Briefing: international students at Alliance universities

Why have international student numbers grown in the UK over the last 20 years?

1. Changing global economies
   • In 2004, the British Council’s Vision 2020 predicted a 157% growth in demand for international higher education worldwide by 2020 as GDP per capita grew in countries across the world. It theorised that as the middle classes grew in countries with less established university sectors, more students would seek higher education overseas in countries like the UK, USA, Canada and Australia. The prediction was accurate, with growth in demand reaching 152% worldwide.
     
2. Government strategy
   • Despite growth in demand for international higher education worldwide, the UK lost significant market share between 2008 and 2017 as more international students chose destinations like Australia, which offered the additional benefit of an opportunity to work in the country for a short time after graduating. Universities UK estimated that this cost the UK between £1.9 and £2.9 billion in education export income between 2013 and 2015.
   • Because of this, and recognising the value of education exports to the UK economy and in funding UK education, in 2019 the government at the time introduced an International Education Strategy, aiming to regain market share, diversify recruitment markets and grow education exports.
   • The education strategy precipitated a number of changes which helped regain market share. These included:
     • The introduction of the Graduate Visa Route, which allowed international students to work in the UK for two years after graduating and brought the UK in line with competitors.
     • Signing a memorandum of understanding with India to recognise each others’ qualifications, meaning that UK one-year masters’ degrees are now formally recognised in India.
     • Increasing investment in the Study UK campaign, which promoted UK universities in a greater diversity of countries overseas.
       
3. The UK’s global reputation
   • In March 2024, the University Alliance Students’ Unions network interviewed international students to find out more about their experiences and study choices. International students cited a number of reasons for choosing the UK, including the culture, familiarity with the country and to advance their career. By far the most popular answer, however, was that the UK is globally renowned for high-quality education. All of the international students interviewed gave this reason.
     
4. The funding environment for universities
   • As the UK tuition fee has been frozen at almost the same level since 2012, while costs have risen steeply, UK universities now make a loss on both educating UK students and on research activity. Growing international student numbers has played an essential role in filling this funding gap.
   • This has been supported by the government’s international education strategy, which has encouraged universities to grow their global footprint.

Hear from some of our international students why they chose the UK, in their own words:

Why have international student numbers in the UK declined since 2024?

Much like the rest of the sector, most Alliance universities experienced a drop in international student applications in 2024.

The number of international students applying for visas to study in the UK declined by 19% between the year ending September 2023 and the year ending September 2024.

There are a number of likely reasons for this:

• In December 2023, the government announced it was banning international Master’s students from bringing their children or other dependents with them to the UK.
• Some countries such as Nigeria, which send a large number of students to the UK every year, have experienced recent economic shocks/declines.
• Negative rhetoric towards international students from UK politicians and media is echoed in the press worldwide, leading to perceptions that the UK is unwelcoming.

What are the drivers behind growth in international student numbers at Alliance universities in recent years?

All parts of the UK sector have experienced growth in international student numbers over recent years, for the reasons stated above.

Nonetheless, Alliance universities have increased their market share in international student recruitment in recent years.

In March 2024, the University Alliance Students’ Unions network interviewed international students on their campuses to find out more about their experiences and study choices. We asked them what they thought the drivers were behind growing numbers of international students choosing their universities. This is a summary of our findings:

• International markets tend to be more influenced by specific measures of teaching quality and student experience, rather than commercial rankings:
  • International students who were interviewed referenced the fact that their courses received Gold awards in the government’s Teaching Excellence Framework: Alliance universities are the most likely group of universities to be ranked gold for teaching excellence in the government’s Teaching Excellence Framework.
  • The majority of international students (70% across the sector) are studying at postgraduate level, and a number of students interviewed mentioned that their university scored highly in postgraduate student experience metrics.
• Employer contact and professional accreditation were also decision making factors for international students. Many chose their degree at an Alliance university because it was professionally accredited, because it included a placement or because it was practical and industry-focused. The universities represented by University Alliance specialise in this kind of industry-engaged course, and the latest available data shows that one third of courses at an Alliance university are accredited.
• International markets can also be price sensitive, especially considering that much of the growth in demand for international education is coming from middle-income families. Whilst all universities have courses which sit within a range of price brackets, many universities set fees at a competitive rate as they enter new international markets. This has been the case for some Alliance universities.

By many of the government’s own measures of quality, including the Teaching Excellence Framework and the National Student Survey, Alliance Universities are some of the highest quality universities in the UK. International students know that, and it goes some way to explaining why our members have increased their market share in international recruitment over recent years.

Hear from some of our international students why they chose to study at an Alliance university:

Are international student numbers at Alliance universities growing now?

No. Much like the rest of the sector, most Alliance universities have experienced a drop in international student applications in 2024, and for some this has meant fewer enrolments.

Are Alliance universities attracting the ‘brightest and the best’ international students?

The previous government explicitly stated that it wanted to attract the ‘brightest and best’ international students.

