After graduating from university last summer, Aroma Wu quickly realized that if she wanted to pursue a career in the technology industry in China, a bachelor's degree wouldn't be enough, and she still needed to go back to school.
"My field of study is really competitive - most people have a Master's degree," the 24-year-old worried.
To further her education, Wu decided to apply for a postgraduate program in the UK and soon received an offer of admission. However, after only a few weeks, Wu had to reconsider her decision after hearing more news from London.
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| UK universities are losing their appeal to Chinese international students. (Source: Shutterstock) |
Tuition fees increase, visa requirements tightened.
In May 2025, the UK government began proposing an " education tax" of around 6%, applied to tuition fees for international students. The government also began taking a tougher stance on immigration by proposing stricter regulations on post-study work visas and permanent residency requirements.
“There’s so much going on at once. Tuition fees are rising, visas might be cut, and now there’s a new tax? I was really caught off guard,” Wu shared. After considering the financial aspects, the young woman decided to study in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Tuition fees for a Master's program in Technology in Hong Kong would cost over 300,000 RMB (approximately $41,000 USD), but Wu estimates she would save around 100,000 RMB by studying in the UK.
"Tuition fees aren't cheap, but I'd rather save that money," she said.
Wu's story reflects a rather common reality in China, where not only the US but also the UK are losing their appeal to Chinese students, especially in the context of rising costs and stricter immigration regulations.
The UK has long been a popular choice for international students from China due to its highly-rated universities, which often rank among the top in global rankings, competitive tuition fees, and short postgraduate programs, typically taking only a year to complete.
Recent surveys have also shown that the UK has overtaken the US as the number one destination for Chinese international students. According to a report by New Oriental, a leading Chinese education company, this is partly because middle-class families still believe that European countries are more affordable and politically stable than Washington.
But clearly, recent changes in the UK have caused the country to gradually lose its advantage. British universities are facing funding shortfalls, forcing them to increase tuition fees for international students.
Like the Trump administration, the British government is also taking a tougher stance on immigration amid rising right-wing populism, particularly after Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned the country risks becoming an "island of strangers".
This has led to new proposals to reduce the student visa requirement after work from 2 years to 18 months and increase the permanent residency threshold from 5 years to 10 years, making it more difficult for international students to settle in the UK after graduation.
On social media platforms Weibo and RedNote, there has been a significant increase in debate about whether UK qualifications are truly a worthwhile investment.
Shirley Wu, a cousin of Aroma, will begin her Master of Business Administration program at the University of Warwick this autumn. While she still wants to continue her studies in the UK, she has also explored several universities in Germany and Australia as backup options.
However, the international context is currently favorable to the United Kingdom. Although the country is facing a range of economic challenges – from high youth unemployment to a large budget deficit – Britain is not the only country grappling with these issues.
Chinese graduates are also facing similar pressures domestically, where youth unemployment is even higher, reaching 15.8%. Competition for places in domestic graduate programs has become so fierce that many students have no choice but to pursue master's degrees abroad.
Still a worthwhile choice.
Nevertheless, Guan Wen, an education expert in Shenzhen, remains optimistic about the prospects of UK universities. "London's new policies have made students more cautious, but overall interest hasn't decreased significantly. This shouldn't discourage Chinese students because most want to return after graduation," he said.
According to Wen, the US is the country to worry about. The policies of the Trump administration are creating too much instability – and stability remains a crucial factor for Chinese students studying abroad.
After graduating from a Chinese university, 24-year-old Ella Zhu still wants to pursue postgraduate studies in the UK, despite the increasingly challenging new environment. She will be heading to Glasgow to begin a one-year Master's program this autumn.
Despite having been accepted into a state-owned enterprise in her hometown of Shandong, the young woman still wanted to find a better job. And further education was essential.
"To apply, I need at least a Master's degree. Postgraduate programs in China are becoming increasingly competitive, and the UK seems like a more realistic option."
Zhu considered other countries in the European Union (EU) – where tuition fees are generally lower, but Chinese employers tend to prefer degrees from English-speaking countries.
"Even if the UK continues to raise tuition fees, we still have to try to invest if we want to find a good job back home," Zhu said.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/khong-rieng-my-quoc-gia-nay-cung-mat-dan-suc-hap-dan-voi-du-hoc-sinh-trung-quoc-317057.html
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