UCAS has forecasted that the number of international undergraduate applicants to UK institutions will increase by 46% to 208,500 by 2026.
In the Where Next? What influences the choices international students make? report, co-authored with College Board, UCAS found that the UK’s universities and colleges are held in “the highest regard” by prospective students. As the world emerges from the pandemic there is “renewed interest in living and learning” in the country, it added.
The report shows that “international students apply for a focused group of subjects, are highly independent with their research, and around half follow in their parents’ footsteps by studying abroad”.
“Our findings from this joint research with College Board focus on international students’ mindsets and what they want from their higher education experience,” Clare Marchant, UCAS chief executive, said in a statement.
