Universities look set for a better 2025, according to a report from the Times Higher Education.
So far, January has seen an increase in the number of international students coming to the UK to start courses. Data from student recruitment platform Enroly has found that deposits made for January intake is up by 27% compared to last year. Additionally, issuances of acceptance letters are up by 14%.
Further data from Enroly found student deposits from students in the Middle East and East Asia dropped by 31% and 33% respectively. However, East Africa saw growth by 84% and West Africa by 27%, after an increase in students from Kenya and Nigeria.
Interestingly, Nepal saw a 194% increase, catching up to Nigeria as one of the most important source markets for the UK.
‘The data signals not only a recovery from previous challenges,’ said Enroly, ‘but also an opportunity to reposition January as a cornerstone of international recruitment efforts.
‘This trend equally reinforces the resilience of the UK higher education sector and opens new avenues to strengthen its global position.’
Among postgraduate students, the data showed deposits were down slightly year-on-year, but up by 15% from postgraduate research students.
Further data from enrolment services specialist UniQuest also found ‘renewed interest’ in the UK, reviewing more than 40,000 applications for January 2025. According to UniQuest, Indian acceptances grew by 11% and Pakistani acceptances grew by a staggering 91%.
Jeff Williams, Chief Executive of Enroly said the growth so far is ‘promising’:
‘It highlights the potential of this enrolment period to complement the traditional September intake […] by focusing on emerging markets and continuing to refine our approach, we can unlock even greater opportunities to attract and support international students.’
