Trump’s crackdown on higher ed spurs transatlantic shift

A record number of American students are turning to British universities as political tensions and federal intervention roil the U.S. higher education system under the Trump administration.

According to new data released Thursday by UCAS, the UK’s centralized university admissions service, 7,930 students from the United States applied for undergraduate courses in the UK for fall 2025—a 13.9% increase from the previous year and the highest number recorded since UCAS began tracking U.S. applicants in 2006.

While international applications rose by 2.2% overall, the U.S. surge is especially notable and coincides with a period of sustained political pressure on American colleges. President Donald Trump has taken aggressive steps to reshape higher education since returning to office, freezing billions in federal funding and threatening the tax-exempt status of elite institutions such as Harvard and Columbia.

Mark Bennett, vice president of research and insight at Keystone Education Group, attributed the growing interest in international study to these domestic developments. 

“The Trump administration’s actions and rhetoric are reducing the appeal of the U.S., causing audiences to search elsewhere—particularly the UK,” Bennett said.

The administration has also targeted programs related to DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), as well as international student enrollment. Harvard has filed suit against the federal government after nearly $9 billion in research and education funding was frozen following its refusal to meet new federal demands, including reducing DEI efforts and limiting the admission of foreign students.

“Global universities are increasingly competing to attract students who feel unwelcome in the U.S., and at the moment that includes many of its domestic students,” said Cara Skikne of higher ed data firm Studyportals.

British institutions are responding to the moment. St Andrews University, a popular destination for American students, reported a 14% increase in U.S. applications, particularly in fields like economics and international relations. Some schools are offering “unconditional offers” and accelerated application processes to entice more American enrollees.

Despite financial pressures in the UK higher education sector, which has recently faced job cuts and course closures, experts say the country’s perceived academic stability is making it a more appealing option for students caught in the political crossfire back home.

As Trump continues to reshape the American education landscape, it appears more students are casting their gaze across the Atlantic.