By Gavin Mackintosh-
The number of international students applying to undergraduate courses at UK universities has risen for a second consecutive year.
According to new statistics , 115,730 students from outside the UK applied to start in September, a figure up from 114,910 last year.
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Across the UK, there has been a 1% decline in applicants from England and Wales, a 2% decline in applicants from Northern Ireland and a 2% rise in applicants from Scotland, the university admissions service said.
However, the data shows the number of 18-year-olds in the UK applying to undergraduate courses has risen – up 0.7% on the same point last year.
A total of 316,850 18-year-olds from the UK have applied to courses this year – and Ucas said the figure was the “second highest on record”.
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A rise in applicant numbers from China and Turkey has influenced the increase in applicants to study in the UK.
The new figures come after accusations that universities have been lowering standards to recruit overseas students, including a Sunday Times report WHICH claimed international students were using “secret routes” to “buy their way in” to Russell Group universities.
Foreign students are attracted to the strong reputation of British universities, known for its high quality teaching and availability of wide resources for learning.
The government is aiming at having a target of 600,000 international students per year studying in the UK by 2030 .
The claims have sparked a review of admissions processes.
Universities are increasingly attracted to the prospect of having more foreign students as a way of sustaining funding. Fees have been capped at £9,250 for domestic students but there is no limit for international students.
Nick Hillman, of the Higher Education Policy Institute, a think-tank, said: ‘UK universities vehemently deny that international students are displacing home students and it is certainly more complicated than a straight one-for-one swap
‘No-one who uses the NHS thinks we have enough medical staff, so the declines in interest in nursing are worrying.
“There is a big gap in the rhetoric we hear from policymakers on all sides of the political spectrum about developing the NHS workforce and the actual trends in demand to enter nursing.
“It is incumbent on policymakers to engage with this data and explain how they will get UK higher education back on track.”
On the international student numbers, he added: “The fall in demand from Nigeria is regrettable but unsurprising, given the signals coming from Westminster and changes like the increase in the NHS levy as well as the economic challenges in Nigeria.
While today’s data shows a decline in applications from mature students, which will be more keenly felt in some subjects such as nursing, we know that these applicants are more likely to apply later in the cycle
Dr Jo Saxton, Ucas chief executive said: “We are now seeing the unwinding of the increases in Nigerian – and Indian – students that had been promoted by some of Boris Johnson’s changes as Prime Minister.”
Vanessa Wilson, chief executive of University Alliance, said: “The marginal increase in international student applications demonstrates the continued draw of UK higher education.
“The benefits are mutual: international students drive over £40 billion in education export income for the UK every year, approximately £560 per citizen.
“They also contribute additional subsidies to access the NHS and support the financial sustainability of our universities, enabling universities to open up more opportunities for home students without increasing the contribution of taxpayers or UK students.”
She added: “The continued decline in applications for subjects like teaching, nursing and midwifery spell trouble for the future of our public sector.
“A concerted effort to reverse these trends will be required from government, the NHS and universities if we are to meet the ambitions set out in the NHS long-term workforce plan.”
Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (Ucas) chief executive Dr Jo Saxton said the rise in international-student applications should “not be a cause of concern for prospective domestic students”, because UK applications had also risen in recent years.
Most international students in the UK study postgraduate courses, such as master’s degrees, but they are not reflected in the new Ucas data.
Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, which represents 142 higher-education institutions, welcomed the “slight increase” but warned it was only a “partial picture”.
The overall trend was “highly unpredictable”, she said, adding: “Universities are currently facing a challenging international-student recruitment landscape.”
The most a student in the UK will pay for a year of undergraduate tuition is £9,250 – the exact amount depends on where they live.
International students can pay £38,000 per year for undergraduate courses and £30,000 per year for postgraduate courses.
Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, which represents both undergraduate and postgraduate courses, suggests the number of international-student enrolments grew from 469,160 in the 2017-18 academic year to 679,970 in 2021-22.
The increase has been driven by applications for postgraduate degrees, according to University of Oxford migration research, rather than the undergraduate courses studied by many 18-year-olds in the UK.
However, new rules this year aimed at curbing migration mean international students can no longer bring family members with them unless they are on research courses or have government-funded scholarships.
A report from the British Council last week suggested the “post-Covid boom” in international-student numbers would end this year, because of “rising political pressure against migration” and the increasing cost of studying in the UK.
Signs of pressure on universities’ finances are already apparent, with job cuts recently announced at several universities, including the University of Aberdeen, which said it was facing serious financial challenges, and Staffordshire University, which cited a “turbulent student recruitment market at home and abroad”.
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