Universities UK – Public Perceptions of International Students

Survey of British and Northern Irish adults on perceptions of international students

As in 2017, only a quarter of British adults say that they view international and EU students coming to study at UK universities as immigrants (25% and 23%, respectively)
They continue to be much more likely to say that international students should stay and work in the UK after graduating than to say that they should return home immediately (74% vs 26%)
A majority (58%) feel that the UK should be ensuring it continues to compete for international students to increase its market share, with only one in five saying they would like to see fewer international students in the UK (19%)
Nearly three quarters (72%) of British adults think that international students should be able to stay in the UK post-graduation for one year or more, while only 14% say that they think international students should be able to stay for less than one year

Date Published: 04/09/18

Categories: Education | GB | Public and communities | Social

Client: Universities UK

Methodology

ComRes interviewed 4,302 British and Northern Irish adults aged 18+ online between the 17^th and 21^st August 2018. Data are weighted by age, gender, socio-economic grade and region to be representative of all GB adults aged 18+. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.