The Department for Education, Department for Business and Trade, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have jointly published a new International Education Strategy for 2026, setting a target of £40 billion per year in education exports by 2030.
Key Shift
The most significant change from the previous 2019 strategy is the removal of the target to host 600,000 international students per year in the UK. Instead, the new strategy focuses on supporting UK universities and education providers to deliver courses overseas — through branch campuses, partnership programmes, and transnational education arrangements.
This reflects a broader policy direction that seeks to grow UK education's global influence without relying on increasing the number of international students physically studying in the UK.
Impact on International Students
For students planning to study in the UK, the immediate impact is limited — universities are still actively recruiting international students and the UK remains one of the top global study destinations. However, the strategic shift signals that the government sees the future of UK education exports as increasingly global and digital, not solely campus-based.
Over time, this could mean more UK degree programmes available in students' home countries, delivered by UK universities through local partners. For students who cannot relocate to the UK, this could open up new pathways to a British qualification.
Impact on UK Universities
Many universities are already expanding their transnational education footprint. The strategy provides additional government support — including trade missions, regulatory streamlining, and funding — to accelerate this expansion. The Office for Students has simultaneously announced changes to how it collects data on overseas partnerships.
