fbpx
Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF
10th Apr 2019

Survey reinforces the impact of Brexit on UK attractiveness

Let's talk about Brexit. At this writing, the UK is poised to crash out of the European Union on 12 April without an exit deal in place. British parliamentarians are engaged in intense negotiations to find a way out of the political impasse that has stalled the country’s departure from the EU and set up an uncertain timetable going forward. In order to avoid a “no deal” exit, Prime Minister Theresa May has proposed to delay Brexit until 30 June, but EU leaders are expected to demand a longer extension which will in turn set up yet another showdown in parliament this week for the embattled prime minister. With all of that as a backdrop, QS has just released findings from a “pulse survey” of 3,300 prospective international students. The survey was conducted earlier this month and reached prospects in markets around the world. QS is releasing the pulse findings in advance of its full International Student Survey results for 2019. The advance survey asked prospective students (from both EU and non-EU markets) how Brexit would affect their interest in studying in the UK. Its key findings include:

  • One in five respondents said that the UK’s decision to leave the European Union had made them less interested in studying in the UK.
  • More than a third (36%) said that they would be more interested in studies in the UK if the country remained within the EU.

It seems clear that the prospect of a Brexit (or, conversely, a decision by the UK to ultimately remain within the EU) is still sending strong market signals for many of the survey respondents. Employment goals and perceptions of how open the country remains for visiting students were both important factors for those who said the UK would be a more attractive destination if it remains within the European Union.

  • Nearly half (44%) felt their employment prospects would be better under this scenario.
  • Four in ten said that remaining within the EU would prove that the UK is still welcoming to international students.

The survey findings also highlight the importance of continued proactive messaging and marketing on the part of the British government and UK educators. “The UK’s higher education sector has a strong track record of delivering high quality education to students from around the world,” said QS Director of B2B Marketing & Market Intelligence Paul Raybould. “Our research shows that irrespective of the Brexit outcome the UK Government must work with the sector to continue promoting the UK as a leading study destination for international and EU students. With the current Brexit uncertainty looking set to continue, any future proposals which help to make the UK a more attractive place to study should be more widely publicised.” The groundwork for that effort appears to have been laid last month with the announcement of the UK’s new international education strategy. The strategy sets out ambitious goals to both nearly double the value of education exports and significantly increase the number of international students in British higher education – both by 2030. Perhaps just as importantly, the strategy also anticipates closer cooperation between the UK’s international education sector and government in terms of policy development, marketing, student supports, and research. For additional background, please see:

Most Recent

  • Canada: Ontario’s cap implementation plan allocates nearly all study permit applications to public colleges and universities Read More
  • New Zealand’s international enrolment continued to recover in 2023 Read More
  • Irish ELT sector continues to exceed pre-pandemic levels of business Read More

Most Popular

  • Canada’s foreign enrolment grew by more than 30% in 2022 Read More
  • Measuring cost of study and cost of living across study destinations Read More
  • Recruiting in the Emirates: Big goals, world-class education, and new scholarships Read More

Because you found this article interesting

Canada: Ontario’s cap implementation plan allocates nearly all study permit applications to public colleges and universities On 26 February 2024, the Government of Ontario – Canada’s most-populous province and host to just over half of...
Read more
New Zealand’s international enrolment continued to recover in 2023 New Zealand’s international education sector welcomed significantly more students in 2023 than in 2022, according to data released...
Read more
Irish ELT sector continues to exceed pre-pandemic levels of business The Irish English-language sector continues to expand, with business in 2023 once again surpassing performance before the pandemic,...
Read more
Survey finds interest in study abroad remains high in Türkiye despite economic headwinds Results from a new survey that went out online to more than 1,000 Turks between the ages of...
Read more
Lessons from Denmark: The downside of limiting international student flows We need not look far this year for examples of how national governments in major student destinations are...
Read more
Japanese universities to raise international student fees International students will now find it more expensive to study at many national universities in Japan. International students...
Read more
Canada’s language training sector continues to strengthen amid new immigration settings By 2022, Canada’s language training sector had recovered to roughly 65% of pre-pandemic enrolments. While complete data for...
Read more
UK Home Office launches Graduate Route review The UK Home Secretary James Cleverly officially triggered the government’s review of the post-study work rights Graduate Route...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links