Sri Lankan Postgraduate Enrollments in UK Drop 36% Amid Dependants Ban Impact

Sri Lankan students pursuing postgraduate study in the United Kingdom saw a significant year-on-year decline in enrollments for the 2024/25 academic year, according to newly released data on international postgraduate student trends published by ApplyBoard Insights on February 6, 2026.

The report, drawing from the UK’s Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data, shows that international postgraduate enrollments fell 10 per cent overall in 2024/25 — a key factor in the UK’s broader 6 per cent drop in total international student numbers.

Sri Lanka Among the Most Affected Countries

Of the major source countries for international students, Sri Lanka recorded one of the largest percentage declines in postgraduate enrollments, with a 36 per cent year-on-year reduction in the number of Sri Lankan students enrolled in UK postgraduate programmes. Nigeria was the only country with a larger drop (39 per cent).

This sharp downturn is widely linked to changes in UK immigration and student visa policies, particularly the tightening of rules governing international student dependants, which took effect in 2023. Sri Lankan student populations historically had some of the highest dependant-to-main-applicant visa ratios, meaning many Sri Lankan students previously planned to bring family members with them while studying in the UK.

Education consultants and student advisors have said that the inability to accompany students with dependants under the tightened rules has discouraged many from pursuing traditional postgraduate taught degrees. As a result, some prospective students have either postponed plans, shifted to research-oriented courses (which remain exempt from the dependants ban), or opted for alternative destinations.

Wider Impacts on UK Higher Education

Postgraduate studies continue to make up a majority of the international student body in the UK — accounting for about 57 per cent of all international enrollments in 2024/25 — but the decline in this segment has been steeper than at the undergraduate level.

Around 389,000 international students were enrolled in postgraduate programmes during the period, down 10 per cent from the previous year, and falling 15 per cent below the 2022/23 peak.

Universities and recruitment specialists are now watching trends closely, as early visa data shows some signs of stabilisation in visa issuances, but fragmentation across student source markets suggests uneven recovery prospects.

What This Means for Sri Lankan Students

For Sri Lankan students and families contemplating study abroad, these figures highlight the continued influence of immigration policy on higher education mobility. The significant drop in enrollments from Sri Lanka underscores how visa and dependant policies can shift international education patterns rapidly.

Advisers suggest that Sri Lankan applicants may increasingly explore research-based postgraduate courses in the UK — which are growing and exempt from some restrictions — or consider alternative study destinations that offer more flexibility for family accompaniment, cost of living considerations, and postgraduate work opportunities.

Source - Ada Derana