In a significant shift for UK higher education, ministers have officially abandoned numerical targets for recruiting international students to British shores. The new strategy will instead focus on aggressively expanding the overseas footprint of UK universities, aiming to bring British education directly to students worldwide.
From Recruitment Targets to Global Exports
The Department for Education has confirmed it is replacing the previous goal, set in 2019, of attracting 600,000 international students a year to study in the UK. In its place, the government's refreshed international education strategy sets an ambitious economic target: to increase global 'education exports' to £40bn a year by 2030.
This pivot means encouraging universities to open campuses and form partnerships abroad, effectively delivering UK courses "on their own doorsteps," as the government stated. The DfE explained this approach "removes targets on international student numbers in the UK and shifts the focus towards growing education exports overseas."
Stricter Rules and a New Levy for Onshore Students
While promoting expansion abroad, the government insists it will "continue to welcome international students" to the UK. However, it plans to introduce 'toughened compliance standards' to ensure visa holders are genuine students. Universities that fail to meet these standards could face recruitment caps and even have their licences to sponsor students revoked.
This comes after the government announced a new levy of £925 per student per year of study in last year's autumn budget. Recent visa statistics show a notable decline: 431,725 sponsored study visas were granted in the year ending June 2025, an 18% drop from the previous year and 34% down from a peak of 652,072 in the year ending June 2023.
Mixed Reactions and the Challenge of Quality
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson championed the new direction, arguing that expanding overseas allows institutions to "diversify income, strengthen global partnerships and give millions more access to a world-class UK education." The move was warmly welcomed by Professor Malcolm Press, President of Universities UK, who said it signals a "renewed commitment to fostering the global reach, reputation and impact of our universities."
However, the shift has raised concerns. Amira Campbell, President of NUS UK, emphasised that students value learning alongside peers from different cultures. "The UK has a world-leading university sector... But integral to this reputation are the international students on our campuses," she said. Campbell urged the government to ensure that the same high-quality teaching and well-rounded university experience enjoyed in the UK is present across all satellite campuses abroad.
The government has pledged support to help institutions navigate foreign regulations, with a new sector action group tasked with removing "red tape" to expansion. Currently, about 620,000 students are registered with UK universities overseas across nearly 200 countries, a figure likely to grow under this new strategy.
