Some 33,870 Chinese language college students utilized to UK universities and schools through UCAS by the June cutoff this yr, up from 30,860 in 2024. It marks a file variety of Chinese language college students making use of to establishments on this means.
Different notable year-on-year will increase might be seen in candidates from Eire (up 15%), Nigeria (up 23%) and the US (up 14%) which have contributed to a slight general improve in worldwide candidates utilizing UCAS, the information reveals.
The overall variety of undergraduate worldwide candidates utilizing the UCAS system was at 138,460 by June 2025 – up 2.2% on June 2024 numbers.
However whereas the variety of gives made to worldwide graduates outdoors of the EU continues to develop – up 10.7% yr on yr – this cohort of scholars was the least prone to be made a suggestion, at 63.5%.
“The June information is most helpful for telling us what has occurred since January,” defined Mark Corver, founder and former MD of dataHE, who recommended that one space of disappointment for UK universities shall be persevering with weak demand from the EU as soon as “particular case” Eire is taken out, with younger candidates from the EU fractionally decrease than final June.
“Universities worth EU college students for range of their worldwide intakes and the decrease geopolitical and distance associated dangers. They’d have preferred to have seen development right here however shall be happy that the autumn is the smallest but since EU college students fell into the worldwide price class,” stated Corver.
Nonetheless, the information launched immediately doesn’t provide the complete image, with UCAS declaring that its information solely reveals a partial view of undergraduate worldwide admissions within the UK.
With 154,000 Chinese language college students learning within the UK in 2022/23, the British Universities’ China Affiliation (BUCA) stated the ten% rise in Chinese language undergraduate functions through UCAS displays “sustained curiosity in UK larger schooling”. A number of key drivers underpin this demand, together with home tutorial pressures and tighter immigration guidelines in different examine locations such because the US, Canada and Australia.
“Extra households are opting out of the extremely aggressive public highschool system in favour of worldwide colleges, which offer a much less tense surroundings. These college students are ineligible to sit down the Gaokao and should pursue undergraduate schooling overseas,” the affiliation’s govt committee defined to The PIE.
“The China market continues to play a pivotal function in worldwide recruitment methods for UK universities. Nonetheless, altering pupil preferences, growing international competitors, and evolving regulatory frameworks are reshaping the panorama. An information-led, agile method is crucial to sustaining engagement and development.”
And BUCA famous that whereas rising UCAS functions are encouraging, they don’t assure conversion.
“Chinese language college students continuously apply to a number of international locations. Rising tuition charges and dwelling prices within the UK, coupled with growing monetary warning amongst households, additionally affect closing selections. Due to this fact, establishments should steadiness optimism with life like monetary planning.”
Chinese language college students continuously apply to a number of international locations… establishments should steadiness optimism with life like monetary planning
British Universities’ China Affiliation
With numbers from the US additionally attracting consideration, Corver weighed in on the notion that the brand new Trump administration has made staying at house much less enticing for US college students.
“The variety of younger candidates is up 15%, a excessive however not distinctive year-on-year improve. However the development in candidates over the previous six months has been very regular, a bit under common in truth, which is maybe not what you’ll anticipate to see if there was sturdy behavioural change,” he defined.
In line with Corver, general the June information is “a reminder that worldwide demand (and recruitment) to full-time undergraduate by way of UCAS has been each rising, and doing so in a low variance means”.
“This doubtless displays that the three yr dedication and substantial charges signifies that the standard and suitability of the course are the first elements. Universities know this, and lots of I do know wish to improve their share of worldwide recruitment to those packages slightly than the simpler, however far more unstable, PGT programs,” he stated.
“The big will increase in provide charges this yr are one signal of this, however we should wait to see if candidates comply with by way of and take up the locations because the cycle concludes.”
Greater than two million gives have been made to individuals making use of for UK undergraduate programs beginning this September – 74,000 greater than final yr, a 9% improve since 2023. Worldwide college students noticed the largest rise in provide charges, with 64% of their college functions being profitable, up from 59% final yr and 55% in 2023.
