Brexit effect over University: applications from EU fall by 7%

The number of EU students applying to study in the UK has dropped by 7% sparking fears that the impact of the Brexit vote is starting to bite in the university sector, official figures released today by UCAS reveal.

UK applicant figures have also decreased to a total of 469,490, a fall of 5% on this time last year; among EU students, there have been 42,070 applicants, compared to 45,220 at the same point last year, around 7% drop.

It is the third fall in applicant numbers since 2002, and the biggest since 2012 – the year that tuition fees in England were trebled to £9,000 (CFF 11,216). The other drop was in 2006, when fees were raised to £3,000 (CHF 3,730).

The fall has been caused by a number of factors, Ucas suggested, including drops in EU student applicants and in potential nursing students, a fall in older people – those aged 19 and over – applying for degree courses, and a slowing of application rates from 18-year-olds.

Leading academics have warned MPs that a hard Brexit could be the “biggest disaster” in higher education for many years, and that leaving the European Union could cause irrevocable damage to the reputation of British universities.

The National Union of Students said the decline in EU students should be viewed as a “warning”. Sorana Vieru, NUS Vice President said “studying in the UK is a considerably less attractive option than it was 12 months ago”. Michael Peak, Senior Education Adviser at the British Council said the figures showed that universities needed to work hard to ensure the UK remains an attractive choice for overseas students. “It’s a concern that international applications to UK universities are showing a decline at a time when most other countries are benefitting from opening up to global talent,” Mr Peak added. 

Speaking at an education select committee hearing last month, Professor Alistair Fitt, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University said Brexit “would probably be the biggest disaster for the university sector for many years”. Vice-chancellors had previously complained that reassurances were yet to be made from the Government over the future of funding for university research, as much of this comes from the EU.