International student recruitment data

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) 

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.  

Source: The Home Office 

This section looks at sponsored study visas granted via the Student, Tier 4 General Student, and Student-legacy routes. The latest visa figures for the year ending September 2022 show:  

• The Home Office granted 463,315 sponsored study visas via the Student and Tier 4-General Student route. Sponsored study visas for higher education students grew by 25% compared to the year ending September 2021 and increased by 86% compared to the year ending September 2019. This indicates both a recovery and an increase on pre-pandemic student visa grants.
• India (127,556) overtook China (114,748) as the nationality with the highest number of granted study visas. There were 127,556 grants to Indian nationals, an increase of 99,362 (+68%) compared to 2019. Chinese nationals were granted the second highest number of sponsored study visas at 114,748. This number mirrors the number of visas granted to Chinese nationals in 2019 (114,646). At 242,304 visas, Chinese and Indian nationals comprise over half (52%) of all sponsored study visa grants.
• Within the top 20 nationalities for granted sponsored student visas (Tier 4 and Student), students from Bangladesh (836%), Sri Lanka (768%), and Nigeria (728%) had the largest relative increase in granted visas compared with the year ending 2019. In contrast, United States nationals only saw a modest increase of 215 (+2%) on year ending 2019.

The top ten nationalities granted study visas in year ending June 2022 were: 

1. India (127,556) 
2. China (114,748) 
3. Nigeria (50,640) 
4. Pakistan (25,224) 
5. Bangladesh (14,777) 
6. United States (14,260)
7. Malaysia (7,004)
8. Hong Kong (6,032)
9. Sri Lanka (4,816)
10.  Saudi Arabia (4,665)

Source: The Home Office 

Freedom of movement ended on 1 January 2021. The latest visa figures for the year ending September 2022 show:  

• A total of 67,861 sponsored study visas were granted to EEA and Swiss students. These visas reflect 15% of the total number of overseas student visas issued in this period.
• French students had the highest number of sponsored study grants (11,077,16% of total), followed by German students (9,988,15% of total) and Spanish students (7,891,12% of total).

• Together these three nationalities accounted for over half (53%) 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 new Graduate route allows eligible students to stay in the UK for a period of 2 or 3 years after successfully completing their studies to work or look for work.

The latest visa figures for the year ending September 2022 show:  

• 59,937 individuals were granted the new Graduate visa.
• The Graduate visa had a rejection rate of 1%, implying that most students that choose to apply can access the Graduate route. 
• Indian, Nigerian, and Chinese students form the top 3 nationalities progressing onto the Graduate route and account for almost 63% of all accepted applications. Indian nationals accounted for 43% of grants.  

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

Internationally, a total of 149,840 people of all ages applied (+5% on 2021), with 73,820 accepted (+5%). 125,820 people applied from outside the EU (+14%) with 64,285 accepted (+15%); while 24,015 people applied from within the EU (-23%) with 11,365 accepted (-28%). This year also saw the highest number of accepted applicants on record from China (+13% on 2021), India (+44%) and Nigeria (+33%).