Education, Careers & Professional News
Numbers up for overseas students
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
The dependence of UK universities on China and other big overseas student markets is revealed in figures published today by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa).
Last year the number of Chinese students taking degree courses in the UK jumped by more than a third to 47,740 - with Hong Kong supplying another 10,575 - a long way ahead of the next biggest customer for British higher education, India, whose numbers rose by more than 2,000 to 14,625.
In total the number of students from outside the UK, including the European Union, rose 9% to 300,055, after a 13.4% increase the previous year. But the Hesa figures do not take account of a possible fall in overseas student numbers in the current academic year which has alarmed university heads.
Universities UK, which represents the heads of British higher education institutions, last month reported that three out of 10 UK universities reported a drop in overseas student numbers and half have missed their international recruitment targets. The vice-chancellors, who have repeatedly criticized the government for introducing big increases in student visa charges at a time when international competition for students is hotting up, said there was a worrying downturn in international numbers, with China the country most affected.
Some institutions reported a drop of more than 50% in the number of Chinese students, and the most commonly cited reason for the decline in international student enrolments was problems with visas. UK universities have been able to take advantage of US restrictions on student visas and a less welcoming atmosphere since the 9/11 attacks to woo students who might otherwise have gone to American institutions.
Numbers from the old European Union before enlargement in May 2004 continued a gentle decline since 2000 but there was healthy growth from the accession countries. In 2003/04 their numbers rose more than 8% to 7,300, the majority from Cyprus (4,210) and Poland (965).
While this may be good news for university recruiters, now that these countries are part of the EU their students must be treated like home students when it comes to fees, which is bad financial news for British universities which have been charging them overseas fees of 6,000 a year upwards. Of the European countries still outside the EU, Norway sends the most students (3,655), followed by Turkey (1960), Russia (1880) and Switzerland (1465). There are 15 from Liechtenstein.
The numbers of undergraduate students taking business studies declined last year but it remains the most popular degree with 12.5% of the total. And business taught degrees like MBAs are far and away the biggest proportion of higher qualifications. Creative arts and design is the second most popular choice for students with 9.2% of the total undergraduate population. Social studies has 9%.
Physical sciences and computer science showed a declining percentage of the student market in 2003/04 and there was also a drop in languages.