Data from September 2025 enrolments is here and does not paint a good picture for Universities in UK. As per the information now available, fresh enrolments for postgraduate international students has seen a decline for second year in a row. Overall postgraduate international student enrolment dipped by 6 percent for September 2025-26 academic year from same time period last year.
British Universities International Liaison Association (BUILA) conducted a survey in November of 2025 of 69 universities in UK. Of these, as many as 61% universities reported a drop in enrolments. Largest drop was seen in international enrolments from China, followed by India.
Interestingly, UK Universities saw an increased growth in postgraduate enrolment from EU and USA. A modest rise of 13% and 19% respectively from the two regions were recorded. This number, however, fails to offset the absolute values when compared to the number of students from China and India.
A decline of 19% in the international enrolments from China and another 9% from India has pushed the overall international enrolments to a negative growth. The decline is not as marked as was the case in November 2024 where over 80% universities had reported a dip.
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The Declining Pool of International Students – a Matter of Worry for UK Universities
Much like their US counterparts, a large part of the higher education system of UK depends international students. In 2023-24, as much as 71% of all full time postgraduate students were international students.
Andrew Bird, chair of BUILA raised concerns over the continued decline and attributed it to “increased competition from other global education destinations”. Speaking to the PIE News, he said, “With global competition intensifying, the government must act to protect the UK’s reputation as a world-leading study destination while balancing its immigration agenda.”
The decline is also attributed to the changing visa policies and is expected to further intensify. The issuance of study visas dipped by 19% in the period between 2022 and 2024.
In the coming years, with the imposition of the international student levy, it is expected that the numbers may still slide.
For the uninformed, UK has decided to introduce a flat fee of GBP 925 from August 2028. Universities will be extended an allowance only for the first 220 students every year. Other changes like reduction in graduate route and post study work visa time from 2 years to 18 months are also expected to dent the already declining numbers.
Universities rely heavily on international students for their budgets. The changing financial dynamics has prompted many varsities to reach out to UK government, seeking stability in international enrolments.