Foreign students boost economy
Friday, 16 Nov 2007 12:25
UCL has the largest amount of overseas students in the UK.
A record number of overseas students attended British universities and colleges last year, providing a huge boost to the UK economy.
Some 157,000 international students attended British higher education institutions, according to British Council figures, injecting almost £8.5 billion into the economy each year.
The number of foreign students in the UK has doubled since 1998, when more than 77,000 enrolled, with the 2006 total representing an 18,000 increase on the previous year's figure.
China is the largest source of overseas students studying at British institutions, with over 52,000 people arriving in the 2005-06 academic year, followed by Indian students, of whom 16,000 enrolled.
University College London was revealed to be the UK's largest recruiter of foreign students, with nearly 27,000 students, but the London School of Economics was named as the institution with the highest percentage of overseas undergraduates and postgraduates, with some 64 per cent of its student body made up of international students.
Discussing the figures with the Independent, a spokesman for Universities UK praised the number of international students coming to study here.
He said: "International students and academics also provide an immeasurable academic, cultural and social benefit to the UK generally.
"It is therefore vital for our universities and the economy that the UK continues to offer a truly welcoming and supportive environment for international students and academics."
The number of British students choosing to study overseas has stayed at the same level for around a decade, with 19,000 leaving last year.