Now, fewer Indian students are opting for UK colleges: Impact decoded

Indian students choosing the UK as their higher education destination have started registering a fall, with over 21,000 fewer Master's degree applicants than the previous year being registered in official statistics released in London on Thursday.

“Indian students are now hesitant to apply to UK universities for Master’s degree due to stricter visa regulations implemented earlier this year. These regulations particularly affect their ability to sponsor family dependents, spouses, or children, as well as preventing students from switching to work visas until they finish their studies", said Anuj Gupta, CEO of Youngrads. 

Official statistics released in London on Thursday highlight a fall of over 21,000 Master's degree applicants compared to the previous year.

 

Gupta said, "This will impact UK universities financially, as they rely heavily on tuition from international students to fund teaching and research across various subjects, not just business and management."

Key statistics

Decrease in applications: According to UK Home Office data based on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, there was a 16 per cent drop in Indian student applicants over the year ending December 2023.

Overall migration decline: This drop in student numbers contributes to an overall 10 per cent fall in net migration compared to 2022.

Impact on Universities

While the reduction in migration numbers might be welcomed by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has prioritised curbing migration ahead of the general election set for 4 July, the figures are concerning for universities. These institutions rely heavily on fees from overseas students.

“There were 116,455 sponsored study visa grants to main applicants that are Indian nationals in the year ending March 2024, (26 per cent of the total), 21,717 fewer than the previous year,” the Home Office analysis reads.

Impact on education quality and economy

Britain is home to some of the world's most renowned universities, such as Oxford, Cambridge, and Imperial College London. Business leaders argue that these institutions are vital for innovation, creativity, and soft power, as many world leaders have studied at British universities. The government commissioned the review amid concerns that the graduate visa route was being abused, with some politicians claiming that students were using it to seek asylum or overstay their visas. However, the MAC found no evidence of widespread abuse.

Master’s level drop

A significant portion of this decline is at the Master's level.

Master’s applicants: The majority (94,149, or 81 per cent) of Indian students come to the UK to study at the Master's level.

Reduction in numbers: The recent decrease was driven by 21,800 fewer Indian nationals coming to study at this level.

Visa clampdown and lobbying

This decline follows a visa clampdown on students bringing their family dependents, spouses, or children. University vice-chancellors and diaspora groups are lobbying the government to protect the post-study work visa offer under the Graduate Route scheme.

Graduate Route Scheme

Despite the fall in student numbers, Indian nationals still represented the largest group of students granted visas under the Graduate Route scheme, with 64,372 visas granted, making up almost half (46 per cent) of the total grants.

India Young Professionals Scheme

The new India Young Professionals Scheme, which has a quota of 3,000 visas annually, saw 2,105 grants to Indian nationals up to March this year.

Work-related immigration

Indians also continue to be a significant portion of those immigrating to the UK for work-related reasons. Almost half of those coming for work were from India or Nigeria, mainly in the Health and Social Care sector. Indians topped the list of Skilled Worker visa grants.

Top nationalities for immigration

The top five nationalities outside the European Union (EU) for long-term immigration to the UK in the year ending December 2023 were:

1. Indian (250,000)

2. Nigerian (141,000)

3. Chinese (90,000)

4. Pakistani (83,000)

5. Zimbabwean (36,000)

Overall migration figures

Total arrivals: About 1.22 million people came to the UK in 2023

Total departures: Around 532,000 people left the UK in the same period

Net migration trends

The ONS said: “Long-term net migration (the number of people immigrating minus the number emigrating) was provisionally estimated to be 685,000 in the year ending December 2023, compared with our updated estimate of 764,000 for the year ending December 2022. While it is too early to say if this is the start of a new downward trend, emigration increased in 2023, while new Home Office data show visa applications have fallen in recent months.”

Indians seek better opportunities 

According to Shalini Lambah, Chief Executive of Migrate World, DU Digital Global, "frequent changes in rules and regulations have made Indian students increasingly hesitant to apply to UK universities. Instead, many are now considering countries like Germany, which offers a combination of world-class universities, minimal tuition fees, and a low visa rejection rate."

Additionally, the rapid development of Gulf countries presents new, attractive alternatives for higher education. 

"With India's strong ties to the UAE and plans to establish IIT and IIM campuses there, Indian students now have more appealing options closer to home", she said.