The reputation of British qualifications remains strong around the world, according to a poll that found that 96 per cent of international alumni rated their UK education highly.

The positive impact of studying within the UK higher education sector rung true throughout the professional and personal lives of graduates who came from overseas, with more than 73 per cent saying they needed their qualification to obtain their current job.

Meanwhile, 84 per cent of alumni they recommended study in the UK and 73 per cent said they maintained contact with people they had met during their time in the country.

The third round of the British Council Alumni Voices survey polled 4,140 participants representing 130 different nationalities.

����Vlog

The positivity expressed remained broadly consistent with last year’s poll, which showed that 84.5 per cent of alumni had recommended a UK education.

This year’s research also shines a light on which skills international graduates particularly credit to their UK university experience.

����Vlog

Some 71 per cent said the top skill they’d gained from their education was their critical thinking, while 68 per cent ranked collaboration and teamwork as their number one, 62 per cent said their self confidence, 60 per cent named communication, and 48 per cent listed their intercultural abilities.

When considering how these capacities supported them in the world of work, international alumni spoke of the importance of independence in the UK education system.

“Interviewees repeatedly described UK education as developing independent thought and self-reliance,” the British Council report notes, adding: “As opposed to being told exactly what to do, students were expected to manage reading, shape their own ideas, take initiative, and work proactively with supervisors and course materials.”

One female interviewee living in Mauritius told researchers: “The core principles [of my degree] were to help you develop your critical and analytical thinking even more. And this is something which the university really cultivated in every aspect of the programme, and that really helped me to ask better questions, understand questions better, and deliver better.”

In terms of actual graduate outcomes, the findings suggest the vast majority of international alumni are either working or pursuing further study – with 60 per cent of respondents in paid work for an employer, 21 per cent either running their own business or self-employed, and around 7 per cent in a course of study, training or research. Fewer than 4 per cent of respondents were unemployed.

����Vlog

Of those working, over a third (32.3 per cent) had found employment immediately after graduating, and 40.7 per cent within six months of doing so.

Ultimately, 85 per cent of respondents told pollsters they found the British people “open and welcoming”, and 91 per cent agreed with the statement: “The UK offers the skills and qualifications people like me need for a successful career.”

The report concludes that the findings “directly reinforce the ambitions set out” in the government’s international education strategy, unveiled in January this year.

����Vlog

At a time of increased scrutiny on immigration, that strategy declined to publish a target number for international student recruitment, with the government instead aiming to “sustainably recruit high-quality” university attendees.

Catriona McCarthy, interim director for education at the British Council, said: “A UK education is a long-term global asset that builds enduring skills, drives career success, and creates lifelong global networks.

“Alumni consistently describe their UK education as a formative experience that extends beyond academic learning. They highlight the combined value of skills developed during study, opportunities created through exposure to UK teaching and professional cultures, and networks built with peers, academics, and institutions that endure over time.

“At a time when prospective students are rightly weighing the investment involved in international study, these findings provide reassurance of the longer-term value of UK study.”

����Vlog

georgia.luckhurst@timeshighereducation.com