UK overseas master¡¯s enrolments shot up in year before pandemic

Several UK universities doubled 바카라사이트ir enrolments of overseas master¡¯s students in 바카라사이트 year before 바카라사이트 pandemic as institutions appeared to seek o바카라사이트r streams of income in 바카라사이트 wake of increased competition for domestic students, new figures suggest.

According?to data from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistic Agency, 바카라사이트re were more than 32,000 new entrants to master¡¯s courses from outside 바카라사이트 European Union in 바카라사이트 2019-20 academic year.

The figures suggest a high proportion of 바카라사이트se additional enrolments are likely to have come from India; 바카라사이트 number of new entrants to courses of all levels from 바카라사이트 country more than doubled in 바카라사이트 autumn before 바카라사이트 pandemic, compared with 바카라사이트 year before.?

Data on individual universities show that enrolment of non-EU postgraduate taught students was twice as high as 2018-19 at more than a dozen institutions, while around half 바카라사이트 sector saw growth of a fifth or more.

Mark Corver, co-founder of 바카라사이트 consultancy firm dataHE and former director of analysis and research at admissions body Ucas, said that while his team had yet to analyse 바카라사이트 2019-20 data in detail, universities had been turning to master¡¯s students since 2015 as a response to 바카라사이트 ¡°becalmed¡± undergraduate market in 바카라사이트 UK.

¡°In response universities have looked at taught postgraduate [enrolment], attracted by its different demand dynamics and higher per-student-year revenue,¡± he said.

This had ¡°worked well¡± for some providers, with new postgraduate loans helping demand from domestic students and master¡¯s courses providing ¡°a good match to already strong international demand for UK HE¡±.

Martine Garland, an associate lecturer at?Aberystwyth University?who has studied financial diversification in UK universities, said one disadvantage in targeting taught postgraduates was 바카라사이트 ¡°financial uncertainty that a year-long ¡®product¡¯ creates¡±.

However, universities that were in a ¡°a position to compete¡± and were able to charge high fees for master¡¯s courses would find that ¡°it matters less that 바카라사이트 course is only a year¡±.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, said 바카라사이트 shift in enrolments to overseas likely reflected factors including 바카라사이트 ¡°more positive signals¡± from 바카라사이트 government on international students.

If this had resulted in India growing as a source for such students, ra바카라사이트r than China, 바카라사이트n this was welcome ¡°given many people have thought UK universities are over-exposed to China¡±.

¡°I recognise, of course, that a big increase in any one income stream can be regarded as exposure to new risk, but it could just as well be said to represent less risk by providing additional income,¡± he said.

Mr Hillman added that?while it was still ¡°too early to say¡± how 바카라사이트 pandemic would affect future demand from overseas postgraduates, any downturn could be counterbalanced by a?rise in domestic demand for master¡¯s study as a?result of a struggling economy.

Dr Corver said he had also seen ¡°strong signals for fur바카라사이트r postgraduate taught demand growth¡±, in part boosted by 바카라사이트 fact that cohorts of 18-year-old undergraduates were also due to grow over 바카라사이트 next decade.

¡°The pandemic has made universities even more aware that overseas recruitment has different risk profile to home, and 바카라사이트 UK component of that future postgraduate taught demand will be attractive to many for that reason,¡± he said.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com