15, 880. These are the official numbers obtained from the University and College Admissions Service (UCAS). They show that 33% more Chinese students have applied for university in the UK this year than the year before. A record! But it does not stop here, there has also been a 9% rise in the number of admissions from international students.
Chinese students are showing more and more interest in British universities. Indeed, numbers released by UCAS every year have shown that the increase in applications from Chinese students has been rather constant since 2010. On average, an increase of 775 applicants has been registered every year since then. In 2018, the numbers reached 11, 920- that is, 2040 more applicants than in 2017 and a record 15, 880 applications have been received by UCAS in 2018, that is an increase of almost 4,000 applicants.
What, exactly, could be the reason behind this booming interest? According to The Guardian, with the unstable atmosphere caused by the Brexit, British universities were dreadful and have, therefore, invested more in promotion campaigns and communication exercises abroad. Especially because lot of them could lose important financing by the European Union following the Brexit. But universities can be relieved for now as they have received 9% more applications from international students in 2018 than in 2017.
In China, however, one is quick to explain that it is the standing of the British universities that makes the UK appealing for tertiary studies. Indeed, on the job market, a British degree would be a lot more valuable that a chinese degree, says an expat. But more importantly, it is also the opportunity to learn the language that is appealing to Chinese students. International commerce being one of the tenets of the chinese economy, learning english remains of paramount importance and will facilitate job-hunting.
On the other hand, tuition fees for international students also keep increasing in the UK. While British students pay £ 9,000 a year, tuition fees for international students range from £ 13, 000 to almost £ 30,000 a year depending on the different universities and courses. However, more and more chinese families are ready to invest in better job prospects for their children.
