The UK higher education system is amongst the best in the world
with British universities regularly ranked among the top
establishments worldwide for teaching and research.
Obviously, this is fantastic for people who live in the UK, but
it also means this country’s universities are attractive to
people from overseas and we want them to be able to benefit from
and contribute to our world leading establishments too.
International students enrich the university experience for all
students, including those from the UK themselves. They bring
greater diversity to university and college campuses adding an
international dimension. For both international and domestic
students, this cultural exchange helps build life-long
friendships, future networks, and important business, political
and diplomatic bridges.
Our commitment to welcoming international students is set out in
the International Education
Strategy, which has an ambition to host at least 600,000
international education students in the UK each year by 2030.
We are proud that so many international students choose to study
here each year, and our HE providers are looking forward to
welcoming them in the new academic year.
Here we answer some of your questions about how the UK system
welcomes students from abroad.
How do international students access UK
universities?
For international undergraduate students, the application process
is the same as for UK students.
First, they decide on the course and university they want to
study at then they apply – sometimes through the University and
College Admission Service (UCAS) like domestic students but often
by applying directly to the university through agencies. Their
chosen university will look at their application and decide
whether to make a conditional offer (where the applicant will
have to achieve certain grades) or an unconditional offer (where
the place is guaranteed).
Most UK based students will get a student loan to help pay for
their tuition fees and other expenses, but the majority of
international students must prove they have enough money to pay
for their course and support themselves in the UK before being
granted a visa to study in the UK. Some students might access
loan systems through their home countries to support their
studies and some may also apply for partial scholarships or
bursaries from their selected institutions or external
organisations.
Alongside the financial requirements of studying in the UK, there
are other steps students need to comply with to be granted a
student visa to be able to come to the country to
study. You can find out more
here. This includes holding a certain level of English.
How many international students are there at UK
universities?
There were 605,130 international students in the UK in 2020/21.
Of these, 152,905 are from the EU (25%) and 452,225 are from
outside the EU (75%). This compares with 2,146,475 for the total
number of UK domestic students. International students make up
around 22% of the student
population.
What are the benefits for UK universities from
international students coming here to study?
International students make a significant economic and cultural
contribution to the UK’s higher education sector as well as to
the wider economy and country.
In 2019, international students at UK universities generated an
estimated £15.8 billion in exports through living expenditure and
tuition fees, up from £14.2 billion in 2018. Their economic
impact has been valued at £28.8
billion to the UK per year.
Do universities prioritise international students for
places?
Universities allocate and offer places to students in separate
streams – for those who are from the UK and for those that are
from overseas. It is a myth that offering a place to an
international student takes away a place from a student from the
UK.
Most universities have separate home and international student
recruitment targets, set before the admissions cycle even begins.
Universities plan their student numbers carefully, not least
because there are important implications for the provision of
student support and wellbeing services, accommodation, and
everything else needed to deliver the best student experience.
While we know that international students make an important
contribution to the diversity of our universities, we also know
that the number of UK students studying across the
country is going up, not down. This has been the case for the
last five academic years. Last year, over two million
UK students were studying for a higher education
qualification in this country. UK students take up the vast
majority of places on university undergraduate courses,
accounting for 84.3% of the undergraduate student population.
