State of Student Recruitment UK: Opportunities in a Shifting Landscape

In a recent Keystone webinar, experts gathered to discuss the the State of Student Recruitment in the UK in 2025. Mark Bennett, VP of Research and Insight at Keystone, hosted the session and welcomed panelists from three distinguished UK universities: Elliot Newstead, Associate Director of Future Students at De Montfort University; Ewan Fairweather, Postgraduate Recruitment Manager at the University of Edinburgh, and Anna Sheldrick, Marketing Campaigns Manager at the University of Sheffield.

During the session, the panel discussed:

• The rebound in international student interest for UK study in 2025 and the challenge of converting this renewed attention into actual enrollments
• The global perception of UK education and how to communicate its value
• Challenges that prospective students face and the increasing importance of flexible offerings

Below, we explore the key takeaways from that discussion.

Anna Sheldrick described a pattern many institutions are experiencing: "We've certainly seen an increase in web traffic in the last cycle compared to the previous cycle from some of these markets—from India, from the US, from Indonesia—but they've not necessarily been immediately translating into applications."

Communicating value in uncertain times

Uncertainty surrounding the feasibility of international study has been rising for many destinations in recent years. Amidst this background of uncertainty, one of the UK's great strengths in 2025 has been its relative stability and consistent positive messaging.

"The UK is in a strong position relative to its competition, partly due to a clearer policy agenda. The UK is making lots of changes, but it's fairly explicit about what those changes are and there is a message of welcome."

- Mark Bennett, VP Research & Insights at Keystone Education Group 

However, the UK government recently confirmed the shortening of the Graduate Route beginning in January 2027, and this comes after a series of policy announcements during 2023 and 2024 that collectively reduced the appeal of UK study.

When asked about preparing for potential future policy restrictions, Elliot Newstead emphasized the fundamental importance of clear messaging: "For us, it's more about communicating why UK-based higher education will always be of real value to the student."

The UK maintains strong advantages in key areas. Our long-running prospective student survey, Pulse, asks students how they perceive international study in their chosen destination. Below we see the percentage of respondents that select 'Very Good' for each factor, with the UK compared to the other members of the 'Big 4':

Ouurvey data shows prospective international students rate the UK comparatively highly for academic reputation, subject offerings, and safety — ranking first among major English-speaking destinations for academic reputation. However, the country scores lower on affordability, a persistent concern for institutions to address.

The challenge posed by the perception of affordability was a recurring theme during the webinar, of which Newstead had this to say: "My gut feeling is that [the concern] is a little bit driven by the UK being perceived as being in London, and [therefore] the affordability of living in a capital city, as opposed to the breadth of different affordability levels across the UK."

Sheldrick then explained that Sheffield has tackled this through dedicated campaigns highlighting life outside the capital. "We're constantly trying to show that there are places outside of London where you can live and study affordably," noting their collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University on city-wide campaigns that emphasize the region's value proposition.

Rising concerns demand attention

While cost remains the dominant concern for prospective students, a few other concerns are also escalating according to our data. Below we see the largest obstacles to study selected by those seeking to study internationally in the UK (they are able to select up to three):

Uncertainty about the political climate is only selected as a concern by 27% of prospective students considering UK study. However, that does represent an increase of +59% year-over-year.

Fairweather acknowledged the impact of recent events on perceptions: "according to some of my colleagues working in different markets, recent headlines — the anti-immigration protests, for instance — [are leading to] a growing perception that the UK is no longer as safe for people from certain countries as it perhaps was in the past."

His advice? Transparency over complacency. "If we can't control, then at least we need to be clear and be transparent about what is happening. It's about stepping out from the arrogance and becoming more honest, becoming more transparent."

Alongside this, our data reveals a growing consideration regarding the return on invest from undertaking higher education. Concerns about the value of education are up +17% (though, this still remains a relatively minor concern overall for international audiences) and concerns around cost are up +7%.

During the discussion around ROI, Newstead observed: "These barriers are pretty consistent with what we see as barriers for your home student market as well. The messaging around that, how you communicate the reassurance in some of these areas that are perceived as barriers, is probably quite similar." This suggests opportunities for institutions to unify their approaches across traditionally siloed teams, applying successful strategies from one audience to another.

Exploring alternative models

One potential answer to some of the obstacles facing prospective students is the availability of flexible study options. Our Pulse survey data reveals that interest in alternative methods of accessing UK higher education may be on the rise:

As we can see, of those interested in studying internationally in UK, 64% would at least consider studying at a branch campus where they could access UK-validated education without the full barriers of visa requirements and travel costs.

De Montfort has seen particular success with international branch campuses. "It's pretty flexible and pretty scalable. [We provide, for example,] that opportunity to study in their home country and then maybe come to Leicester for a Masters top-up," Newstead explain. "It's about trying to find the balance of saying ‘coming to study at DMU in Leicester is really good’, but also ‘coming to study at DMU in other places is really good’.

"I'd encourage wider colleagues to think about agility and flexibility. Let's say in three years time we're in a government space that pulls the drawbridge up for international students, how does that work for your institution? Because it's probably worth starting to think about it if you haven't already."

- Elliot Newstead, Associate Director of Future Students at De Montfort University 

"I'd encourage wider colleagues to think about agility and flexibility. Let's say in three years time we're in a government space that pulls the drawbridge up for international students, how does that work for your institution? Because it's probably worth starting to think about it if you haven't already."

Looking ahead

The sector faces a delicate balancing act. The UK's relatively clear policy direction — compared to ongoing uncertainties in competing destinations like the USA and Canada — provides an advantage. Academic reputation remains strong. But converting interest into enrollments will require institutions to address affordability concerns, communicate value effectively, and maintain transparency about what students can expect.

As Fairweather summarized: "Reputation is hard-earned, but easily lost. We have to remember that university is a lot wider than simply getting a job at the end, albeit that is of critical importance. It's about telling that wider story about the value of education."