After worrying international enrolment trends in 2024, UK universities look poised for a better year beginning with the January 2025 intake. That outlook is informed by some advance data from service providers such as the student recruitment platform Enroly and enrolment services specialist UniQuest.
According to reports in Times Higher Education, international student deposits made through Enroly for the January 2025 intake are 27% higher than last year, and issuances of acceptance letters are up 14%. This is uplifting news especially since student visa applications in the first three quarters of 2024 were down 16% compared with the previous year.
Separate data from UniQuest also confirms international students’ renewed interest in the UK. UniQuest reviewed more than 40,000 applications for the January 2025 intake and found that firm acceptances (i.e., students who have said a definite yes to their offers) are up by 31% over 2024. Indian acceptances grew by 11%, and Pakistani acceptances jumped by 91%.
UK gained at the end of a year where Canada and Australia struggled
A Fall 2024 ApplyBoard pulse survey conducted among international student counsellors in 40 countries offered an early indication of a rebound. In that survey, the UK emerged as the second most attractive destination after the US, ahead of Australia and Canada. Australia and Canada were in the news all year for their respective governments’ efforts to curb international student numbers.
ApplyBoard notes: “With student interest towards destinations like Canada and Australia falling, UK institutions—and specifically UK universities—have an opportunity to reverse year-over-year declines and make 2025 a year of growth.”
Speaking to The Guardian in September 2024, Professor Max Lu, vice-chancellor of the University of Surrey, said that UK universities were greatly benefitting from the welcoming tone set by education secretary Bridget Phillipson. Less than a month into her new role in the Labour government, Ms Phillipson delivered a speech in which she declared that international students were valuable contributors to the UK. Prof Su said:
“I’ve had feedback from our agents, in China, India and south and south-east Asian markets. All the agents’ feedback has been very positive, and it’s been very well received.
I got a briefing from my director of admissions saying that international postgraduate conversion rates have gone up. I can pay a tribute to our secretary of state, Bridget Phillipson, because her message was widely publicised internationally, that international students are welcome, they contribute not only economically but also culturally and to diversity and everything else.”
Some source regions are up, some are down
According to the Enroly data, the rebound is being driven by students from East Africa (84% more deposits), West Africa (+27%), and South Asia (31%). Strong growth markets include Kenya, Nigeria, and Nepal. Deposits were down by over 30%, however, from students in the Middle East and East Asia.
In January 2024, the former Sunak government terminated international students’ ability to bring dependants if students are pursuing master’s-taught courses. It is likely no coincidence that in contrast to other types of programmes, deposits for master’s-taught courses are off slightly compared with last year. Otherwise, deposits were up 15% for postgraduate research programmes (which do allow dependants), and 7% for undergraduate programmes (which have never been tied to the ability to bring dependants).
