The diversification of opportunities for students, who are now looking beyond traditional English-speaking destinations, is reshaping the higher education landscape.
The diversification of opportunities for students, who are now looking beyond traditional English-speaking destinations, is reshaping the higher education landscape.
Vincenzo Raimo, a renowned global higher education consultant and visiting fellow at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom, has attributed the significant decline in international student enrollment at UK universities in 2023 to a confluence of factors including increased global competition, the UK’s domestic political climate, and economic challenges in key student source countries like Nigeria and India.
“UK universities have been hit by decline in international students enrollment in 2023 because of greater international competition, the domestic political environment and political and economic pressures in key source countries such as Nigeria and India,” he said.
Raimo pointed out that many UK universities had overly optimistic projections for post-COVID growth in international student numbers. These projections were incorporated into their strategic plans without adequately accounting for various critical factors.
Firstly, the diversification of opportunities for students, who are now looking beyond traditional English-speaking destinations, is reshaping the higher education landscape. Additionally, impending immigration policies, especially ahead of elections, are anticipated to exert downward pressure on the growth of international student numbers in the UK.
Raimo said, “Many UK universities got a little too excited about continued post-Covid growth in international students and have built in quite aggressive growth objectives into their strategic plans. They did it without considering some factors.
“The opening up of a wider set of opportunities for prospective students and not just from the traditional main English speaking destinations.
“The predicted immigration related downward pressures on international student growth in the UK ahead of an election.”
The situation is further complicated by political and economic pressures in countries that are major sources of international students. These pressures are likely to impact future student enrollments, a factor that was seemingly overlooked in the strategic planning of many institutions.
“The need to be aware of political and economic pressures in the main student source countries which might impact future student numbers.”
Raimo emphasizes that the impact of these factors is not uniform across all universities. Some have managed to either maintain their international student numbers or even register marginal growth. However, universities that rely heavily on markets considered less stable, such as West Africa and India, have experienced significant declines in student enrollments.
“There are winners and losers – some universities have managed to maintain international numbers or even see marginal growth whereas others, in particular those more reliant on less stable markets such as West Africa and India, have seen quite significant declines in student enrolments,” he stated.
Furthermore, Raimo suggests that a deeper analysis into the cost of acquiring international students is leading some universities to question the financial viability of focusing on international growth. This introspection is particularly relevant as these institutions face continued reduction in the value of domestic student tuition fees. International growth, often seen as an opportunity to increase average tuition fee revenue, might not always be financially sustainable.
“Some universities in doing a deeper analysis of international student cost of acquisition are realizing that international growth isn’t always (financially) worth it even though it is often seen as their opportunity to increase average tuition fee revenue in the face of a continued reduction in the value of domestic student tuition fees,” Raimo said.
The decline in international student enrollment poses a significant challenge for UK universities, many of which have historically depended on this demographic for a substantial portion of their revenue. It also underscores the need for these institutions to reassess their strategic approaches to international education and adapt to the rapidly changing global higher education environment.
Raimo’s insights shed light on the complexities of international student recruitment and the importance of considering a wide array of factors, both domestic and international, in strategic planning. His longstanding experience and affiliation with the University of Reading and major institutions in the past add a level of authority and insight to these observations, underscoring the need for UK universities to adapt strategically to these evolving challenges.
As UK universities navigate this challenging landscape, the focus may need to shift towards more sustainable models of international student recruitment, considering the financial, political, and economic dynamics at play both domestically and in the key source countries. The situation calls for a balanced and well-informed approach to ensure the continued viability and success of the higher education sector in the UK.
