UK Higher Education: A real-time SWOT analysis from EnrolyCon’25

At EnrolyCon’25, a standout session brought together sector leaders to tackle a bold challenge: to conduct a live SWOT analysis of UK Higher Education.

Moderated by Nick Cuthbert (Director of Insight, The PIE), the panel unpacked the internal strengths and weaknesses of the sector, and explored external opportunities and threats shaping its future.

Who was on the panel?

The session featured five influential voices from across the sector:

• Sir Steve Smith - UK International Education Champion
  
  
• Anne Marie Graham - Chief Executive, UKCISA
  
  
• Jackie Jenkins – Global Lead - International Student Mobility, British Council
  
  
• Lord Walney (John Woodcock) - Crossbench Peer and member of Duolingo English test UK Advisory Forum
  
  
• Andrew Bird - Chair at BUILA and CMO/PVC at Solent University
  
  

Together, they navigated a candid discussion rooted in real-time data, lived experience and input from our fantastic audience. 

Strengths: What sets UK HE apart?

The panel highlighted enduring and emerging strengths, including:

• Reputation & trust: A global perception of quality, prestige, and safe learning environments.
  
  
• Cultural diversity: Unparalleled student diversity across institutions.
  
  
• Policy stability (comparative): More stable than competitors like Australia and Canada.
  
  
• Quality assurance & regulation: Admired by other governments and instrumental in transnational education (TNE) success.
  
  
• Short course durations: A cost-effective alternative to longer programmes elsewhere.
  
  
• Transnational education (TNE): A growing area with 600k+ students studying UK degrees abroad.
  
  
• Soft power: Including less traditional draws like Premier League football and the UK’s cultural capital.
  
  
• Society & values: Aspects like healthcare, the legal system, and LGBTQ+ rights as part of the UK’s broader appeal. These societal values reflect an openness and inclusivity that resonates and is desirable.
  
  

Weaknesses: what's holding the sector back?

Despite its strengths, the panel didn’t shy away from UK HE’s internal challenges:

• Complex visa system: Cited as confusing and inconsistent with public messaging.
  
  
• Unpredictable costs: Rising tuition and unclear long-term costs for students.
  
  
• Domestic fee cap: Leading to overdependence on international fees for institutional sustainability.
  
  
• Data deficiencies: Poor alignment across agencies, lack of real-time or longitudinal data.
  
  
• Speed of change: Institutions struggle to keep up with the pace of global innovation.
  
  
• Fragmented systems: Siloed tech stacks that slow down decision-making and operations.
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Opportunities: Where to grow from here?

The discussion ended on a forward-looking note, spotlighting promising areas for sector growth:

• Competitor disruption: Instability in the US, Canada, and Australia presents a window for UK HE.
  
  
• TNE expansion: Delivering high-quality education abroad without visa pressure.
  
  
• Global youth demographics: The under-30 population is booming, particularly in key markets.
  
  
• Public-private collaboration: Greater alignment with tech and service providers.
  
  
• Agent quality framework: A chance to set global standards and drive sector-wide professionalism.

Threats: What's coming from the outside?

Several external pressures are reshaping the sector’s operating environment:

• Migration politics: The use of international students as a political football.
  
  
• Extremism on campus: Concerns over reputation and safety from domestic and international stakeholders.
  
  
• Cybersecurity risks: Growing global threats to data security and institutional systems.
  
  
• Public sentiment & disinformation: Shifts in perception driven by media and misinformation.
  
  
• Geopolitical tensions: Global conflicts influencing student flows and government relations.
  
  

Final reflections

This live SWOT session was developed as a masterclass in sector self-awareness. It revealed a UK HE sector that is globally respected, yet navigating complex internal and external pressures. The message was clear: embracing innovation, data, and strategic collaboration, while addressing longstanding operational weaknesses, will be essential to building a more resilient and competitive system.

As Nick Cuthbert remarked on the day, this wasn’t just an academic exercise, it was a snapshot of where we are, and a provocation to think about where we need to go next.

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