Number of Hongkongers applying for British universities falls for second year in a row, UCAS figures show
- Education consultants attribute contraction to Canada and Australia offering immigration pathways to Hong Kong residents
- Number of Hong Kong applicants for British universities fell 5.5 per cent year on year to 5,680 for 2023 entry
The number of Hongkongers applying for undergraduate courses at British universities has fallen for the second year in a row, largely because fewer mature students are seeking places, according to official statistics released on Thursday.
According to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), a UK-based body that handles the undergraduate application process, the number of Hong Kong applicants for British institutions fell 5.5 per cent year on year to 5,680 for 2023 entry. Last year, the number dropped 6.1 per cent compared with 2021, when a record 6,400 applications were received.
Despite the latest decrease, the number of applications lodged by Hongkongers is still higher than in the years before 2020, when about 5,000 were received.
The drop in the past two years contrasts with a rising trend of international students applying for undergraduate courses in UK universities.
A total of 114,910 students outside the United Kingdom had signed up for degree courses commencing this autumn, rising from 111,410 last year, UCAS said.
The deadline for most undergraduate UCAS applications was January 25.
The drop in the number of Hong Kong applicants was mostly driven by a decrease in mature students seeking places.