Number of international students soar in Northern Ireland

The number of foreign students who have joined undergraduate programs in Northern Ireland has increased by 16 percent.

According to the BBC, there is also a slight increase in the number of EU students. The Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS) said that 35.4 percent of those who finished school are now joining the university. This is a higher percentage compared to Wales, Scotland or England. In 2018, the number of Northern Irish students has decreased. This is because of a 5 percent decreases in the number of A-level applicants in Northern Ireland

According to the UCAS data, 240 students from the EU were in Northern Ireland in 2017. This year, the number has increased to 280 students. Also, apart from the UK, the number of students from the EU has increased from 370 in 2017 to 390 in September 2018.

About 9,120 Northern Ireland students will start their graduate programs at local universities. In 2017, the number of students at local universities was 9,170. About 3,840 Northern Ireland students will start their college in England this year, 150 in Wales and 950 in Scotland.

The number of admissions for the local students at Northern Irish universities does not depend on the number of international students or students from the UK. The Department for the Economy (DfE) decides the number of seats available at Queen's and Ulster Universities. It checks the number of seats available for Northern Irish students and for students from the EU outside the UK.

The DfE decides and gives the total number of intakes at both the Universities. The BBC said that earlier both the colleges were nervous if foreign students and staff would show interest due to Brexit. The Queen’s University said that it had challenges and dangers for the recruitment process. The Ulster University said that there could be a loss in tuition fee income and funding.

For 2018, the university enrolment process is not complete. According to the UCAS, 95 percent of the students who will enter the university had now been placed. Out of 55,000 students, around 5 percent of them are from non-EU countries or from EU countries outside of the Republic of Ireland or the UK. The number of foreign students in the UK studying in Northern Ireland colleges is only 1 percent.

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