Diversifying international student recruitment

27 October 2022

International students bring a range of cultural, social and economic benefits to the UK, generating revenues that are reinvested into our world-leading education and research sectors and boosting economic growth in all regions of the country.

The reputation of our universities is an asset for the UK and in line with the Government’s International Education Strategy (IES) the sector is working hard to grow demand from new markets and reduce reliance on individual countries. The international students studying at UK universities are equivalent in export earnings to the whole of the UK automotive sector.

Progress in diversification is being made, with Russell Group universities increasing numbers of international students from key markets such as India, the UAE and Nigeria by more than 50% since 2017. However, competition for international students is fierce globally and delivering change is a long-term strategy that also requires support from government.