A total of 61,110 international applicants received a place this year, down 0.6% from last year, UCAS data has showed.
China remains the largest international student market, with 14,890 acceptances – though also down 1.9% on last year – followed by India and Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, the total number of students places from the EU is 10,520, down from 10,610 in 2023.
Jo Saxton, UCAS chief executive, said: “This year we have seen a small increase in the number of students getting a place at university, driven by a rise in the number of UK 18- year-olds. At the same time, the figures show there are challenges with mature and international acceptances.”
Figures released by UCAS showed the number of 18-year-olds accepted onto undergraduate courses rose from 270,350 in 2023 to 277,790 this year – an 2.8% increase.
While there was an overall increase in the acceptance of all ages and nationalities, with a total of 498,340 acceptances this year compared to 493,940 last year (a 0.9% increase), it is still lower than the peak acceptance of 515,650 in 2020.
Mature acceptances (UK aged 21 and over) declined to 64,180 from 66,360 in 2023 – a 3.3% decline.
Overall, 68,810 applicants (all ages, all domiciles) have been placed in Clearing to date, up from 67,990 (+1.2%) in 2023 and 65,810 (+4.6%) in 2019.
I firmly believe in the life-changing power of higher education
Jo Saxton, UCAS chief executive
Saxton added: “There has also been a high number of applicants using Clearing, with students seemingly motivated by plenty of choice this cycle, giving the opportunity to pursue an alternative option they may not have previously considered or thought was out of reach.
“I firmly believe in the life-changing power of higher education and it’s good to see higher education remains a popular choice, with so many going on to study a course that excites them and which they’re passionate about as their next step towards a fulfilling and rewarding career.”