More Indian students enrolled for courses in British universities in 2004-05 - up 14.1 percent over the previous year.
According to latest figures, during the year students from India numbered 16,685. China retained its position as the highest exporter of students, followed by India, the US, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
However, the figures published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) also revealed that the rate of increase of overseas students had slowed compared to the previous year. Vice-chancellors have already expressed concern about recruitment of overseas students this year.
In 2004-05 the total number of students from countries outside of Britain increased by 6.1 percent from 300,055 to 318,400. The previous year-on-year increase was 9.0 percent.
HESA said the 3.2 percent growth in numbers from other European Union countries to a total of 100,005 was attributable mainly to the enlargement of the EU in May 2004. EU students are entitled to the same fees and student loans as British students.
Numbers from Poland more than doubled, for instance, to over 2,100. Romania and Bulgaria are due to join the EU in January 2007. Russian student numbers rose but Norwegians, the biggest group, fell by 8.5 percent.
Business and administration remains the most popular group of subjects, followed by social studies and art and design. There were rises in the numbers studying medicine and dentistry both for first and higher degrees.
{{/usCountry}}Business and administration remains the most popular group of subjects, followed by social studies and art and design. There were rises in the numbers studying medicine and dentistry both for first and higher degrees.
{{/usCountry}}The top countries exporting students to Britain in 2004-05 were:
China: 52,675; India: 16,685; United States: 14,385; Malaysia: 11,475; Hong Kong: 10,780; Nigeria: 8,175; Pakistan: 6,545; Japan: 6,180; Taiwan: 5,880; Canada: 4,190.