The number of students taking UK courses abroad has surpassed the number of international students studying in the country for the first time, new figures reveal.

A report by Universities UK International (UUKi) found that in 2024-25 there were just under 700,000 students studying at UK higher education institutions, across 299 countries and 183 providers. 

This was a 7 per cent year-on-year increase, and there was also “significant growth” over the past five years, with the number of UK TNE students increasing by 36.6 per cent since 2020-21, when the total was just over 512,000.

This means that the number of UK TNE students now exceeds the number of international students studying onshore in the UK – 681,430 – for the first time: a shift predicted by UUKi after last year’s figures.

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TNE has been increasingly explored by universities in recent years as governments increasingly introduce anti-immigration policies, but critics have raised concerns over quality control and oversight of such provision.

The UK has seen major growth in its undergraduate TNE students. In 2024-25, across all providers, there were 485,410 – more than double the number of postgraduate taught and postgraduate research TNE students combined. 

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Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, the rises in numbers of UK TNE students were 40.9 per cent for undergraduates, 28.3 per cent for postgraduate taught students, and 16.1 per cent for postgraduate research students. 

Jamie Arrowsmith, director of Universities UK International, said: “With TNE playing a vital role in widening global access to UK degrees, this report shows how our universities are at the forefront of this profound shift. 

“As the landscape continues to evolve, we’re committed to supporting our members in developing their provision, ensuring that growth in TNE remains strategic, sustainable and rooted in partnership and mutual benefit.”

The increases follow policy changes in several countries to allow the expansion of TNE, including China, Indonesia, Mauritius, Pakistan and Vietnam: moves aimed at widening access to education and filling skills gaps.

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Just over half of all UK TNE students were located in Asia in 2024-25. Europe continued to be the second largest host region, with 16.3 per cent of students, despite a drop in numbers compared with the previous year. The Middle East hosted 14.8 per cent and Africa hosted 12.5 per cent. 

Since 2020-21, all types of TNE provision have grown, but at very different rates. Partnership provision saw growth of 51.4 per cent, while overseas campus provision expanded by 30.3 per cent and distance learning by 6.8 per cent.

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com