A total of 7,880 Chinese students applied for places this year; an increase from 6,423 applications in 2007.
Overall, applications from non-UK students were up by 6.4% from 73,870 to 78,594.
Earlier this year, David Gillingham, an expert in international academia, warned that some British institutions were taking a ‘dangerous gamble’ by recruiting too many students from a single country.
He warned that ‘a minor crisis’ such as a change of government policy could see a collapse in a university’s market.
An estimated 75,000 Chinese students study in Britain. Warwick, Manchester and Loughborough have traditionally been leading recruiters from China.
Some of that increase could be explained by the fact that nursing and midwifery courses (13,406 applicants this year) have been included in the UCAS system for the first time. Previously, they had their own admissions service.
In fees, UK universities receive $4.5 billion from 351,470 foreign students.
Source: The Daily Telegraph London