With restrictive immigration policies increasingly being adopted in rival destinations, researchers of the British Council believe that the UK may well reap rewards after Republican Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

Overseas enrolment declined during Trump’s first term, as he tightened visa issuance, attempted to remove international students on online courses from the US during the pandemic, and proposed limiting visas for students from certain countries. The sector admitted 50,000 fewer international students on the eve of the Covid-19 pandemic than when he took office, with the steepest falls from the Middle East and North Africa, Mexico and Central America.

Colleges urged foreign students to return to campus before Trump’s inauguration in January because of concerns about plans for mass deportations, and academics are braced for four years of “playing defence” on international education.

Debate over the H-1B work visa within the Trump administration is another “potential source of anxiety for prospective international students”, says the British Council report. “While uncertainty is the only certainty of Trump’s governing style, his return may be good news for the British higher education,” it says.

Researchers also predict that perception of restrictive attitudes towards overseas students in other English-speaking countries could prove beneficial to the UK. Caps on student visas have badly damaged Canada’s reputation, while the flow of overseas students into Australian universities is expected to fall by up to 10 percent this year. “Combined with greater restrictions on international students in Australia and Canada, the UK will likely benefit from the marginal student who otherwise would have studied in another major English-speaking destination country but may now view the UK as the most welcoming among them,” says the report.

Maddalaine Ansell, director of education at the British Council, says it’s crucial that the UK does everything it can to maintain its position as a global leader in higher education. “While our English-speaking competitors might be experiencing challenges, we must not grow complacent.”

After a difficult 2024, the report concludes that the UK can expect “more positive vibes” in the international market this year. Early data indicates an improvement, while the British Council says expansion in the number of study programmes over the last three years has boosted the attractiveness of UK education for international students. “The UK will get its mojo back just as other major host destination markets struggle under the weight of their own mounting policy challenges.”

While India may have peaked as a source of outbound students, a weak Chinese economy will drive increased interest in postgraduate education abroad, says the report, adding that East Asian markets will continue their upward trajectory, with Malaysia set to be one of the primary bene-ficiaries.