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UK universities are seeing another decline in the number of international students at the master's and doctoral levels: a new report from the British Universities International Liaison Association confirms the negative trends that have been observed in recent years. Most of the surveyed universities report a decrease in the number of foreign students enrolled in master's and doctoral programs: in the last year alone, the total number decreased by 6%, the most significant loss fell on Chinese students (-17%) and Indian students (-9%).
The reason for this decline is simple: British universities face strong competition from universities in other countries. The United Kingdom used to be the preferred destination for international students, but now this position is weakening.
The financial performance of universities was also under attack, since money from foreign students makes up a significant share of the income of most universities. The reduction in enrollment will inevitably lead to problems with funding and worsening conditions for the teaching staff.
Despite the difficulties, it is also possible to observe the growing popularity of British education among Europeans and Americans - most likely, the reasons lie in the new migration rules that simplify the entry of EU and US citizens.
However, analysts warn that even small positive changes will not be able to compensate for the overall decline: there is an urgent need to review the policy regarding international students, otherwise the British higher education will have to face big problems in the near future.
