UK’s higher education sector, universities, are reporting a surge in inquiries and applications from international students following a “change of tone” on immigration by the new Labour government.
Vice-chancellors and admissions officers say the shift in the government’s stance since the recent general election has been widely noticed by potential international students and their families, revitalizing interest in studying in the UK.
“The change in tone has come in the nick of time to avoid all sorts of worst-case scenarios,” said one vice-chancellor, referring to fears of a steep drop in international student numbers.
The importance of international tuition fees for universities cannot be overstated. Data from the Guardian’s 2025 university guide shows that English universities need tuition fees of £12,500 per student to break even. Universities that attract more international students have been able to cross-subsidize domestic undergraduates, whose tuition fees have been frozen since 2017.
Professor Max Lu, vice-chancellor of the University of Surrey, praised the new Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, for her welcoming message to international students. “Her message was widely publicized internationally, that international students are welcome, they contribute not only economically but also culturally and to diversity and everything else. That was tremendous, I think. Everyone from the university sector that I spoke to in the last few days really praises her. That has already made a difference.”
Several other vice-chancellors attending the Universities UK annual conference confirmed Surrey’s positive experience, but warned that the revival may not come quickly enough for international postgraduate recruitment this autumn.
“The new government’s more positive tone about international students is helpful,” said Dr. Caroline Baylon, the University of Reading’s international pro-vice-chancellor. “Prospective students do listen to these messages and they do pay attention to the news coming from the UK.”
However, she cautioned that international students should not be seen as the answer to the underfunding of the UK higher education sector as a whole. “Fundamentally, international students should not and cannot be viewed as the answer to underfunding of the UK higher education sector as a whole.”
The Guardian’s university guide, which ranks institutions based on factors such as staff-student ratios and spending per student, shows that universities attracting more international students have been able to perform better. Surrey has broken back into the top 20, while Reading’s overall rank has risen from 61st to 35th.
The resurgence in interest from international students is a welcome boost for the UK’s universities, which have been facing financial challenges in recent years. The new government’s change in tone on immigration appears to have made a significant difference, though the full impact remains to be seen in the coming academic year.
