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Written question asked by Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated) on Wednesday, 22 July 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 5 August 2026. It was answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern (Labour) on Wednesday, 5 August 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.


Overseas Students: Qualifications

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 22 July (HL901), how many internationally domiciled entrants to UK higher education have no previous qualifications.

Answer

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is responsible for collecting and publishing data on the UK higher education (HE) sector. HESA do not publish data on the highest qualification on entry to HE of international students. Caution is advised when interpreting entry qualifications for international students, as qualifications obtained overseas may not align with the categories defined by HESA. Providers are responsible for determining an appropriate qualification level for qualifications earned overseas.

Analysis of the HESA Student data by the department shows that 1,635 non-UK domiciled entrants to UK HE (undergraduate and postgraduate) in 2024/25 had no formal qualifications.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL2609
Session
2026-27
Related items
Students: Qualifications
Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Written questions
House of Lords
Subjects
Qualifications Overseas students
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk