Surge in Hong Kong and mainland Chinese students applying to British universities driven by BN(O) passport scheme and US-China relations, analysts say
- Latest figures show number of applicants from Hong Kong rose almost 10 per cent to about 6,400
- Increase in students from mainland more than 20 per cent at 25,810
The number of students from Hong Kong and mainland China applying for British universities rose to its highest in more than a decade, after rising by about 10 and 20 per cent year on year respectively, according to official statistics.
Latest figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) showed that of the 85,610 applications received from outside Europe, about 6,400 were from Hong Kong, up more than 9 per cent compared to 5,870 last year.
The statistics, released on Thursday and taken from the January deadline which the vast majority of applications are submitted, also showed the number of applicants from across the border rose to 25,810 this year, a 21 per cent increase from 21,250 last year.
A total of 616,360 people in Britain and across the world applied for British universities, UCAS said, an increase of more than 8 per cent compared to last year.