Student Migration to the UK

This briefing examines international students in the UK. It presents statistics on their numbers, characteristics, economic impact, what they do after their studies, and how many settle in the UK.

How many international students are granted visas in the UK?

Student migration to the UK has fallen after reaching record levels in 2022. Around 407,000 visas were issued to international students in 2025, excluding family members. Numbers increased slightly after two years of decline but were 16% lower than in 2022. However, student migration to the UK remained substantially higher than in the 2010s.

Restrictions aimed at reducing net migration likely explain at least part of the recent decline in the number of international students. Since January 2024, international students on a postgraduate taught course, such as a master’s degree, have not been permitted to bring their partner and minor children with them to the UK. The Labour government retained these measures after coming into office, and announced further restrictions. From January 2027, the standard length of the post-study Graduate Visa will be reduced from 24 to 18 months. Universities in England will also face a new levy of £925 a year for each international student starting in the 2028/29 academic year.

Figure 1

The previous sharp increase in student migration between 2019 and 2022 was mostly driven by a combination of government policy and financial incentives for universities. In 2019, the government announced an explicit target to increase international student numbers to 600,000 by 2030, which was already achieved in 2021 (see Figure 3). The Graduate route was also introduced in 2021, allowing international students to live and work in the UK for two years after graduation, or three years for PhD graduates. At the same time – as we discuss in more detail below – universities in the UK faced strong financial incentives to recruit more international students since they pay significantly higher fees than domestic students.

How many family members do international students bring with them to the UK?

Around 20,000 visas were issued to student dependants in 2025 – 86% lower than in 2023, when a record number of 143,000 student dependant visas were issued. As mentioned above, dependants were no longer allowed to join international students on a postgraduate taught course after January 2024. Only international students on postgraduate research courses, such as two-year research master’s degrees and PhDs, continue to be able to bring dependants (dependants were previously allowed to join undergraduates, but this was restricted in 2011).

The average number of dependants per international student fell by a factor of six from 0.31 in 2023 to 0.05 in 2025. However, there are significant differences between nationalities. Previous increases were largely driven by higher student migration from India and Nigeria – nationals of these countries were much more likely to bring dependants than other international students, and accounted for 65% of student dependant visas in 2023. In contrast, students from other countries, like China or the United States, brought very few dependants even before the policy change.

Figure 2

How many international students are enrolled in UK universities?

In the 2024/25 academic year, around 686,000 international students were studying in UK higher education institutions, 10% less than the record number reached in 2022/23.

The share of international students in the UK has increased significantly since the 1990s. Almost a quarter of all those studying in UK universities in 2024/25 were international students – well above the 12% level in 2000/01.

Figure 3

Most of the increase and subsequent decline in international students was driven by those enrolling on taught postgraduate courses like master’s degrees (Figure 4). The number of international students starting such courses increased by 85% between 2019/20 and 2022/23, then fell by 19% until 2024/25. Enrolments on undergraduate courses from outside the UK remained relatively unchanged in this period. The number of students starting a postgraduate research course – which includes PhDs and research-focused master’s degrees like MRes and MPhils – rose by 23% in 2024/25, after a long period of relative stability. Several universities sharply increased enrolment on MRes courses – which continued to allow students to bring dependants to the UK – in 2024/25. However, absolute numbers remained low compared to other types of courses, and increased use of this route did not lead to a noticeable rise in dependant numbers.

Figure 4

How many international students in the UK come from the EU?

After the end of free movement and the start of the 2021/22 academic year, international students from the EU faced significantly higher international tuition fees and other requirements, such as the need to apply for visas. The number of newly enrolled EU students fell by 53% between 2020/21 and 2021/22 as the new rules came into effect. Numbers declined another 13% in the following three years. Around 27,000 EU students enrolled in a new course at UK universities, making up 7% of all new international students. The share of newly enrolled international students from the EU fell sharply over time, from a high of 27% in 2016/17.

The recent growth and subsequent decline in the total number of international students was mostly driven by those coming from non-EU countries, whose number more than doubled between 2018/19 and 2022/23.

Figure 5

What are the most common nationalities among international students in the UK?

The top country of origin for new international students in the UK in 2024/25 was India, accounting for 23% of the total. It was followed by China (23%), Pakistan (8%) and Nigeria (6%).

China was the top country of origin for more than a decade before being surpassed by India in 2022/23. During the 2010s, universities in the UK become increasingly reliant on students from China as their numbers almost tripled, making up a third of all international students by 2019/20. The recent decline in the share of Chinese students mainly reflects growth in other countries of origin rather than a fall in their overall numbers.

India and Nigeria drove much of the growth in international student numbers between 2018/19 and 2022/23. While numbers increased before 2021, the introduction of the Graduate Visa is likely to have fuelled growth. Indian and Nigerian students are particularly likely to remain in the UK after graduation (Figure 9). Indian student numbers also fell after the previous post-study work visa was closed in 2011.

