Statistics released by UCAS today have revealed that the total number of international applicants to UK universities has increased to 138,050 in 2023, from 134,870 last year, equivalent to a 2.4% rise, but domestic student applications have dropped.
International applications made via the service have almost returned to pre-Covid 2019 figures when UCAS received 138,770 international applications. The figures come as anti-immigrant politicians are pressing the government to reduce international student numbers in the UK and universities are accused of favouring international students ahead of domestic applicants.
The UCAS increase is a result of a continued surge in non-EU applicants, which by June 2023 had hit 115,650, surpassing last year’s record of 111,720 non-EU students.
Numbers of EU student applications have however continued to drop. The 22,400 applications from the continent is slightly down on the 23,160 in 2022, compared with a high of 51,310 in 2019. EU students lost access to home fees in the 2021/22 academic year, after the UK left the European Union.
