UK Sees Indian Students Seeking Study Visas Dropping
According to the data, 1,676 Indian students enrolled in bachelor's programmes in the first quarter of 2026, down from 2,073 during the same period in 2025. Master's enrolments also fell sharply to 11,453 from 15,149.
Hyderabad:The number of Indian students choosing to study in the United Kingdom has continued to decline, with data released by the home office of the United Kingdom showing a fall in both undergraduate and postgraduate enrolments during the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year.
According to the data, 1,676 Indian students enrolled in bachelor's programmes in the first quarter of 2026, down from 2,073 during the same period in 2025. Master's enrolments also fell sharply to 11,453 from 15,149.
The decline follows a similar trend throughout 2025, when postgraduate admissions dropped after a brief rise in the third quarter.
The fall is largely linked to a series of immigration changes introduced by the UK government over the past two years. Since January 2024, most international students enrolled in taught master's and undergraduate courses can no longer bring dependents or family members. Only students pursuing research-based postgraduate programmes, such as PhDs, are eligible to bring dependents.
The UK government has also announced plans to shorten the Graduate Route visa for bachelor's and master's graduates from two years to 18 months. The change is expected to apply to future graduates, and the proposal has created uncertainty among prospective students who consider post-study work opportunities an important factor when choosing a destination.
Universities have also reported that repeated changes to immigration policy and public debate around reducing migration have affected perceptions of the UK among international students. Some institutions believe the message being sent is that overseas students are less welcome, despite universities continuing to depend heavily on international enrolments.
While the data shows a fall in the number of undergraduate and postgraduate students, the number of PhD and doctoral admissions has gone up. While 633 applications were filed in 2024, the home office received 732 applications in 2025. In the first quarter of 2026, 77 applications were filed.
