Why Are International Students Avoiding the US and UK?

Today’s QS World University Rankings 2020 reveal a disturbing trend for both UK and US universities. Despite continuing to be home to the world’s very best unis, both the UK and US see an overall decline in university performance.

Looking closer at the indicators used to compile our ranking, one significant factor in this decline has been the low scores universities in both countries have received for their percentage of international faculty and international students.

Intended as a measure to show the level of diversity at institutions, this poor performance suggests both UK and US universities are becoming less appealing to faculty and students from other countries.

Below is a comparison of how the top universities in the UK scored for international faculty and international students over the last two years.

This trend continues far beyond the very top universities in both countries. So, what’s turning international students away from two of the historically most popular study destinations?

One of the biggest attractions to studying in a foreign country is the possibility to work in the same country after graduation. This is especially true of the UK and US, two countries where graduates can expect to earn a significant income depending on their degree.

However, it’s become significantly harder for overseas students to stay on after graduation for work in the UK. Outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May took a hardline approach to immigration and restricted international students to just six months of work after finishing their studies.

One of the contenders to replace May as PM, Sajid Javid, has said he wants to make it easier for overseas students to work in the UK, but with Brexit consuming all political debate there’s too much uncertainty about if and when this will happen.

Brexit has also left EU students – previously confident in their ability to remain in the UK for work – uncertain of where they stand. This is unlikely to improve until Brexit is resolved, and long-term guarantees can be offered to EU citizens.

While the visa available to students in the US is more attractive, allowing them to work for a longer period after graduation, the latest data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services shows a steady rise in the number of visa applications being denied.

In October-December last year, a quarter of all H1-B visa applications were denied. By contrast, the rate of denied applications in the final year of Barack Obama’s presidency was just six per cent.