The United Kingdom has cemented itself as one of the top destinations in the world for international students. According to recently released data from the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), the country’s popularity is trending up.
Today, we’re analyzing the UK Home Office’s most recent data release in an effort to break down this encouraging growth. Which nationalities of students are building the UK’s international student population? What does the uptake on the post-study Graduate Route program look like? And how have the UK’s latest policy changes impacted prospective students’ appetites to study in the UK? Let’s find out.
Key Insights at a Glance
- There were over 477,000 study visas granted to international students in the year ending March 2023, an all-time 12-month record.1
- Myanmar (Burma) (+69.9%), Sri Lanka (+41.3%), and Iran (+37.6%) ranked as the top three fastest-growing countries in 2023.
- Over 111,000 previous students were accepted to the Graduate Route program in the year ending March 2023.
Breaking Down a Record 12-Month Period for International Education in the UK
For the year ending March 2023, there were over 477,000 sponsored study visas granted to international students in the UK, the highest recorded total since 2005.2 This 2023 record high was 22% more than in the year ending March 2022 and more than double the figure for 2019.3
Let’s take a closer look at the evolution of study visa grants in the UK over the past five years:
Despite the UK being impacted both by COVID-19 lockdown measures limiting international student mobility and the country’s exit from the EU, which disincentivized applications from European students, the UK has weathered the storm. Between 2019 and 2023, there has been a 108% increase in sponsored study visa grants to main applicants.
With July just around the corner, the UK is set to receive a major influx of study visa applications. The number of student visas issued in Q3 of 2022 increased by 29% compared to the previous year—the largest single-year increase in Q3 study visas in the last 10 years.
Over the past five years, 64% of all main applicant student visas were issued between July and September.
International students have made it clear that they’re pursuing the UK as a study destination more than ever before. But which nationalities are driving this trend?
Nationalities of Study Visas Granted to Main Applicants
Let’s take a look at the evolution of the UK’s top five nationalities of study visa applicants for the year ending March:
Unsurprisingly, Indian students dominated the study visa totals for the year ending March 2023.
There were over 138,000 study visas issued to Indian students in the year ending March 2023, an increase of 63% compared to year ending March 2022. It also marked the largest number of study visas issued to any nationality in a single year.
Grants to study for Indian nationals have skyrocketed since the year ending March 2019, and are now around seven times higher.
Chinese students were the second most common nationality issued study visas in the year ending March 2023, with over 100,000 visas issued. While this is a high number by volume, it was 14% less than the previous year. Major questions still loom over China’s potential as a source market due to complications surrounding their zero covid policy restrictions. Q3 of 2023 should tell us a lot about China’s place in the international education landscape.
Nigeria (57,636) and Pakistan (27,833) were the nationalities issued the third and fourth most study visas for the year ending March 2023 and are two of the fastest-growing markets in the UK’s international education landscape. Let’s see how they stack up against the other potent UK markets.
Fastest-Growing Countries by Study Visas Issued
As we try to understand what the future of international education looks like in the UK, growth is one of the most important metrics available to us. The following table ranks the top 10 fastest-growing nationalities by study visas issued from 2022 to 2023, year ending in March:
Between March 2022 and March 2023, there was a 22% increase in the number of study visas granted to incoming international students. Five countries posted a growth rate higher than that average.
Burma (+69.9%), Sri Lanka (+41.3%), and Iran (+37.6%) ranked as the top three countries in 2023. While their growth is definitely worth noting, the lower volumes make them less of a threat to enter the fold as a dominant market.
That’s not the case for Nigeria. Nigeria ranked as the third-largest source market and the fourth fastest-growing source market for the UK in 2023 ending in March. Nigeria’s volume of applicants and annual growth of nearly 37% makes it a country to watch in the immediate future.
Pakistan also boasts an encouraging tandem of volume and growth, making it another market to keep an eye on in the UK.
These Groups of Students are Remaining in the UK via the Graduate Route
A major draw for several of the fastest-growing countries mentioned in our last section is the UK’s Graduate Route program. With the option to live and work in the UK for at least two years following graduation with no employment restrictions, the UK is an ideal target for many students.
In the year ending March 2023, there were over 111,000 work visas issued to former international students via the Graduate Route. Here’s what that breakdown looks like by nationality:
Over 111,000 extensions were granted in the graduate category to previous students in the year ending March 2023. Indian graduates represented the largest group of students joining the Graduate Route, with four in every 10 extensions being granted to a former student from India.
Nigeria (12%), China (11%), and Pakistan (7%) were the nationalities with the next best representation in the graduate route. These countries are likely safe bets to be a part of the UK’s long-term international education landscape. High volumes of visa approvals, above-average year-over-year growth, and a desire to stay in the UK and work are the trio of characteristics that set these nations apart from the rest.
The Inability for Students to Bring Dependants Will Have Ripple Effect
The UK is as popular a destination for international students as it has ever been. The most recent UK Home Office data release not only shows a growing desire from several markets to study in the UK, but also a desire to stay and work after graduation. Numbers point toward what should be long-term sustainable growth for British institutions.
However, this data was released just one day after the United Kingdom officially barred most international students from bringing family (including children and elderly parents) as their dependents. This announcement is sure to have a noticeable impact on the application volumes of students from several markets. Many students pursue international study with the hope of bringing their loved ones with them, which will no longer be an option for them in the UK.
Provided there are no amendments made to this restriction, the next two years should reveal just how much students from certain countries value the option of bringing family members with them while they study internationally.
Surveys conducted by QS in March of 2023 revealed that 1 in 4 international students would be less likely to consider the UK as a destination. The same survey also indicated that 22% of students viewed the policy change as “discriminatory”. Based on the £41.9 billion economic contribution made by international students in the UK in 2021/22, QS modelling indicated this change could cost the UK up to £10 billion in one year.
Nigeria and India had the highest and second-highest number of dependents among study visa holders last year.4
We will be monitoring UK application data closely, paying particular attention to the fastest-growing countries, to understand how the motivational factors of prospective international students vary by nationality.
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FOOTNOTES:
1. All study visas mentioned throughout this article are for sponsored main applicants only.
2. The UK Home Office releases data quarterly, with the most recent release of data through March 2023. This article will look at data for years ending March.
3. All data courtesy of the UK Home Office, unless otherwise stated.
4. Nigeria had the highest number of dependants (66,796) of sponsored study visa holders in the year ending March 2023, increasing from 27,137 in the year ending March 2022. Indian nationals had the second highest number of dependants, increasing from 22,598 to 42,381.
