International students in the United Kingdom

An international student[1] is a student who chooses to migrate to another country for education purposes.[2] The United Kingdom is among the world's most popular destinations for international students.[3]

In 2019, the UK government set a target to recruit 600,000 international students in higher education by 2030.[4] This was met one year later and in the 2021-22 academic year, there were 679,790 international students studying at UK higher education institutions (a 12.3% increase, 74,660, from the previous year).[5] One annual cohort of international students is estimated to be worth £25.9 billion to the British economy.[6]

Living Cost

The UK ranks in the top 30 of the list of costly countries to live in the world. The costliest cities in the UK [7] in increasing order are London, Brighton, Reading, Cambridge, Bristol, Oxford, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, York and Manchester. The average rent per month in the UK for a one-bedroom is £655.42, which is significantly higher compared to other countries. 

  • Hurdles: Students are liable to face challenges when they decide to study in a different country. Following are some of the challenges a student might face at the beginning of their stay, 
  • Language: This is a pandemic, and in order to overcome this challenge, an international student is advised to find somebody who will translate for him this will help him understand what is being taught and he also will be in a better position to assimilate with others. Being proficient in the language before moving to a new country is always the smart choice. 
  • Climatic changes: This may prove to be a significant challenge for any international student. Adapting between climatic conditions may be quite challenging in the beginning. Research is recommended in advance, which helps in packing the appropriate clothing and an extra layer of clothing is always recommended. 
  • Cultural changes: Culture is not a prevalent concept, and it varies in every corner of the world, the customs that are important back home may not even be acceptable somewhere else. Students may go through an emotional turmoil due to this conflict; it advisable for them to accept the cultures and customs of their current place of residence. 
  • Homesick: Moving away from home is bound to make one anxious and scared; this may lead to the feeling of being homesick. It is advisable to take the new changes with a stride and not focus on the fact that one is away from home. 

Loan and Visa

Majority students choose to study with the help of student loans, which consequently also helps them become independent. Students have admitted to over-draft being their primary source of income. Loans can be applied for back in the students home country, or they can choose to apply for a scholarship and apply for a loan as when needed. Getting a visa is given if a student is travelling to a different country for education. The visa a student needs to apply for is British Student Visa (Tier 4), 40 points are required to apply for it. These points can be earned by Course confirmation, Funding, Visa Application and Immigration Health Service Charge. 

Accommodation

Rent is the significant expenditure a student has to bear monthly. Majority universities provide accommodation to their students in the forms of dormitories. For those who wish not to or do not get a room allotted PBSAs[8] are recommended as it provides a secure facility with student envisioned amenities. 

Travel and Food

The British citizens preferred mode of transport is either walking or public transport because of the expensive nature of the cab services. Students prefer walking or cycling to their place of work or studies. Eating out every day at a students budget [9] is not a quixotic decision. Students should learn to cook to save on the expenses. 

Part-time jobs 

Students choose to either work part-time or full-time for various reasons. The number of students working has risen two percentage points in the last year. 45% out of 2,128 students have a part-time job, in which a third work during the term too. 

Classification

By sending countries and regions

The top 15 countries and regions sending students to the United Kingdom in 2021/22 are listed below.[5]

Rank Place of origin Number of Students Percent of Total
1  China 151,690 22.3%
2  India 126,535 18.6%
3  Nigeria 44,195 6.5%
4  Pakistan 23,075 3.4%
5  United States 22,990 3.4%
6  Hong Kong 17,630 2.6%
7  Bangladesh 12,700 1.9%
8  Malaysia 12,135 1.8%
9  France 11,870 1.7%
10  Italy 11,320 1.7%
11  Spain 10,330 1.5%
12  Germany 9,915 1.5%
13  Ireland 9,855 1.4%
14  Romania 8,915 1.3%
15  Saudi Arabia 8,750 1.3%
Others 182,495 26.8%
Total 679,970 100%

By number of International Students

The mainstream universities with the highest number of international students for 2021/22 are listed below:[10]

RankInstitutionNumber of International EU StudentsNumber of International non-EU StudentsTotal International Students
1University College London4,40019,74524,145
2University of Manchester2,45015,72518,170
3University of Edinburgh3,57014,48018,050
4University of Glasgow2,59514,79517,390
5King's College London3,84013,31017,155
6Coventry University2,35515,65615,565
7University of Hertfordshire78512,44513,230
8University of the Arts, London2,3409,72012,060
9Ulster University1,30010,74512,045
10Imperial College London2,7208,60011,320

By proportion of International Students

The mainstream universities with the highest proportion of international students for 2021/22 are listed below:[10]

RankInstitutionNumber of International StudentsPercent of Student Body
1London School of Economics8,52065.7%
2University of the Arts, London12,06053.7%
3Imperial College London11,32052.7%
4University College London24,14551.6%
5University of St Andrews5,42545.9%
6University of Edinburgh18,05043.8%
7University of Hertfordshire13,23041.4%
8King's College London17,15541.3%
9Coventry University15,56540.8%
10University of Glasgow17,39040.5%

References

  1. Bordia, Sarbari; Bordia, Prashant; Milkovitz, Michael; Shen, Yaxi; Restubog, Simon Lloyd D. (2019-08-03). "What do international students really want? An exploration of the content of international students' psychological contract in business education". Studies in Higher Education. 44 (8): 1488–1502. doi:10.1080/03075079.2018.1450853. ISSN 0307-5079. S2CID 149281313.
  2. Hansen, Holly Moran (2002). "Defining international education". New Directions for Higher Education. 2002 (117): 5–12. doi:10.1002/he.41. ISSN 1536-0741.
  3. "Education: Inbound internationally mobile students by continent of origin". data.uis.unesco.org. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  4. "UK international student strategy sets 600K recruitment target". Times Higher Education. 16 March 2019.
  5. "Where do HE students come from?: Non-UK HE students by HE provider and country of domicile". hesa.ac.uk. Higher Education Statistics Authority. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  6. "Bilimoria warns cutting foreign student numbers would be 'utter madness'". Financial Times. 25 January 2023.
  7. Murray, Sean. "Dublin now in top 5 most expensive places to rent in Europe, research finds". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  8. Ike, Nnenna; Baldwin, Claudia; Lathouras, Athena (2017-10-15). "Optimising Tertiary Student Accommodation within University Neighbourhoods". Articulo - Journal of Urban Research. doi:10.4000/articulo.3243. ISSN 1661-4941.
  9. Hermannsson, Kristinn; McGregor, Peter G.; Swales, J. Kim (2018-01-01). "Students' consumption expenditures in economic impact studies: assumptions revisited in an input–output approach for Scotland". Regional Studies, Regional Science. 5 (1): 57–77. doi:10.1080/21681376.2018.1428499.
  10. "Where do HE students study?: Students by HE provider". HESA. HE student enrolments by HE provider. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.