This report builds on UCAS’ application data and survey insights, to provide a post pandemic insight into the full student lifecycle of undergraduate Chinese students in the UK, from who they are and why they choose to study in the UK, to their experiences of UK HE, and plans post-graduation.
Key findings include:
- Nine in 10 Chinese students would recommend the UK as a study destination. 92% also share that their expectations of course quality have been exceeded or met.
- More than 1/3 are heading to London: Three regions (London, the North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber) account for more than half of Chinese acceptances. While Chinese students are more likely to opt for high tariff providers, the dominance of London is not being driven solely by provider type.
- Subject choice is evolving. Business has consistently been the most popular HE subject choice for Chinese students in the past decade (43% of acceptances in 2013 to 26% of acceptances in 2023); however, creative arts and design subjects have more than doubled in popularity (4% of acceptances in 2013 to 11% in 2023).
- Almost three in four Chinese students enrolled in a UK UG degree are also considering a postgraduate degree in the UK. Finding a job in the UK (43%) or in China (34%) are also popular options.
Earlier this month, UCAS also hosted a pre-release webinar for universities and colleges based on the report. The webinar was chaired by Des Cutchey (International Development Lead at UCAS) and he was joined by colleagues from Pearson and BUILA. The conversation covered a broad range of topics, centred around the experiences of Chinese students in the UK, the sustainability of UK higher education, and the future of Chinese undergraduate recruitment.