrolments from each sending country changing year on year?​

Source: HESA. Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2020/21 – Where students come from and go to study. Accessed Online: April 2022 

According to HESA the number of new enrolments for the top 10 sending countries to the UK in 2020-21 were:  

1. China (99,160) 

2. India (53,015) 

3. Nigeria (14,270), up 6 places from 2019-20 

4. United States (9,870) 

5. Pakistan (8,420) 

6. Hong Kong (SAR) (7,120) 

7. France (6,630) 

8. Italy (6,220) 

9. Romania (6,040) 

10. Spain (5,435) 

First year enrolments:  

In 2020-21, the number of international students (EU and non-EU) enrolling for the first-year of an undergraduate degree decreased by 0.7% from 130,055 to 129,145 students. Non-EU first-year undergraduates decreased by 3.4% from 2019-20 after growing by 20.5% the previous year. In contrast, EU first-year undergraduates increased by 6.0% in 2020-21 after falling by 0.1% the previous year. 

In 2020-21, the number of first-year international postgraduates grew by 6.7% on 2019-20, (down from a growth of 19.5% the previous year) totalling 202,410 students. In contrast to first-year undergraduate students, this reflected a rise in first-year non-EU postgraduate students, which increased by 7.5%. The number of first-year EU postgraduate students also increased by 1.2%. 

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

The postgraduate student population totalled 290,295 in 2020-21 (up 15.7% on 2019-20). 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 (212,515) increased by 17.7% between 2019-20 and 2020-21, while non-EU PGR students (34,015) and EU PGT students (31,045) increased by just 4.7% and 1.5%. EU PGR students (12,720) decreased by 2.9% for the same period.   

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

In 2020-21, first-year postgraduate enrolments grew from both in and outside the EU. This growth was similar among non-EU PGT and PGR enrolments, which increased by 7.6% and 6.9% respectively on 2019-20. EU PGT and PGR enrolments grew by 1.0% and 2.8% respectively on 2019-20.  

How many students applied for a study visa in recent years, and where do they come from?

Source: The Home Office 

The latest visa figures for the year to December 2021 show:  

• There were 432,279 study visas (including the Child Study Visa) granted. This is the highest annual number of study visas granted on record and represents both a recovery from the lower number of visas granted during the Covid-19 pandemic but also an increase on pre-pandemic levels. It is 41% higher than the previous record of 307,394 which occurred in the year ending June 2010. 

• Chinese nationals were the most common nationality granted study visas in 2021 with 119,334 visas granted, accounting for 28% of the total study visas granted. There were 98,747 grants to Indian nationals in 2021, an increase of 46,737 (+90%) compared to the previous year, and 164% higher than 2019. Taken together, Chinese and Indian nationals together comprise half (50%) of all study grants. 

• Looking at where other students came to the UK from, Nigerian nationals saw the largest relative increase in study visas granted compared with 2019, increasing by 34,816 (+415%), to a record high of 43,200. This makes Nigeria the third largest nationality group in the year ending December 2021. Pakistani nationals also saw a large increase of 12,606 across this period (+256%). In contrast, United States nationals only saw a modest increase of 786 (+5%) on 2019. 

• Additionally, Bangladeshi nationals increased from just 2,172 to 10,999 (+406%) compared with 2019. This made Bangladeshi nationals the sixth largest group. 

The top five nationalities granted study visas in 2021 were: 

1. China (119,334) 

2. India (98,747) 

3. Nigeria (43,200) 

4. Pakistan (17,533) 

5. United States (15,623) 

How many international students applied to study in the UK through UCAS? 

Source: UCAS (UCAS end of cycle 2021: strong demand for UK HE amidst a global pandemic | Undergraduate | UCAS) 

Internationally, a total of 142,925 people of all ages applied (-5% on 2020), with 70,005 accepted (+1%). 111,255 people applied from outside the EU (+12%) with 54,030 accepted (+2%); while 31,670 people applied from within the EU (-40%) with 16,025 accepted (-50%).