The recent decline in international student numbers was likewise driven by these two nationalities. If Indian and Nigerian students are excluded, the total number of international students increased in 2023/24 and 2024/25. Indian and Nigerian students were much more likely than other nationalities to bring dependants before new restrictions were put in place, and hence were likely more affected by them. Nigeria also experienced economic instability after 2023, with a collapse in the currency making it more difficult for some students to afford tuition fees abroad.

Figure 6

Table 1 shows the top countries of origin for newly enrolled international students in UK higher education institutions in 2024/25. Eight of the top ten were Asian countries. There was a decline in new students from India and Nigeria in the previous two years, though the number of international students from several destinations like Pakistan and Nepal continued to grow. The number of Nepalese students enrolling on a new course in the UK almost doubled in the most recent year.

Table 1

Which universities receive the most international students?

University College London has been the most popular UK university among international students in absolute terms for over a decade. It had around 15,000 international students in 2024/25, making up 52% of the total. Many universities with the largest numbers of new international students have consistently been among the top destinations for foreign students. This is particularly true of many Russell Group universities, nine of which were part of the top fifteen in the 2024/25 academic year.

However, some other institutions have experienced very fast growth in international student numbers between 2018/19 and 2024/25, despite not having a history as top destinations for foreign students. Examples include BPP University, the University of Hertfordshire, the University of East London, and Ulster University. Their international student numbers increased by more than four times between 2018/19 and 2024/25.

Table 2

How many Graduate Visas are issued in the UK?

More international students have extended their stay in the UK after graduation in recent years, particularly after the Graduate Visa was introduced in 2021. This allows students to live and work in the UK for two years after graduation, or three years for PhD graduates. The standard duration of the visa will be reduced from 24 to 18 months in January 2027.

Around 166,000 former students were issued a Graduate Visa in 2025 – a fall of 2% following three years of rapid growth. Including dependants, around 221,000 Graduate visas were granted in 2025.

The Graduate Visa is not the only way for international students to remain in the UK. Some switch to another type of visa, mostly for work. Around 39,000 international students switched to another type of visa in 2024. That was lower than the year before, though data for 2025 were unavailable. There is evidence that a significant share of students switching onto a work visa after 2021 obtained jobs in the social care sector (for more details, see International students entering the UK labour market).

Figure 7

Data suggest that a significant share of recent international students have used the Graduate Route to remain in the UK. Looking at international students who first arrived in 2023, around 34% held a Graduate Visa by the end of 2025. Other international students switch directly onto work visas, though their share fell compared to the 2021–22 cohorts. Overall, fewer international students now leave the UK within two or three years of arrival – under a third of the 2022 cohort, compared to over half in the 2010s.

Figure 8

Some researchers argue that the UK economy benefits when international students continue to work in the UK after graduating, as they are often young, educated, and have specific skills that can help British businesses break into new markets. However, others argue that the UK benefits more when international students return to their country of origin. This is because they may become ambassadors for the UK, enhancing the country’s soft power by becoming influential figures in their countries of origin. Returning students may also strengthen countries’ business and research links to the UK.

How many international students remain in the UK after graduation?

Study visas are temporary and do not provide a direct route to settlement. This means that time spent on a study visa – or on the Graduate Visa – does not count towards the five years of residence in the UK that is currently required before a migrant may apply for settlement. However, time spent on a study or Graduate visa does count towards a separate route that grants settlement to people lawfully and continuously living in the UK for ten years. In November 2025, the government announced changes making it harder for migrants to obtain settlement in the UK, including by doubling the standard residence requirement to ten years. However, details about timelines and implementation remained unclear at the time of writing in June 2026 (for more details, see Settlement in the UK and Changes to settlement: what do they mean?).

International students have become more likely to remain in the UK after their studies in recent years. This is likely driven by a large number of international students switching into the Graduate route or otherwise extending their stay. Among migrants issued an initial study visa in 2020, 41% still had permission to stay in the UK around five years later, at the end of 2025. Of the total, 26% had switched onto a work visa, 6% were still on study visas, and 59% had no valid visa, meaning they were likely to have left the UK. For the 2019 cohort, the share still holding a valid visa five years later was 25%.

There are notable differences between nationalities regarding their status five years after arriving in the UK on a study visa. Students from Nigeria and India have been particularly likely to remain in the UK after graduation. Looking at those first arriving on a student visa in 2020, around 78% of Nigerians and 58% of Indians still held a valid visa at the end of 2025, with these shares increasing sharply in recent years. In contrast, fewer international students from China or the US remained in the UK five years after their arrival.

Figure 9

In addition to international students extending their stay by switching to another visa, recent years have seen significant numbers apply for asylum in the UK. Around 13,000 people who first entered the country on a study visa applied for asylum in 2025, making up 12% of all asylum applications.

