UK universities’ appeal to foreign students under threat, study says

UK universities are losing out on applications and acceptances from international students due to high costs, visa difficulties, and poor marketing strategies compared to other international competitors, officials have warned.

A recent study by Universities UK International, who represent higher education abroad, showed that Britain was at risk of losing its status as the most popular destination after the US for international applicants.

Universities in countries like Germany, France, and the Netherlands have grown in popularity, offering a growing range of courses taught in English at significantly lower rates to UK universities. The study also revealed that increased numbers of international students have instead set their sights on programmes in Canada, Russia, China and Turkey.

Universities UK International has called for the provision of more scholarships, lower visa fees, and a revamped advertising campaign for the value of a UK education, as well as an increased effort to help foreign students secure UK-based jobs after their studies.

“We need to work hard to recover our position in a range of countries where the UK used to be a first or second-choice destination, but isn’t any more,” said Vivienne Stern, director of Universities UK International.

The study published Monday showed that the UK remained an attractive option, recruiting eight percent of the global market, second only to the US with 17 percent.

However, the latest Unesco data showed that between 2017 and 2018 the UK’s market share dropped in 16 out of 21 of the world’s top sending countries and territories including India, Pakistan, and Nigeria.

New date released by the Universities and College Admissions Service (Ucas) showed that the number of applications from EU students was down 43 percent to 28,400, offset by a 14 percent increase in non-EU applications up to 102,000.

Simon Marginson, a professor of higher education at Oxford University responded to the studies saying: “The demand for UK international education is very resilient . . . [It] has advantages as the heartland provider of English language higher education that western Europe cannot match.”