International students boost Scots economy by £4.75bn, claims study

More than one-third of first-year undergraduates in Scotland are from abroad, a study has found, with international students bringing in billions for the economy.

The analysis, released today, said the intake of overseas students in the 2021-22 academic year boosted the Scottish economy by £4.75 billion, with those studying in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee bringing in the most.

Professor Andrea Nolan, principal of Edinburgh Napier University and convener of the international committee of Universities Scotland, said the report “makes clear the vital contribution international students make to Scottish society and our economy”.

The report, published by Universities UK International, the Higher Education Policy Institute and Kaplan International with London Economics, said there were 44,085 first-year international students in Scotland in the last academic year, which meant 34% of the 2021-22 intake were from abroad.

This is up from 29,730 in 2018-19, when the study was last published.

The UK average is 30% of first-year students from abroad in 2021-22, but it was 40% in London and in Northern Ireland 36% of new undergraduates were international.

The 89-page report said there had been a notable increase in the proportion of international students in Scotland which, the authors said, reflected that “international students’ fees have long been making up the substantial shortfalls in income for educating domestic students”.

Outside of London, international students in Scotland are among those delivering the greatest financial contributions.

Overseas students in Aberdeen have aided economy.