How long does it take for international students to get settlement in the UK?

Around 11% of all migrants granted settlement in 2025 initially came to the UK on a study visa. International students usually take longer to settle than other migrants – half of those granted settlement in 2025 arrived between 2013 and 2017, consistent with a roughly ten-year route to settlement. However, there has been a shift towards earlier settlement among international students compared to previous cohorts, with more obtaining settlement after six or seven years in the UK.

Other migrants mostly settle after around five years. Unlike other visas, time spent on study or Graduate visas does not count towards the residency requirements for settlement (see above).

Figure 10

How much money do UK universities make from international student fees?

UK universities have become increasingly reliant on revenue from international students’ tuition fees. These fees amounted to approximately £12.4bn in the 2024/25 academic year, or 23% of the total income of British universities. Income from international tuition fees fell by 2% in nominal terms that year, after a period of rapid growth. It had previously doubled between 2018/19 and 2023/24.

Since international students pay much higher fees than domestic students, they ‘cross-subsidise’ other university functions including research and education of domestic students. The size of this cross-subsidy will vary by institution, since some have much higher tuition fees than others.

The increased reliance on tuition fees from international students happened at a time of increasing fiscal strain for universities. The undergraduate tuition fee cap in England remained largely unchanged after increasing to £9,000 in 2012, only increasing slightly in 2017 and 2025. That meant that tuition fees declined significantly during this period after adjusting for inflation. Tuition fees will be permanently linked to inflation starting from 2026, when they reached £9,790. In real terms, that remained around a third lower than in 2012.

According to analysis by the Russell Group, around 43% of universities in England were forecasting a deficit in the 2024/25 academic year. A survey by Universities UK – an industry organisation – conducted in the first half of 2026 showed that 79% of institutions had implemented voluntary redundancies or hiring freezes, 44% had closed courses in the last three years, and 13% had closed entire campuses.

Figure 11

What is the economic impact of international students in the UK?

The main economic impact of international students comes from the high tuition fees they pay. The money they spend in the UK may have some additional impacts. According to the most recent estimates from the Department for Education, international higher education students’ expenditure in the UK using money from abroad was £23.7 billion in 2022. Of this, £11bn went towards tuition fees, and around £10bn was made up of general living expenses. However, these are gross figures, and the net economic impact of international students would likely be smaller, as it would account for the costs of providing goods and services, and the fact that some goods are imported, among others.

Another potential impact is in the labour market. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) found that the impacts of former international students in the UK labour market was neither particularly negative nor positive. It found that graduating students, mostly with master’s degrees, had earnings and occupational distributions broadly similar to those of domestic undergraduates 15 months after graduation.

Finally, international students may have a fiscal impact, both before and after graduation. A study commissioned by the Migration Advisory Committee in 2018 found that non-EEA international students before Brexit had a small net positive fiscal impact of around £5,000 per year (not including the impact of any family members, which is likely to be negative). After graduation, the MAC concluded in a 2024 analysis that international students who went on to a Graduate Visa were likely to have a positive fiscal impact despite relatively low earnings, because of their high employment rates and lack of access to benefits. At the time of its introduction, the Graduate Visa was projected to result in a £6.1 billion net benefit to the Exchequer within its first decade, mostly from additional tax revenue.

International students who remain in the UK longer term switch onto other types of visas, such as work visas. Their fiscal impact will depend on their characteristics, most importantly their levels of income (for more details, see The Fiscal Impact of Immigration in the UK and International students entering the UK labour market).

How does the UK compare to other global destinations for international students?

The UK was the second most popular destination for international students globally in 2024, behind the United States. They were followed by Australia, Canada, and Germany.

The UK had around 721,000 international students in tertiary education in 2024. Data for all countries were not available for 2024, though in previous years the UK had a roughly 10% share of the global market for international students. The UK lost market share in the 2010s as other top destinations increased recruitment faster – leading Australia to briefly overtake it in 2019 – though this was then reversed.

Changes in UK immigration policy, such as the closure of the post-study work route in 2012 and its subsequent reintroduction in 2021, may have also played a role. Research suggests that the UK’s immigration policies do influence students’ choices to study here, alongside a range of other factors, such as the exchange rate, economic growth in origin countries, and visa policies in competitor countries.

Figure 12

Evidence Gaps and Limitations

While good quality data exist on international students in higher education, mainly from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), there is comparatively little information on further education.

With regard to international students’ economic impact, the available research is limited largely to occasional studies of their export earnings: the revenue they generate through tuition fees and living expenditure. Yet international students may have broader effects that are difficult to measure, such as their contribution to research or the UK’s soft power.

Nor is much known about the economic activities of students while they are studying, such as how many work, and what kind of work they do.

Acknowledgements

With special thanks to Nick Hillman OBE at HEPI, for his detailed feedback on previous versions of this briefing.