China overtakes Northern Ireland for student applications

Applications to UK universities from China have risen by 30 per cent over the past year, meaning that more students are applying from China than from Northern Ireland.

Data from UCAS show that for the 2019-20 academic year, China has outstripped Northern Ireland for applications for the first time, with 19,760 applications from China compared with 18,520 from Northern Ireland.

The number of applications from China has risen sharply since 2018, up 30 per cent from 15,240. In 2010, the first year included in the UCAS data, there were just 8,500 applications from China. The number has increased each year.