Reaching International Students in the UK: A Guide for Brands

How many international students are in the UK?

There were 685,565 international students in UK higher education in 2024/25, according to HESA data published in January 2026. That is down 6% on the previous year and around 10% below the record of 758,855 set in 2022/23. Even after two years of decline, the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford calculates that almost a quarter of students at UK universities are international.

For brands, that is a large, concentrated and recently arrived audience. International students land in a new country needing a bank account, a phone number, a weekly shop and a way to get around, usually within days of arrival. Few audiences make so many first purchasing decisions in such a short space of time.

Where international students come from

India and China account for roughly 4 in 10 international students. In 2024/25 HESA counted:

The mix is shifting. India is now the largest group, and Nepal has moved into the top five: entrants from Nepal reached 17,385 in 2024/25, up from 1,165 in 2020/21.

Visa data points the same way. In the year ending June 2026, Chinese nationals received 86,368 sponsored study visas as main applicants (24%) and Indian nationals 82,523 (23%), according to the Home Office.

Why numbers are falling: the policy changes brands should know

The decline is policy-led, and more changes are coming.

• Dependants. Since 1 January 2024, most international students cannot bring family members. Postgraduate students can do so only on a PhD, other doctorate or research-based degree, or if they are government-sponsored. Dependant visa applications are now almost 90% lower than in the year ending December 2023.

• Fewer students arriving. Sponsored study visas granted in the year ending June 2026 were 383,455, 11% lower than a year earlier and 41% below the 2023 peak.

• A shorter Graduate visa. Graduates who apply on or before 31 December 2026 can stay for two years after their course. From 1 January that falls to 18 months, or three years for doctoral graduates.

• An international student levy. Universities in England will pay a levy of £925 a year for each international student from 2028/29, according to the Migration Observatory.

The audience remains large, but its shape is changing: fewer families, more students on one-year courses, and a market where universities compete harder for each student. That makes onboarding support more valuable, both to the students and to the institutions that host them.

Who international students are

The international student profile differs from the UK first-year profile in ways that should change the brief.

• Often postgraduate. Much international recruitment is at taught master’s level, where non-UK entrants fell 10% in 2024/25. Many taught master’s courses last a year, so the window to win a customer is short.

• Arriving just before the course. Students on courses longer than six months can arrive up to one month before the start date.

• Funded, but cautious. To get a visa, students must show living costs of £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 elsewhere, for up to nine months, rising to £1,570 and £1,203 for applications made on or after 30 November 2026. That money is earmarked; it is a budget to be protected.

What international students need in their first weeks

The onboarding list is longer than for UK students, and the order matters. Several items depend on others.

The pattern for brands is simple: be useful early. A product or service that solves a week-one problem earns a place in the routine for the whole course.

What brands should do differently

Time it to arrival, twice. September is the main moment, and some courses start in January. A plan that runs in both, such as the university Welcome Bag in September and Refreshers in January, reaches both groups.

Explain, do not assume. Many international students are new to UK brands, UK store formats and UK banking. Spell out how to sign up, what documents are needed and where to buy. Avoid slang and cultural references that only work for UK students.

Lead with practical value. Students arrive with a fixed budget they have had to evidence for their visa. A clear price, a student discount or a trial that saves money lands better than a lifestyle message.

Reflect where students come from. With India and China accounting for roughly 4 in 10 international students, products familiar from home, payment methods students already use, and messaging that recognises home-country festivals can make a brand feel relevant quickly.

Reach them where they live. Dig In delivers Welcome Bags to 500,000 students each September through more than 1,000 halls, and 300,000 bags for January.

Measure by audience. Add a home-country question to your post-sampling survey so you can read results for international and UK students separately. Dig In has collected over a million survey responses since 2016.

What this means for brands

• International students are almost a quarter of the UK student body and make most of their setup decisions in their first weeks.

• Numbers are falling, and the mix is moving towards one-year postgraduate courses, so the window to win them is shorter and the first week matters more.

• Banks, mobile networks, grocery brands and transport providers have the clearest role, because they solve problems students must fix on arrival.

• Plan for September and January, explain clearly, and measure international and UK responses separately.

Questions brands ask

How many international students are in the UK?

HESA counted 685,565 international students in UK higher education in 2024/25. That was 6% fewer than in 2023/24 and around 10% below the 2022/23 record of 758,855.

Which countries do most international students in the UK come from?

India (146,480 students in 2024/25) and China (143,200) are the two largest, followed by Pakistan, Nigeria and Nepal, according to HESA.

Are international student numbers in the UK falling?

Yes. Student numbers fell in both 2023/24 and 2024/25, and study visas granted in the year ending June 2026 were 11% lower than a year earlier and 41% below the 2023 peak. Restrictions on dependants since January 2024 and a shorter Graduate visa from January are part of the reason.

Can international students bring their families to the UK?

Since 1 January 2024, only students on postgraduate research courses, such as a PhD, or government-sponsored students can bring dependants. Most taught master’s and undergraduate students cannot.

What do international students need when they arrive in the UK?

A UK bank account, a UK SIM, a first grocery shop, transport and basic kitchen and room items. Bank accounts can take several weeks to open, and universities such as UEA advise students to be ready to cover their spending with existing cards or cash in the meantime.

Want to reach international students this September and January? Talk to us.

Sources

• HESA, Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2024/25 (released 27 January 2026) (2026).

• Accommodation for Students, New statistics for 2024/25 academic year show overall decrease in student numbers (2026).

• VnExpress International, UK sees record low in international students as Indian and Chinese numbers keep falling (2026).

• ICEF Monitor, UK international student numbers fall for second year, especially in postgraduate programmes (2026).

• BUILA, UK international PG enrolments plummet 10% (2026).

• Times Higher Education, Master’s plunge 10 per cent amid record fall in overseas students (2026).

• The PIE News, How many international students are there in the UK? (2025).

• Migration Observatory, University of Oxford, Student migration to the UK (2026 briefing) (2026).

• Home Office, Why do people come to the UK? Study (Immigration system statistics, year ending June 2026) (2026).

• Home Office, Monthly entry clearance visa applications, September 2026 (2026).

• GOV.UK, Student visa: family members (2026).

• GOV.UK, Student visa: overview and money (2026).

• GOV.UK, Graduate visa (2026).

• University of East Anglia, Opening a UK bank account (accessed 2026).

• Nottingham Trent University, How to open a UK bank account (accessed 2026).

• Save the Student, Student living costs in the UK 2026 (National Student Money Survey 2026) (2026).