UK universities are facing increasing financial uncertainty as new data confirms a second consecutive year of falling foreign postgraduate enrolments.
This downturn has been accelerated by recent government visa restrictions and global economic competition.
Of 69 universities responding to a survey from the British Universities International Liaison Association (BUILA) in November 2025, 61% reported a decrease in postgraduate enrolments in international students in September 2025-26 compared with the previous year.
According to the survey conducted by BUILA, foreign postgraduate enrolments data were down 6 per cent in 2025 compared with 2024, following a reported drop of 20 per cent last year.
The sharpest fall was among students from China, with 80 per cent of universities saying that enrolments among this group had fallen an average of 17 per cent. A total of 63 per cent of universities said they had seen a drop in enrolments among students from India, at an average of 9 per cent.
However, there were some bright spots in applications from some countries, with 71 per cent of universities saying they had seen an increase in applications from US students, at an average of 19 per cent. Half of those surveyed said they had seen a rise in postgraduate applications from students based in the EU, at an average of 13 per cent.
Speaking on the development, Andrew Bird, Chairman of BUILA said the continued decline in foreign postgraduate enrolments this year is largely driven by increased competition from other global education destinations
“The continued decline in international postgraduate enrolments this year is largely driven by increased competition from other global education destinations,” explained Andrew Bird, chair of BUILA.
“With global competition intensifying, the government must act to protect the UK’s reputation as a world-leading study destination while balancing its immigration agenda.”
The total number of study visas issued to international students fell by 19% between 2022 and 2024, as reported by The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford.
The decline in study visas comes as universities prepare for the introduction of the international student levy, which will see English universities charged a flat fee of £925 per international student per year from August 2028.
“With measures like the international student levy and tighter recruitment rules still to come, we urge the government to deliver a much-needed period of stability for the sector,” Bird added.
“The budget confirmed that the levy will be introduced from 2028, so while 2026 enrolments are unlikely to be impacted, universities will be considering how to navigate the impact of this in a challenging financial environment.”
International students play a key role in UK postgraduate education, in 2023-24 making up 71% of full-time postgraduate enrolments and contributing significantly to universities’ teaching and research capacity.