In 2024, then Home Secretary James Cleverly asked the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the graduate route to identify whether it was achieving the aim of attracting the ‘brightest and best’ international students. In its subsequent rapid review of the graduate route, the MAC highlighted that it was not possible to assess this because there is no clear and widely agreed definition of what is meant by the term ‘brightest and best.’

Whilst ‘brightest and best’ is not clearly defined, international students at Alliance universities are often highly impressive individuals. Given that they are mostly postgraduate students, and that they need access to significant funds to be granted a student visa and to afford to study in the UK, many have already had successful careers in their home countries. All postgraduate international students will already have undergraduate degrees, and many will have previous postgraduate degrees as well.

Hear from some of our international students about their experience prior to studying at an Alliance university:

Case studies

After completing a bachelor’s degree in his home country of Nigeria, Husseini Musa practiced professionally as a Quantity Surveyor for close to a decade, where he gained practical experience in the field of construction.

He wanted to enhance his expertise further, and applied to the MSc Construction Project Management (CPM) course at the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture & Built Environment at Robert Gordon University.

A few months before completing his master’s programme, Husseini secured a full-time job as a Quantity Surveyor with Bouygues UK Construction, a leading construction company.

Husseini Musa (Nigeria) – MSc Construction Project Management, Robert Gordon University.

Having spent several years as Senior Architectural Designer at Places for People, one of the UK’s largest social hosing providers, Shabnam now puts her architectural training into practice as Design Lead at Modularwise.  Modularwise is a leading UK manufacturer of offsite constructed modular buildings and extensions for residential and commercial applications.  

Shabnam has also contributed to the fight against cancer, as co-creator of TrueInvivo, a system that helps target radiation therapy and reduces the number of healthy cells destroyed during cancer treatment. 

Shabnam Jamshidi (Iran) – 2014 Architecture (Design), Kingston University

Cameron won the inaugural Conran Shop Designer of the Future Award in 2021 for his design: the One Step Ladder. Cameron works in London as a designer maker; his practice is aimed at informing people about the value of craft and handmade objects. 

Cameron Rowley (South Africa) – 2021 BA Product & Furniture Design, Kingston University.

Are international students taking places away from UK students at Alliance universities?

No. The vast majority of students at Alliance universities are from the UK. Overall, 73% of students enrolling at an Alliance university in 2022/21 were from the UK.

Alliance universities have plenty of places for UK students who meet their entry requirements, and the capacity to grow places if demand grows.

The growth in international students has been concentrated at postgraduate level, for which there is lower demand from UK students.

Why are international students so important to the UK?

It is important for the UK to be competitive in its offer to international students because of the many ways they benefit the country:

• International students ensure that the UK remains globally connected and respected: international students educated here are more likely to do business with the UK in the future, and educating world leaders at UK universities solidifies the UK’s soft power. In 2023, over one-quarter of the world’s countries were headed by someone who was educated in the UK.
• International students contribute over £40 billion in education export income for the UK every year: approximately £560 per citizen per year (figures from 2021/22).
• To name just a few examples of the economic contributions of international students: they drive revenue for local businesses like shops, restaurants and taxi firms as well as driving business for the construction and tourism industries and contributing financially to the NHS through the NHS health surcharge they are required to pay.
• International students support the financial sustainability for our universities without increasing the contribution of taxpayers or students: international student fees now subsidise loss-making research and teaching for UK students to the tune of £3bn a year. 

Case studies

Hamid Ibrahim co-founded entertainment company Kugali Media after graduating from the University of Hertfordshire with a degree in 3D Animation and Visual Effects in 2017.
 
The production company has collaborated with Disney on ‘Iwájú’, a six-part animated series which was released this year.

Hamid Ibrahim (Uganda) – BA (Hons) 3D Animation and Visual Effects, University of Hertfordshire

Wulan was honoured at the Study UK Alumni Awards in Indonesia for her research into environmental sustainability and water quality.

Her PhD focused on the pharmaceutical contamination of Jakarta Bay in Indonesia. Its recommendations formed the foundations of new guidelines which set out how wastewater is managed in Indonesia’s capital city, which is home to more than 11m residents .

Wulan Koagouw (Indonesia) – PhD Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton

After graduating, Hamadh returned to the Maldives where he worked in the private sector as a business consultant, before becoming the Deputy Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation for the Maldivian Government

Hamadh Abdul Ghanee (Maldives) – BEng Aerospace Engineering, Kingston University

What is the graduate route, and why is it important?

It is important for the UK to be competitive in its offer to international students because of the many ways they benefit the country.

The Graduate Visa Route, which offers international graduates the opportunity to stay in the UK for two years after graduating to find work, is an essential part of the UK’s offer to international students.

Despite growth in demand for international higher education worldwide, the UK lost significant market share between 2008 and 2017 as more international students chose destinations like Australia, which offered the additional benefit of an opportunity to work in the country for a short time after graduating. Universities UK estimated that this cost the UK between £1.9 and £2.9 billion in education export income between 2013 and 2015.

This is what some of our international students said about why the route is important to them: