For the past year, the conversation around studying in the United Kingdom has been dominated by visa changes, higher costs and stricter immigration rules. Many believed Indian students would start looking elsewhere.

But the latest numbers tell a different story. Despite all the uncertainty, applications from India are still rising, and tens of thousands of students continue to choose British universities.

Fresh data from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and the UK Home Office shows that while headlines have focused on tighter visa policies, Indian students have quietly continued to bet on the United Kingdom.

Not only has India retained its position as the second-largest source of undergraduate applicants, but more than 90,000 Indians were also granted sponsored study visas in the year ending March 2026.

UK remains key study abroad destination for Indians

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS SAY?

According to UCAS figures released after the 30 June application deadline, 17,250 students from India applied for undergraduate courses in the 2026 admissions cycle: a 6.9 per cent rise from last year's 16,140.

Only China, with 38,410 applicants, sent more undergraduate students to UK universities.

Overall, international undergraduate applications reached a record 148,350 this year, up 7.1 per cent from 2025. Across all applicants, domestic and international, UCAS recorded its highest-ever total of 695,740 applications.

For Indian students, the figures suggest that concerns over immigration policy have not translated into a loss of confidence in British higher education.

VISAS MAY HAVE FALLEN, INDIA DID NOT

The Home Office data adds another layer to the picture.

Although the UK issued 3 per cent fewer sponsored study visas overall than last year, Indian nationals remained the largest group among international students. A total of 90,425 sponsored study visas were granted to Indians during the year ending March 2026.

In total, the UK issued 409,954 sponsored study visas, including 391,572 to main applicants and 18,382 to dependants.

The two datasets measure different things, UCAS tracks undergraduate applications, while the Home Office counts sponsored visas issued across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, but together they point in the same direction: Indian interest in the UK remains strong.

6.9% rise in applications from India to UK UG courses

THE COURSE CHOICE IS CHANGING

Perhaps the most interesting shift is not where students are going, but what they want to study.

Engineering and Technology recorded the biggest jump in applications this year, followed by Social Sciences, Subjects Allied to Medicine, Law, and Medicine and Dentistry.

Computing, once one of the hottest choices among international students, saw the steepest fall in applications. Smaller declines were also recorded in Language and Area Studies, Design and Creative Arts, Agriculture, and Combined Studies.

It is a reminder that today's students are responding to a changing job market. Instead of following trends, many appear to be choosing courses they believe offer stronger long-term career prospects.

THE STORY BEHIND THE STATISTICS

The latest numbers are not simply about applications or visas. They reveal how Indian students are adapting rather than retreating.

Yes, visa policies have become stricter. Yes, studying abroad has become more expensive. But for thousands of Indian families, the United Kingdom continues to represent academic quality, global exposure and career opportunities.

The conversation, it seems, is no longer about whether students will choose the UK. It is increasingly about how they are choosing it, and which paths they believe will give them the best return on that investment.

- Ends

Published By:

Princy Shukla

Published On:

Jul 21, 2026 11:39 IST