The economic benefits international students brought to the UK economy was an estimated £42bn in 2021/2, according to a new report from London Economics.
The analysis for the Higher Education Policy Institute, Universities UK International, and Kaplan International Pathways estimated the total benefit from 2021/22 first-year international students over the duration of their studies was approximately £41.9bn, while the estimated total costs were £4.4bn: a benefit to-cost ratio of 9.4.
How was Enroly data used?
Enroly contributed data from our CAS Shield platform for the report to assist in the analysis on dependants. The data helped economists at London Economics better understand the breakdown between adult and child dependants, and estimate the costs associated with the cohort more accurately.
Jeff Williams, CEO and Co-Founder at Enroly, says, ‘We’re delighted to have contributed data to this incredibly timely report, from our rich data sources on the breakdown of international students coming to the UK.’
‘All of us who work in international education understand how much international students enrich our campuses, communities and education system. But it’s vital that our industry and policymakers understand the overwhelming economic benefits international students bring to the UK, and address any challenges brought about by the costs.’
‘This analysis, estimating a total net benefit of £37.4bn, is an important piece of work that helps our industry advocate for what is a true export success story.’
Data Insights
1-in-4 international students arriving to the UK are processed on CAS Shield, meaning that Enroly has the by far the largest real-time dataset on international admissions in the UK.
Our Data Insights CAS Shield extension allows Enroly partners to report on over 500 data points in real-time, including on the types and number of dependants international students are bringing to campus, helping university teams plan much more effectively.
The report - The benefits and costs of international higher education students to the UK economy: Analysis for the 2021-22 cohort - can be downloaded from London Economics website here.