Evolving ambition: How can we achieve sustainable growth in international student recruitment?

The last two years have been a bumpy ride for international student recruitment. Yet, despite the many challenges, in 2020/21 the UK welcomed 605,130 international students to our campuses and in doing so hit the International Education Strategy’s 600,000 international enrolment target almost a decade ahead of the 2030 deadline. But how should we use this to frame our expectations as we look ahead? Are we bouncing back, or jumping forwards? The latest HESA data gives some insights, so let’s take a look.  

The changing makeup of international students 

In 2020/21 total numbers of non-EU international students grew by 10.2% to 436,005 students. This growth was underpinned by steep growth in the numbers of students coming from Nigeria (63.3% increase), Pakistan (62.1%), and India (51.8%).  Nigeria rose spectacularly, from the 9th largest source country for international students four years ago, to 3rd largest in 2020/21. China, India, Nigeria, the US, and Hong Kong were the top sending countries for international students, and Chinese and Indian students made up 32.4% and 18.3% of all non-EU students at UK higher education institutions respectively, with India closing the gap between them. 

This rapid, and clearly welcome, growth in applications requires scaling up measures, both at the institutional and national level, to train and support the international recruitment agents who support these applicants. UUKi is now working with BUILA to implement a new UK Quality Framework for international student recruitment agents, comprising a Code of Ethical Practice, a Good Practice Guide for Providers working with recruitment agents, and a refreshed suite of agent training delivered in conjunction with the British Council. We strongly encourage universities to embed the tools within their agent management processes.

Europe  

From within the EU, the top sending countries were Italy and France, which both showed marginal increases, and Romania, which increased by 19.0% compared with 2019-20. EU student numbers overall grew by 3.6% compared with 2019/20, to 148,111 students.  

For EU students starting autumn 2021 onwards, we can expect the change in fee status and access to student loans to impact on enrolments and we should factor this in when considering how we can secure and build on the UK’s 600,000 student recruitment target.

Shift to postgraduate taught (PGT) 

Whilst international undergraduate numbers have continued to grow, the combined effects of a decline in EU students, combined with an increase in non-EU international students means we may see a shift in the ratio of undergraduate to postgraduate students towards postgraduate. Whilst the increase in postgraduates underpins growth, the shorter average study duration of postgraduate students compared with undergraduates could produce more volatility in student numbers in future years. 

UK market share

When comparing rates of growth, the data show the UK falling behind competitors. Canada and Australia were the fastest growing English-speaking destinations, growing 24.3% and 14.5% respectively between 2018 and 2019. In 2019/20, the UK fell from second to third most popular study destination for international students as Australia overtook the UK for the first time.  

We saw some recovery in 2020/21 as the UK benefited from border closures and restrictions in competitor destinations, but the pre-pandemic pattern of the UK’s declining market share which is highlighted in UUKi’s ‘Why Aren’t We Second?’ report, shows we cannot be complacent as restrictions are lifted and competition for international students intensifies. 

Looking ahead, the rising demand from a range of international markets presents significant opportunities to grow and diversify international student numbers in the UK, but understanding students’ needs and expectations is key. In particular, the UK needs a sustainable and competitive post-study work offer that meets the needs of graduates and employers, and an agile and streamlined student visa process to cope with increased demand. The pandemic may have shielded us from our traditional competitors, but it also nurtured new ones as many students, particularly in East Asia chose to study closer to home. Maintaining the evidence base on the UK’s competitive advantage, including data on the outcomes of our international graduates is therefore more important than ever before.  

You can find more facts and figures on the UK’s international higher education activities in our annual publication, International Facts and Figures.

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International Facts and Figures 2022

International Facts and Figures is our annual snapshot of the international dimensions of UK higher education. Please note that due to the amount of content, some elements on this page may be slower at loading.