Leading UK universities have been accused of prioritising overseas applicants over British students, with claims that they accept lower-achieving international students onto degree courses. But university leaders are fighting back, accusing critics of "mendacious" reporting that misrepresents the facts.
A spokesperson for the Russell Group, which represents 24 top universities, insists that foundation year programmes – often used by international students to prepare for further study – have separate admissions processes and entry requirements from mainstream undergraduate degrees. These preparatory courses typically include English language tuition and cost around £16,000, but do not guarantee progression to a full degree programme.
Far from driving out British students, the data suggests that UK residents are actually being taken on in record numbers. According to UCAS figures, a record number of domestic students started first-year undergraduate degrees at Russell Group universities last year – with over 10,000 fewer non-UK students enrolled compared to 2020.
The University of Exeter reported recruiting fewer international students last year than in 2019, while the number of UK undergraduates increased by 865. Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, says reports that fail to distinguish between International Foundation Years and full degrees are misleading – adding that foundation years are designed to prepare students for application, not guaranteed entry.
The financial context is also key: domestic tuition fees in England have been frozen at £9,250 since 2016, with inflation eroding the real-terms value of this funding. In contrast, universities can set their own international student fees – making this income a vital component of their budgets. A recent investigation revealed that international students contribute one in every five pounds of university income.