Gone international: a new generation explores the impact of studying, working and volunteering abroad on students’ academic success and career outcomes.
The report examines outward student mobility trends, addressing the following questions:
- Which students take part in international mobility?
- Does mobility affect graduate employment, earnings and academic achievement?
Using HESA Graduate Outcomes survey data, this research focuses on UK-domiciled first-degree undergraduates who completed their studies at the end of the 2021-22 academic year, with longitudinal analysis of students across the cohorts 2017-18 to 2021-22 to track changes over time.
Key findings
- Mobility rates have declined
- Student mobility rates have dropped from 8.8% in 2018-19 to 3.5% in 2021-22.
- Factors driving this decline include the COVID-19 pandemic and new visa requirements for European mobility post-Brexit.
- Equitable access to mobility is improving
- While overall participation has declined, students from underrepresented backgrounds have seen increases in their share of mobility opportunities.
- Notable improvements were observed for disabled students, students from low-participation neighbourhoods, and students from Black, Asian and Mixed ethnic backgrounds.
- Mobility is associated with improved graduate outcomes among several student groups
- Mobile students from less advantaged backgrounds were more likely to achieve a first-class degree and secure professional-level jobs, and less likely to be unemployed, than their non-mobile peers.
- Across the five years of data, mobile students from several groups had higher graduate salaries than their non-mobile peers.
- Average graduate salaries were 1.6.% higher for mobile students compared to non-mobile students (£26,932 vs £26,501).
- Black mobile students earned £27,733 on average compared to £27,210 for non-mobile Black students.
- Mature mobile students saw the highest earnings boost, earning £28,987 compared to £27,257 for non-mobile mature students.
Recommendations
- Outward student mobility should be a key component of a refreshed International Education Strategy (IES).
- Government should commit to long-term mobility funding, including multi-year programme cycles and funding for short mobilities.
- A more consistent approach to data and reporting is needed along with regular programme evaluation.
- Widening participation and enhancing outcomes should continue to lie at the heart of the UK’s approach to outward mobility.
