Northern Ireland attracts more international students

Only 1% of all international students studying in the UK are enrolled in universities in NI

There has been a 16% rise in the number of students from outside the EU beginning undergraduate degrees in NI this year.

That is according to new figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas).

There has also been a slight rise in the number of EU students.

The proportion of Northern Irish young people beginning university is also at a five-year high.

Ucas said 35.4% of school leavers here had now been accepted to start university.

That is a higher percentage than England, Scotland or Wales.

However, the actual number of Northern Irish students beginning university in 2018 has decreased slightly, mainly due to a 5% fall in the number of A-level entrants in Northern Ireland this year.

Ulster University and Queen's University Belfast are seeking to grow the number of international students

Ucas data shows that 280 students from outside the EU have started university in Northern Ireland this year, up from 240 in 2017.

The number of students from the EU - apart from the UK - has also risen, from 370 in 2017 to 390 in September 2018.

Some 9,120 students from Northern Ireland are starting undergraduate degrees at local universities, down marginally from 9,170 in 2017.

However 3,840 Northern Irish school leavers are starting university in England this year, 950 in Scotland and 150 in Wales.

UK students

The number of international students or students from the UK at Northern Irish universities does not affect how many local students they can admit.

Instead, the Department for the Economy (DfE) controls the number of undergraduate places available at Queen's and Ulster universities for Northern Irish students and those from the EU outside the UK.

DfE sets a maximum aggregate student numbers cap at both universities based on financial calculations.

Queen's and Ulster universities have previously expressed concerns about their ability to attract foreign students and staff after Brexit.

Queen's University said it posed "challenges and risks" to recruitment.

Ulster University had warned about the potential loss of funding and tuition fee income.

Enrolment process

The process of university enrolment for 2018 is not entirely complete, but Ucas said that about 95% of students set to enter university in 2018 had now been placed.

Around 5% of around 55,000 students in Northern Ireland are from non-EU or EU countries outside the UK or Republic of Ireland.

However, only 1% of all international students studying in the UK are enrolled in universities in NI.