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.  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 June 2023 show:

• The Home Office granted 498,626 sponsored study visas. Sponsored study visas for higher education students grew by 23.0% compared to year ending June 2022 and increased by 108.4% compared to the year ending June 2019. The rate of growth in the latest year ending June 2023 was slower than in the preceding year ending June 2022 (62.4%), reflecting sector efforts to stabilise and diversify recruitment.
• India (142,848) was above China (107,670) as the nationality with the highest number of granted study visas, with an increase of 122,481 (+601.4%) compared to 2019. Chinese nationals were granted the second highest number of sponsored study visas, despite seeing a slight decrease of 7,010 (-6.1%) compared to the preceding year. At a combined 250,518 visas, Chinese and Indian nationals comprise half (50.2%) of all sponsored study visa grants. 
• Within the top 20 nationalities for granted sponsored student visas, students from Nepal (58.2%), Sri Lanka (102.1%), and Nigeria (72.8%) had the largest relative increases in granted visas compared with the year ending June 2022. The United States remains in the top five nationalities with 15,358 Graduate visas granted, a modest increase of 114 (0.7%) on the preceding year, and 552 (3.7%) on year ending June 2019. 

The top ten nationalities granted study visas in year ending June 2023 were: 

1. India (142,848) 
2. China (107,670) 
3. Nigeria (58,680) 
4. Pakistan (28,864)
5. United States (15,358)
6. Bangladesh (13,179) 
7. Hong Kong (7,355)
8. Malaysia (6,955)
9. Sri Lanka (6,384)
10. Nepal (5,757)

Source: The Home Office

Freedom of movement ended on 01 January 2021. The latest visa figures for the year ending June 2023 show:  

• A total of 23,912 Sponsored study visas were granted to EEA and Swiss students. These visas reflect 4.8% of the total number of overseas student visas issued in this period. 
• German students had the highest number of Sponsored study grants (4,373, 18.3% of total, up 4.6% on previous year), followed by French students (4,286, 17.9% of total, up 0.6% on previous year) and Spanish students (3,380, 14.1% of total, down 8.6% on previous year).  
• Together these three nationalities accounted for half (50.3%) 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 2 or 3 years after successfully completing their studies to work or look for work. 

The latest visa figures for the year ending June 2023 show:  

• 98,394 individuals were granted a Graduate visa, an increase of 41,936 (74.3%) on the previous year. The Graduate visa had a rejection rate of 0.7%, implying that most students that choose to apply can access the Graduate route.   
• Indian, Chinese, and Nigerian students form the top three nationalities progressing onto the Graduate route, with increases of 77.4%, 73.8% and 90.9% on year ending June 2022, respectively. These nationalities account for 64.2% of all accepted applications. Indian nationals account for 42.0% of grants. 
• The year ending June 2023 showed the first signs of EU students beginning to use the Graduate route in significant numbers. The total number of Graduate visas granted to EU students was 1,385, up from only 53 in the previous year.

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%).