Week c/m 7th August 2023

Domestic and international student interest in the UK is at an all time high. But with cost being a driving factor behind student enrolments, the picture isn’t as peachy as it seems.?

As inflation rises, and with international students making up one in every ￡5 that universities receive, universities are more financially driven to choose international students over domestic enrolments.

“At a time of demographic growth among home students, it is inevitable that it will be more difficult to provide enough places. But it won’t be because we can’t fit them in – it will be because we can’t afford them.” Colin Riordan, vice-chancellor of Cardiff University

And whilst the UK is still a popular destination amongst international students, being financially dependent on international enrolments is a risk that can shift at any moment.?

Competitors such as Australia and Canada plan to make up for the lost opportunities during Covid-19; at the same time, the US will be looking to mitigate their domestic enrolment cliff with international enrolments.?

And with international students being an integral part of the financial and cultural fabric, competitor countries pose a bigger risk as UK universities have more to lose.?

At the same time, as the 18 year old demographic rises each year, domestic students may be forced to look elsewhere to fulfil their academic goals.

And as non-traditional student pathways become more popular, students may opt to trade in traditional forms of study. Over time, this could redirect the next generation of students away from traditional academic pathways, and become a missed opportunity for UK universities.?

The challenge now for UK universities will be to gain foresight on how enrolment decisions may affect recruitment in the long term, and plan resources carefully to mitigate any fallout in the future.

What’s new at BridgeU?

• Join us in our latest webinar on Thursday as our expert team talks to US universities about why international enrolment is integral to a diverse and quality applicant pool, and how to make the case to senior leaders.?
• Download our latest infographic to get the headline stats for international student mobility in the UK (and keep your eyes peeled up for 2 months worth of market intelligence to follow!)

What caught our eye this week?

• The Guardian's latest article on the UK universities funding shortfall, which inspired this newsletter.
• London tops the global city rating for the fifth year in a row: read more here.
• Following intead’s mini series on non-traditional students, this week they look at why institution type matters when attracting these students.