U.K. universities recorded a historic fall in international student numbers last year, with enrolments from key source countries such as India and China declining for a second consecutive year amid tighter immigration and visa policies.
New data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), released last week, shows that while domestic student numbers rose by 1% to 2.2 million in the 2024–25 academic year—ending two years of decline—international enrolments fell by 6% to 685,565.
The decrease, driven mainly by students from outside the European Union, marks the steepest annual drop on record and leaves overseas student numbers 10% below their peak in 2022–23.
Undergraduate recruitment saw a modest improvement, with undergraduates making up 31% of new international entrants, up from 28% a year earlier. However, the overall decline was concentrated at postgraduate level, where enrolments dropped by 10%.
HESA attributed the downturn to several factors, including restrictions on dependent visas, uncertainty around immigration policy, tighter scrutiny of post-study work routes, unfavorable exchange rates, and the rising cost of living in the U.K. Times Higher Education quoted the agency as saying.
EU student numbers fell sharply by 16%, while enrolments from outside the bloc declined by 5%. Despite the drop, non-EU students now account for 91% of the U.K.’s international student population.
Indian students remained the largest overseas cohort, despite an 11.5% year-on-year decline to 146,480, following a 5% fall the previous year. Recruitment from China also continued to weaken, falling 4.3% to 143,200 after a 3% decline the year before.
Nigeria slipped to fourth place among top source countries after student numbers more than halved since 2022–23 to just over 38,040. Pakistan moved up to become the third-largest sender of students, recording a 6% increase in new entrants to 48,335. Nepal rose to fifth place after enrolments surged by 91% in a single year to 24,435, with the U.K. now recruiting about 15 times more students from Nepal than it did four years ago.
The shifting enrolment patterns follow a series of immigration and visa reforms introduced by the U.K. government over the past two years.
According to Home Office figures released last year, 431,725 sponsored study visas were granted in the year ending June 2025, representing an 18% decline from the previous year. The fall was largely due to an 81% drop in dependent visas after a policy change, while visas issued to main student applicants fell only slightly—by just over 4%.
The Home Office said the reduction stemmed from rules introduced for courses starting on or after January 1, 2024, which allow only research-based postgraduate students to bring dependents to the U.K.
Further changes are expected to intensify the trend. In October, the Home Office announced plans to shorten the post-graduation stay period for international students. From January 2027, graduates with bachelor’s and master’s degrees will be permitted to stay in the U.K. for only 18 months after completing their studies, down from the current two years. PhD graduates will retain the three-year stay option.
In addition, the government has raised financial proof requirements for student visa applicants. Depending on location, international students must now show monthly funds of between £1,171 and £1,529, with the highest threshold applying to those studying in London.
