International early applications on the rise, UCAS data reveals

Early overseas applications to UK universities for the 2024 academic year have significantly increased, according to UCAS data. International applications increased by 5% as of October 2023, with Nigeria, China, and India showing the biggest increases. By the early deadline, more than 50,000 international applicants had applied, indicating a pattern of securing spots at prestigious UK universities well in advance. International applications have been rising consistently, with India seeing the largest increase at 7%, making up 20% of all applications from abroad. In highly competitive industries like engineering and medicine, where UK institutions still lead the world in rankings, this increase is especially noteworthy. The number of overseas candidates at Cambridge University alone increased by 10% in 2024 compared to previous years.

The need for early admission certainty and the perceived stability of UK higher education in the face of global concerns are two factors that experts attribute to the increase in early applications. The trend of early application submission highlights the UK institutions' ongoing appeal in the global education market, as over 400,000 international students are scheduled to enroll in the country for the 2023–2024 academic year.​