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About the United Kingdom

With an international student enrollment of over 480,000 students in the 2010/2011 academic year, the United Kingdom is the second largest host of international students after the United States. The UK attracts large numbers of students from Asia, the United States, and other places of origin within Europe.


Fast Facts: United Kingdom

  • There were over 480,600 international students in public post-secondary institutions in the UK in 2010/11.
  • The top five places of origin in 2010/11 were China, India, U.S., Germany and Nigeria.
  • According to UNESCO, nearly 23,000 students from the UK studied abroad in other countries in 2008/09.

Sources: British Council, UNESCO


Places of Origin of International Students in the United Kingdom, 2010-11

Top 10 places of origin of International Students in United Kingdom in 2010-2011 

Source: HESA data provided by British Council

Definitions
International Student in the United Kingdom: For purposes of collection, students are defined by their country of domicile i.e. "the students' permanent or home address prior to entry to the programme of study." International students are those who are not UK-domiciled.
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