Rocketing number of overseas students

Between 2008/09 and 2009/10 alone there was an 11.7 per cent increase in students from outside the EU, according to a report by Universities UK.

The study, Patterns and Trends in UK Higher Education, reveals that there were 126,720 non-EU students at UK institutions in 2000/01. By 2009/10 this had risen to 280,760 – an increase of more than 121 per cent.

In 2008/09 there were 251,310 international students, the report shows.

“One of the main trends over the last 10 years has been the success of UK higher education institutions in attracting international students,” the report concludes.

The 11.7 per cent increase in international students in one year alone is four times the increase seen in UK student numbers in the same period.

In 2008/09 there were 2,027,085 UK students at UK universities, compared with 2,087,615 in 2009/10 – an increase of 3 per cent.

The report does say that the UK’s share of the international student market has reduced as other countries become more competitive in trying to attract them.

It also raises concerns about Government changes to student visas, noting that “this trend does not include the impact of recent changes to non-EU student visas, which may result in a greater loss of market share in the future”.

Overall, international students from outside the EU now account for 11.3 per cent of all students at UK institutions, compared with 6.5 per cent in 2000/01.

China (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) is still providing the highest number of international students for undergraduate degrees and postgraduate research courses, with India providing the highest number for postgraduate taught courses, the report shows.

It reveals that overall, UK universities educate around 2.5 million students annually, with a 28 per cent increase in student numbers overall in the last 10 years.