Upturn in numbers could be last-minute rush to study at British institutions before Brexit

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A last-minute rush to study at British universities before Brexit closes the door may be behind a rise in applications from EU students, according to the latest figures for courses starting in autumn.

After last year’s slump in applications from European students in the aftermath of the EU referendum and widespread uncertainty over funding, British universities report an upturn in numbers received by January’s deadline for undergraduate entries.

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The rise in international applications, including a record number from students outside the EU, helped disguise modest domestic figures showing a 3% fall in applications, the second successive decline following a 4% drop last year.



Leading universities such as Warwick and University College London (UCL) said they had seen strong interest from applicants from the UK, EU and other countries, despite increased competition for students both at home and abroad.

Prof Seán Hand, University of Warwick’s deputy pro-vice-chancellor for Europe, said applications from EU students had risen by 10%.

“Paradoxically, Brexit has focused people’s attention on the strength of British universities,” said Hand, who noted that Warwick was continuing to hold talks with EU universities over closer partnerships.

“European students appreciate that universities such as Warwick, with strong international connections in research and teaching, would be a place for the best kind of education.”

Prof Anthony Smith, UCL’s vice-provost for education and student affairs, said he was delighted by the figures, which included an 11% rise in domestic applications.



“This year’s applications reaffirm our status as a global university with one of the biggest multinational student bodies in the UK,” he said. “They show that students from the EU and further abroad continue to want a first-class UK higher education, which bodes well for the future post-Brexit.”

University admissions officers said the government’s guarantee for EU students starting in 2018 was viewed by some as a last chance to study in the UK on the same terms as UK students for the duration of their degree.

The figures from Ucas, the applications clearing house, show that 43,500 EU students applied for places as undergraduates, a 3% rise from the same point in 2017 and the second highest number recorded, reversing last year’s sharp fall.



Fears that Brexit could harm applications from outside the EU were also allayed, with the Ucas data showing a rising number of applications from countries such as China and India.

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There was even a surge in applications from Mexico, up 52% on the previous year, which at least one admissions officer attributed to Donald Trump’s presidency making the US a less attractive destination for international students.



The total number of EU and international applications combined broke the 100,000 mark for the first time.

China increased its number of applications by more than 2,000, a 20% increase on 2017, but university leaders may be more pleased by the jump of more than 1,000 entries from India, up by 36% after several years of decline.

The improvement in overseas applications comes as Theresa May hinted last week at a softer stance towards international students, after she admitted that they have no long-term effect on migration numbers.

Alistair Jarvis, the chief executive of Universities UK, said: “The increase in international applications shows that the UK remains one of the most attractive destinations in the world for talented, international students.”

The decline in domestic applications was partly the result of demographic forces, with the number of 18-year-olds in the UK population down by 2.5% compared with 2017.

The Ucas data showed that sixth-formers in England have a stronger appetite for higher education than ever, despite fears about student debt, with more than 37% of 18-year-olds applying to go on to university or college this autumn.

There were increases in the proportion of both men and women applying from England, but the gap between the two widened as women outpaced men. About 36,000 more male school-leavers would need to apply to bring their rate up to the same level as women, according to Ucas.

The improvement wasn’t enough to offset the declines among older students and in applications to study nursing, with total applications in England dropping by more than 11,000 in a year to 374,000 by the January deadline.

Applications from 18-year-old men living in the most disadvantaged areas also fell, a trend described as very worrying by social mobility campaigners at the Sutton Trust.

Total applications in Wales and Northern Ireland showed similar declines to that of England, while Scotland recorded a slight increase.