Student discount codes
Check out our verified student discount codes and deals right here! Get money off your next order from top UK brands today.
Read more…International study statistics
Where do international students go to study?
Higher education students have various options across the globe for experiencing a new country while working towards their degree. As well as expanding your understanding of the wider world, some courses can even be more financially friendly when studying overseas than they would be in certain regions of the UK.
In the 2017/2018 school year, 34,025 UK students studied abroad, while over 10 times this number (458,520) came from overseas to enrol in universities in the UK. Of these international students, Chinese students made up 20% (89,318 students).
Quick facts
- In 2017/2018, 34,025 UK students studied abroad.
- Of the 2.34 million students in the UK, Chinese students makes up 4%, or almost 90,000.
- In 2017/2018, international enrolment at UK universities increased by 3.6% compared to the previous year.
Top 20 countries for UK international students
The bar chart below shows the United States to be the most popular destination for UK international students.
| Destination country | Number of international students |
|---|---|
| United States | 10,279 |
| Australia | 2,235 |
| France | 1,999 |
| Ireland | 1,791 |
| Canada | 1,632 |
| Denmark | 898 |
| Bulgaria | 890 |
| United Arab Emirates | 869 |
| Austria | 807 |
| Spain | 795 |
| Switzerland | 626 |
| Czechia | 565 |
| New Zealand | 498 |
| Hungary | 490 |
| South Africa | 408 |
| Italy | 394 |
| Japan | 391 |
| Sweden | 391 |
| Belgium | 374 |
| Saudi Arabia | 370 |
The number of international students choosing to study in the United States is almost five times higher than the next most popular destination, Australia. The United States is so popular that these students make up almost a third (30%) of all UK international students. With an average of 201 students’ difference between each country, Australia, France, Ireland and Canada are not drastically different in popularity.
By number of international students, North America is the most popular continent to study in. This is likely due to English being the native language spoken in the two largest countries here. 13 of the countries in the top 20 list are in Europe, making it the continent with the vastest distribution of UK students across its countries.
Where do international students in the UK come from?
The vast majority of international students in the UK are Chinese. The number of Chinese students studying in the UK is 2.6 times higher than the number of all UK students studying abroad.
| Country of origin | Number of international students |
|---|---|
| China | 89,318 |
| Malaysia | 17,360 |
| India | 16,655 |
| Nigeria | 16,072 |
| United States | 15,654 |
| Germany | 12,963 |
| Italy | 12,086 |
| France | 12,076 |
| Ireland | 10,191 |
| Greece | 9,769 |
| Saudi Arabia | 8,427 |
| Spain | 7,767 |
| Singapore | 7,512 |
| Romania | 7,190 |
| Bulgaria | 6,191 |
| Thailand | 5,992 |
| Canada | 5,931 |
| Poland | 5,631 |
| Pakistan | 5,488 |
| Norway | 5,195 |
Of the 2.34 million students in the UK, Chinese students make up 4%, or almost 90,000. Following Chinese students, Malaysian students are the next-largest group, but these students still only make up around a fifth of the international Chinese student cohort.
What international students in the UK plan on doing after their course
Final year UK international students were asked to report what they expected to do following their degrees. The findings from EU and non-EU students are presented below.
| EU students | Non-EU students | |
|---|---|---|
| Further study in the UK | 13.7% | 15.2% |
| Further study outside of the UK | 16.4% | 8.2% |
| Look for a job in the UK | 25.5% | 18.9% |
| Look for a job outside of the UK | 13.5% | 21.1% |
| Take up job offer I already have in the UK | 8.7% | 5.4% |
| Take up job offer I already have in another country | 6.4% | 12.0% |
| Travel | 4.8% | 8.4% |
| Don't know | 11.0% | 10.8% |
With 40% of both EU and non-EU students looking for jobs inside and outside the UK, job searching was the most popular option for graduates. Of those 40%, 65% of EU students plan on looking for a job within the UK, while 53% of non-EU students plan on looking outside of the UK.
Non-EU students are more likely to take up a job offer they already have in another country than a job offer they have in the UK (2.4 times more likely). Meanwhile, EU students are 1.5 times more likely to take up a UK-based job than one abroad.
A great proportion of students also consider further study following their degree. This option was chosen by 30% of EU and 23% of non-EU students. Non-EU students have a greater preference for further study in the UK, with 7% more respondents choosing this option. EU students appear more impartial, with only a 2% difference between options.
Click here for more research. For all media enquiries, please contact:
Matt Mckenna
UK communications manager
T: +44 20 8191 8806
UK communications manager
T: +44 20 8191 8806
Related articles
Food and drink discounts and deals for students
Get better-quality food and drinks at the cheapest prices with our working student vouchers and promotions.
Read more…
Gift discounts and deals for students
Get better gifts to fit in your student budget with our discount codes and deals for your favourite UK gift retailers.
Read more…
Beauty discounts and deals for students
Get beauty essentials, high-quality makeup and many other beauty products at the cheapest prices with our verified discount codes and deals for students.
Read more…
Tech and electrical discounts and deals for students
Get our best tech and electrical deals on laptops, tablets, appliances and more with our student discounts and voucher codes for your favourite UK stores.
Read more…
Wellbeing discounts and deals for students
Save big on fitness gear and sports nutrition with our tested and verified student discount codes and deals. Buy high quality products at the best prices!
Read more…More guides on Finder
-
GCSE and A level statistics
In 2020, over 4.7 million 16-year-olds entered into the GCSE exams in England. We unpacked the statistics to find out how they got on.
-
Education statistics
Read about key stats about the UK’s education system, like the expenditure, number of schools, exam results and apprenticeships.
-
Student spending statistics UK
With thousands of the UK’s 18-year-olds starting their studies this year, we’ve found out the real price of being a student in the UK.
Ask an Expert