With over 600,000 international students, UK is one of the leading international study destinations in the world. For many international students, pursuing their higher education in UK remains a top priority and there are myriad of reasons behind this. First and foremost is the UK higher education system which is widely considered as one of the best in the world in producing inspired learners who are job ready. In 2021, according to UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service), applications to universities in the UK especially from non-EU students rose by 25.4 percent. The same statistics stood at 14.4 percent in 2020 which shows the uptick in the number of international students who aspire to pursue their higher education in the UK. The international student population in the UK is diverse with students from different foreign countries studying in its higher education institutions. China, India, and USA send more students to the UK when compared to other sender nations. And in the 2019/2020 academic year, the number of non-EU international students in the country stood at 400,000 plus which highlights the global appeal of higher education in the UK. Another important statistics is that, during the same academic year, international students accounted for 22 percent of all students enrolled in higher education institutes in the country.

International Student Preferences

London remains a popular destination for international students in the UK with 4 of the country’s 10 most popular universities located in the capital city. Looking from a program perspective, more international students are inclined to take postgraduate programs when compared to undergraduate programs. A statistics which highlights this point is- During the 2019/2020 academic year, 17 percent of undergraduate enrollments were from international students while international students accounted for 58 percent of total enrollments in postgraduate programs in the same year. When it comes to the field of study, out of the myriad of options, most students opt for business and management, engineering and technology, and social sciences courses in the UK. Let’s analyze why that is the case.             

Industry-centric Business and Management Programs 

Business and management has been a popular field of study in the UK for many years now and many higher education institutions in the UK rank amongst the best in the world year in and year out. This means that, students have a wide variety of options to choose from which helps them to find the institute which suits them the most. Universities in the UK are constantly checked by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education which is an independent entity that works to ensure that students are getting world-class education that the UK prides itself on. From an entrepreneurial point of view also, UK with cities like London, Manchester and Edinburgh provides a wide array of economic hubs and a thriving startup culture which promotes entrepreneurship.    

Warwick Business School, The University of Warwick is one of the most popular business schools in the UK. The business school offers plethora of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral level programs that the students can opt for. Also, the institute has myriad of executive diploma programs which equips the learners to deal with the present day highly complex and uncertain challenges that businesses face. The programs offered by the institute are aimed at developing the business mindset of the students. They offer world-class learning opportunities so that their students can realize their true potential and build a successful professional career.  At the same time, these programs aim for the holistic development of the students and focuses on improving their interpersonal skills as well. And over the years, Warwick Business School has built a global community of students which makes cross-cultural learning that much more efficient which will help the learners to become global citizens.         

Research-centric Engineering and Technology Education

Engineering and technology programs in the UK still remains highly popular owing to the fact that UK engineering graduates continue to be high in demand across the globe. With an ever-evolving curriculum, many of the engineering and technology programs in the UK allow the learners to develop into a constant learner and pick up new technical skills and knowledge continuously. UK is also constantly ranked amongst the best in the world in terms of innovation and pioneering engineering marvels which helps the students to be in a great learning environment that encourages innovation and promotes research-centric learning. This priority given to research and learning through research continues to help higher education institutions in the UK to nurture world-class engineering professionals who go onto make a name for themselves in the industry.       

University of Cambridge is a world famous higher education institution which is constantly ranked amongst the top educational institutions in the world. The university has a wide array of higher education streams to choose from including engineering, economics, law, medicine, and natural sciences to name a few. Looking at the engineering stream, the courses offered prioritizes on equipping students with analytical, design and computing skills while at the same time keep the options for the learners open. And the university offers plethora of specializations including Aerospace and Aerothermal Engineering, Bioengineering, Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Information and Computer Engineering to name a few.  The department of engineering at the University of Cambridge is a leading international centre of research which allows their students to participate in research activities consistently and there by honing their technical skills.  

Social Sciences Education in a Multicultural Environment  

Over the years, social sciences education has been gaining popularity across the globe and in addition to giving students transferable skills, the programs offered in many higher education institutions in the UK prioritizes on expanding the horizons of their students by teaching them myriad of subjects. And the quality of education as well as the multicultural experience that higher education institutions in the UK can offer has increased the international appeal of social sciences education in the country.  Students from across the world is choosing UK to pursue social sciences education and owing to this, cross-cultural learning is happening which will help the learners to know about the different cultures and people from across the globe. Apart from that, the holistic curriculum offered by the higher education institutions in the UK help students to equip themselves with ample transferable skills that they can put to use in different fields.        

London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is a prime example of a world-class education institution offering top-notch social sciences program. The institute has plethora of undergraduate and postgraduate programs that students can choose from. And being a global higher education institution, students from across the globe are represented in their campus which creates an inclusive learning environment. Apart from that, being in London which is a thriving city that is home to people from different parts of the world allows the learners to experience diversity first-hand and acquire different skills.  Also, the institute offers plenty of opportunities for the students to learn about new topics and develop their skills in myriad of areas.                 

With global competitions continuing to rise, the UK is aiming to continue their quest to remain a destination of choice for international students across the globe. Apart from being a top international study destination, the steady flow of foreign students into higher education institutions in the UK is helping the economy of the country as well. And when these students graduate, the country can utilize their skills and develop them into greater contributors for the development of the nation. In order to realize this objective, the UK is aiming to continue developing their higher education infrastructure and attract international students from even more countries.