Report shows decline in enrolment in US and UK and a significant growth in Asia

A study on the recruitment of international students has revealed a decline in enrolment in traditional destinations such as the US, the UK, Canada and Australia, mainly due to restrictive visa policies. Conversely, institutions in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region are seeing growth, driven by the creation of new programmes.

NAFSA, the US association dedicated to international education and exchange, Oxford Test of English and Studyportals, an international study choice platform, published on 11/05/2026 the results of their "Global enrolment benchmark survey".

The report showed that the US had seen a fall of around 20% in the intake of international students on undergraduate courses, whilst Asia had seen an increase of 16% and European countries a rise of 5%.

The authors of the report said that half of the universities surveyed had lower enrolments than the same intake last year (January to March 2026).

The report also highlighted that 73% of the universities surveyed considered restrictive government policies and visa issues to be a major challenge, with 67% identifying them as…