Europe split on English-taught degrees amid ‘volatile landscape’

France, Italy and Portugal have all expanded their English-medium on-campus degree offerings in the past five years, while institutions across Spain, Sweden, Denmark and Finland have cut hundreds of English-language courses.

Within the European Economic Area, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands remain the top three providers of English-taught, on-campus programmes, all with more than 2,000 on offer, according to a new report by the British Council and Studyportals. Globally, supply is dominated by the “Big Four” of English-language providers – the US, the UK, Canada and Australia.

France added more than 200 programmes between 2019 and 2024, placing fourth with more than 1,400 courses on offer, the report reveals, with Italy adding almost 300 to place fifth, with 1,251. Portugal, not represented in the 2019 top 10 destinations, has jumped to ninth with more than 500 programmes.

Spain, meanwhile, cut more than 200 courses in the same period, now offering about 1,100 programmes and falling from fourth to sixth place, while Sweden has dropped to seventh place after cutting just seven programmes, leaving the country with just more than 1,000. Denmark, which offered more than 600 courses in 2019, has fallen out of the top 10, while Finland cut 100 programmes to remain in 10th place with almost 500 courses.

Germany has invested heavily in online supply: the country’s portfolio expanded more than 80 per cent over the past five years, with 201 online programmes now on offer. Ireland follows with 145 online, English-taught courses, with Spain in third with 115.

The picture, the report authors note, could soon change, as a more hostile approach to internationalisation develops across Europe. Countries including the Netherlands have introduced policies aimed at limiting international student numbers by restricting English-taught programmes, while Denmark made a similar move in 2021 only to later change course amid a labour shortage.

The report was launched at the annual conference of the European Association for International Education (EAIE) on 18 September.

Introducing the report, EAIE president Piet Van Hove described “a highly volatile and uncertain landscape for international student mobility”.

“Political trends are severely affecting migration policies as well as putting higher education in a defensive mode,” he writes.

China could overtake Europe in the provision of English-taught programmes by the end of the decade, Studyportals predicted in a report published earlier this year. “Although the sector faces a challenging period, often referred to as a ‘cold winter’, the expansion of [English-taught programmes] in various regions around the world offers new opportunities for growth, competition and portfolio development,” that report stated.

emily.dixon@timeshighereducation.com