Sharp Dip In International Students Coming To Scotland: Data

According to the data of HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency), foreign students coming to Scotland have dipped sharply for the academic year 2023/24.

Study Abroad: According to new data, international students coming to Scotland and the UK have dipped significantly. The number of international students who came to Scotland in the academic year 2023/24 was 9,380 less than the previous year.

The major fall was witnessed at the postgraduate taught level (masters courses) where the year-to-year drop was 25.7% between 22/23 and 23/24. At the undergraduate level, the international students declined by 3.8% and the average fall overall in the foreign students across all levels of study was at 20%. Different institutes felt the impact differently based on their models of provision and recruitment markets.

While commenting on the data, Claire McPherson, Director of Universities Scotland said, “This data catches up with the reality that universities have experienced over the last 18 months; a sudden, sharp fall in international postgraduate taught entrants by 25% on average across the Scottish sector. That sudden fall has flipped the pattern of five years of growth of enrolments on its head. The sector average fall of 25% conceals even sharper falls for some institutions, depending on the range of countries they recruit from. Demand from India and Nigeria has fallen, whereas demand from China and North America has remained relatively stable."

“It is both the scale and the suddenness of the fall that has been incredibly challenging for many institutions to manage. Scotland’s model of funding Scottish students and university research has become dangerously reliant on cross-subsidy from international students over the last decade because of chronic underfunding. That puts institutions in a hugely exposed position, as today’s official statistics show for the sector, and for some institutions more acutely than others. This week, the Permanent Secretary confirmed that university finances are high up on the Scottish Government’s risk register. There is a very pressing need for a different kind of strategic conversation with the Scottish Government about short-term stability and long-term solutions for the sustainability of our universities. It’s difficult to estimate the sector’s fall in revenue from this but a very rough ballpark would be a loss of around £150 million sector-wide, year-to-year," added Claire McPherson.

Before Academic Year 2023/24, There Was Consistent Growth

Before this academic year, in the past five years, the sector saw consistent growth in foreign students (non-EU) enrolling on postgraduate courses in Scotland.

"Non-EU entrant enrolments rose by 25% in 2022/23, following an increase of 33% in 2021/22. This was primarily driven by a large increase in the number of non-EU entrants enrolling in postgraduate taught courses. The increase coincides with the introduction of a post-study work visa, known as the Graduate Immigration Route (PDF) which launched for the 2020/21 intake of students. This allows graduates to stay in the UK for a period of up to two years post-study to find employment, or three years for doctoral students," reads the HESA statement.

Universities Scotland said that not every institute experienced a dip in international students across all levels of study.

Read more:

• Penn Board Of Trustees Votes To Appoint Interim President As President And Extend His Term
• US To Deport Indian Scholar At Georgetown University After He Detained Over ‘Hamas Ties’