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The UK has been one of the most popular destinations for international students in recent years – but is its appeal starting to fade? Home Office figures show UK sponsored study visas dropped by 31% – from 600,024 in 2023 to 415,103 in 2024. With this, money many university cities rely on.
Universities UK, which represents 141 institutions, says measures to reduce net migration have “created significant uncertainty around the UK’s post-study work offer”.
The government says international students “will always be welcome but the net migration levels seen in recent years have been completely unacceptable, and we have committed to reducing those numbers substantially”.
Coventry in the West Midlands is particularly dependent on the international student economy. In 2022-23, of universities with at least 10,000 students, Coventry University had the second highest percentage of international students in England outside London. There were 16,285 non-UK students out of a total of 35,405, according to the most recent figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
Jingwen Yuan, 30, spent seven years as a construction project manager in her native China, where she oversaw building projects that housed more people than are found in some UK cities. The Coventry University alumnus has a masters degree in advanced engineering management and paid £3,000 to stay in the UK on a graduate visa while looking for work – but has been unable to find a job.
“All of my bachelor degrees classmates from home have gone back to China,” she says. “My friend got £5,000 to £6,000 from our government if she came back. And for us, if we choose to stay, we need to pay £3,000 to the UK government. Can you see the difference?”
Whilst the number of international visas has fallen by almost a third, the number of international students applying to study in the UK via The University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) has increased. UCAS saw a 2.7% rise in international undergraduate applicants between 2024 and 2025. However, this does not represent the full picture, as UCAS figures do not account for students applying directly through colleges and universities, or postgraduate courses.
The overall fall in international students is impacting Coventry University’s finances. It recently put hundreds of staff at risk of redundancy. It is little surprise the change is also being felt in the city’s wider economy. Coventry University’s analysis of Higher Education Policy Institute and Kaplan International’s figures suggests international students generate about £651m a year for the city’s economy.
Estate agents have noted a change in Coventry’s housing market. One sign of a drop in overseas students is that several purpose-built student accommodation blocks are the subject of change-of-use planning proposals to convert them for residential use. The volume of student accommodation being approved has attracted debate, with some residents objecting to planning applications. Estate agents report landlords selling up due to falling international student numbers.
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