Donald Trump’s return to office may bring an unexpected boost to UK universities as fewer international students choose to study in the US, according to a British Council report.
The trend is expected to dovetail with greater restrictions in Australia and Canada on international students, making the UK appear the most welcoming English-speaking country, the report said. This would reverse years of the UK’s popularity declining relative to competitors as a result of previous governments’ hostile immigration policies.
During Trump’s first term as president, between 2017 and 2021, the number of international enrolments in the US declined on an annual basis every year. In 2019-20, there were 50,000 fewer international students in the US than prior to Trump’s presidency.
Declines in enrolments were sharpest in students from the Middle East and north Africa, North America and Central America, and Europe, though the US became a more popular destination among east Asians.
In the UK, there has been a 4.7% uptick in international undergraduate applications for early deadline courses in 2025, reversing declining numbers during the first three-quarters of last year.
This is partly due to the fact that nearly two-thirds (60%) of UK universities have expanded how many degree programmes they offer over the past three years, which the report said boosts the attractiveness of UK education for international students.
UK universities are also offering more courses with January start dates, which tend to be popular among international students, the researchers added.
Maddalaine Ansell, director of education at the British Council, said: “While our English-speaking competitors might be experiencing challenges, we must not grow complacent.
“There is work to be done to boost recruitment from a larger number of smaller markets, in making greater investments in TNE (transnational education), and in continuing to ensure that the UK recruits highly qualified international students from across the globe.”
The report suggests that universities will need to look beyond their traditional international student recruitment markets, given that demand in India is slowing and higher education is improving in quality in east Asia. They may also need to consider offering more cost-effective options, the report notes.
