Market Intelligence Brief - Russia 2019-20

The Russian Federation is one of the most highly educated countries in the world, with 54 per cent of Russians in the 25–64 age range holding university degrees. Four Russian universities feature in the top 400 of the 2019 THE rankings and 15 are among the top 1,000. As host to over 200,000 students in its HEIs and with 57,000 of its own students enrolled overseas in the 2017/18 academic year, Russia is a major player in international education. While the UK is one of the top five destinations for HE, the enrolment rate of Russian students in UK universities has halved over the past five years, primarily owing to a weakening of the Russian economy and a devaluation of the rouble. Russia is nonetheless likely to remain a significant source of international students for the UK, and the recruitment picture is likely to brighten considerably at times when higher commodity prices buoy the broader economy. Russia’s growing interest in student exchanges and language training and internship programmes also presents opportunities for future growth.