UK universities may receive an unexpected boost in the wake of Trump’s re-election, according to a report from the British Council.
Trump’s first term, from 2017 to 2021, saw the number of international enrolments in the US decline each year. According to the Guardian, there were 50,000 fewer international students in the US between 2019-20, compared to before the Trump administration.
The country saw the sharpest declines among students from the Middle East and North Africa, North and Central America, and Europe. Conversely, the US became more popular among students from East Asia.
This, in conjunction with greater restrictions in Australia and Canada on international students, currently makes the UK appear the most welcoming of the Big Four. So far, there has been a 4.7% uptick in international undergraduate applications for early deadline courses in 2025.
Director of education at the British Council, Maddalaine Ansell said:
‘While our English-speaking competitors might be experiencing challenges, we must not grow complacent. There is work to be done to boost recruitment from a larger number of smaller markets, in making greater investments in TNE (transnational education), and in continuing to ensure that the UK recruits highly qualified international students from across the globe.’
