A RECORD WAVE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS TO STUDY LAW IN THE UK

UK universities have attracted a record number of non-EU students applying to study both law-only and combination courses in the last year, a freedom of information request has revealed.

The number of non-EU students applying to study law – including criminal, land and family law – at UK universities has increased by 238% over the last decade. The number of overseas applicants for combination law courses, such as social studies with law or law with business, also rose sharply – by 133%.

The data, sourced from UCAS and collated by London criminal defence solicitors Lawtons, details the number of applicants to study all law courses at UK universities.

Law courses made up 9% of all applications in 2021, with almost 1 in 10 applicants applying for law-related courses, whether single or combined.

Clare Marchant, chief executive of UCAS, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that competition for university places is growing, with statistics showing a 4% rise in applicants in 2021 compared to 2020. Courses such as law, nursing, computing and teaching were increasing in popularity due to their obvious career paths, she said*. Non-EU students replacing EU students It has been reported that the UK’s university sector has recovered strongly following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the number of incoming non-EU students currently 38% higher than pre-pandemic levels**.

EU student numbers have, meanwhile, dropped. Applications to study all law courses from EU students have plummeted by a staggering 40% over the course year, falling from 22,255 in 2020 to 13,145 in 2021.

Female law students continue to outnumber male applicants with UCAS data showing that over twothirds of all law course applicants this academic year are female, highlighting a 12% increase across all law-related courses. This number has been steadily increasing for years, now reaching the stage where just 31% (48,065) of law course applicants in 2021 were men, while 69% (107,085) were women.