British universities are likely to see the “post-Covid boom” in international student mobility come to an end this year, a report has found.
Changes to migration policy and the increasing costs of UK study could see inbound student mobility to the UK decline for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the British Council.
Universities in the UK will be under greater pressure to communicate more proactively to Chinese students about graduate routes and career service offerings amid rising youth unemployment in China, researchers have said.
It comes after Universities UK (UUK) announced last week that it would review international student admissions processes following concerns about the recruitment practices of overseas students.
The British Council report – which warned of “short-term pain” in international recruitment – has predicted that 2024 will be a “transitional year” for British universities as they adjust to slower growth rates and rising competition.
Researchers studied changes in UK study visa issuance, UK share of international students, changes in GBP exchange rates in the UK’s largest student markets and US study visa data.
The report concluded that growth in new enrolments of international students will “slow” in the UK.
A strong pound in 2024 could put the cost of British education “out of reach for a significant share of international students” as parents experience “sticker shock” when viewing the UK fees, the research has suggested.
This will be felt most acutely in some of the UK’s largest student markets – such as Nigeria, Pakistan and Ghana, as well as in some of the developed markets of east Asia.
