UK universities to benefit as Trump ‘puts off foreign students’

UK universities could be the biggest beneficiaries if international students are put off the US because of Donald Trump, according to a new report.

With restrictive immigration policies increasingly being adopted in rival destinations, researchers from the British Council found that the UK stands to reap the rewards after the Republican’s return to the White House.

Overseas enrolment declined during Trump’s first term, as he tightened visa issuance, attempted to remove international students on online courses from the US during the pandemic, and proposed limiting visas for students from certain countries.

The sector took in 50,000 fewer international students on the eve of the Covid-19 pandemic than when he took office, with the steepest falls from the Middle East and North Africa, Mexico and Central America.

Colleges urged foreign students to return to campus before Trump’s inauguration in January because of concerns about plans for mass deportations, and academics are braced for four years of “playing defence” on international education.

Debate over the H-1B work visa within the Trump administration is another “potential source of anxiety for prospective international students”, warns the British Council report.

“While uncertainty is the only certainty of Trump’s governing style, his return may be good news for the UK sector,” it says. 

Researchers also predicted that the perception of restrictive attitudes towards overseas students in other English-speaking countries will also prove beneficial to the UK.

Caps on student visas have badly damaged Canada’s reputation, while the flow of overseas students into Australian universities is expected to fall by up to 10 per cent this year.

“Combined with greater restrictions in Australia and Canada on international students, the UK will likely benefit from the marginal student who otherwise would have studied in another major English-speaking destination country but may now view the UK as the most welcoming among them,” says the report.

Maddalaine Ansell, director of education at the British Council, said it is crucial that the UK does everything it can to maintain its position as a global leader in higher education.

“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, and in continuing to ensure that the UK recruits highly qualified international students from across the globe.”

After a difficult 2024, the report also found that the UK could expect “more positive vibes” in the international market this year.

Early data indicates an improvement, while the British Council said an expansion in the number of programmes over the last three years has boosted the attractiveness of UK education for international students.

“The UK will get its mojo back just as other major host destination markets struggle under the weight of their own mounting policy challenges.”

The British Council said that India may have peaked as a source of outbound students but a weak Chinese economy will drive increased interest in postgraduate education abroad.

And it predicted that East Asian markets will continue their upward trajectory, with Malaysia set to be one of the primary bene­ficiaries.

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com