India and China are top sources of foreign students in Britain: Universities UK

India is the source of the highest number of post-graduate students in the United Kingdom opting for “taught” courses. However, Indian students shy away from postgraduate research courses that involve a research component with an opportunity to pursue a research project.

A report published by higher education action group, Universities UK, throws up some interesting facts such as these. The report titled Patterns and trends in UK higher education examines key trends in education over the last decade, from 2000/01 to 2009/10.

Among other things, the report tracks the rise of student numbers, the changing popularity of different subject areas, and a notable shift in the funding regime. It also demonstrates how higher education institutions continue to make a large contribution to civil society and the economy in the UK.

Key findings from the report include:

• UK higher education institutions together educate some 2.5 million students annually. The last 10 years has seen significant expansion, with a 28 per cent increase in student numbers from all domiciles.

• One of the main trends over the last 10 years has been the success of UK higher education institutions in attracting international students. Since 2000/01, the number of non-EU students has more than doubled, with an increase of 11.7 per cent in the last year.

• UK higher education institutions now educate over 400,000 students from outside the UK, making the higher education sector one of the most important export earners for the UK economy.

• As in previous years female students studying higher education at UK higher education institutions remain in the majority, accounting for 56.6 per cent of all students in 2009/10.

• Since 2000/01, full-time postgraduate numbers have increased by 73.1 per cent compared with an increase of 28.5 per cent for full-time undergraduates over the same period. This is partly due to the rate of increase in non-UK students, who tend to study at postgraduate level.

• Employment rates six months after graduation remain high across the sector, with 80 per cent of institutions showing between 86 per cent and 94 per cent of their students recorded as in employment or further study six months after graduation.