A record number of Chinese students have applied for U.K. undergraduate courses, signaling a broader trend of rising international interest in British higher education amid geopolitical tensions elsewhere, experts said.
New data from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), the central body managing applications for full-time undergraduate courses at U.K. universities and colleges, shows that as of June 30, international applications from 18-year-olds had reached 65,010, a 9% rise from the previous year and the highest annual increase in seven years.
Of these, Chinese applicants accounted for a record 18,830 aged 18, marking a 25% year-on-year increase. Across all age groups, applications from China totaled 33,870, the highest number ever recorded, signaling a strong rebound following previous declines.
Although UCAS represents just one route for international students applying to undergraduate programs in the U.K., the latest figures are "excellent news" and indicate that the U.K.’s higher education brand remains "resilient," Lil Bremermann-Richard, chief executive of Oxford International Education Group, told Times Higher Education (THE).
"As political relations between China and the United States remain strained, there may be a shift away from traditional destinations such as the U.S. This situation could create long-term opportunities for the U.K., which, by positioning itself as a stable and welcoming alternative, might sustain or increase this trend," she said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in May that the U.S. will begin revoking visas of Chinese students.
Rubio said the department would also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future applications from mainland China and Hong Kong.
"The U.S. State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students," he said, as reported by Reuters.
The announcement followed broader immigration measures under President Donald Trump's administration, which included plans to ramp up deportations and revoke student visas in support of its hardline immigration agenda.
Julian Fisher, founder of Beijing-based Venture Education, noted that Chinese families are primarily motivated by concerns over "employability and safety," according to THE.
"Since the U.K. has similarly ranked universities to the U.S., and is currently seen as more welcoming during Trump's second term, it's no surprise numbers to the U.K. have increased," he said, adding that the trend is also likely to extend to postgraduate programs.
Vincenzo Raimo, an international higher education consultant and visiting fellow at the University of Reading, told THE that the growth in Chinese applications represents "more than a temporary bounce."
"It points to a renewed confidence in the U.K. as a study destination, especially at a time when other countries, including the U.S. and Australia, are tightening visa routes and becoming less predictable," he added.
However, the surge in Chinese interest comes as applications from India, the U.K.'s second-largest student market, have dropped significantly. Only 11,310 Indian students applied for U.K. courses in 2025, the lowest since 2021 and an 11% decline from the previous year. This marks the second consecutive annual drop and the steepest since records began.
Raimo suggested India's downturn is linked to a more "price-sensitive and volatile" market. Rising tuition and living costs, shrinking post-study work opportunities, and increased competition from other destinations are contributing to the decline in Indian applicants.
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