Postgraduate Research Pulse Update as of Feb 2024

Our unique Pulse trackers and Share of Search data provide insights on thousands of prospective international students interested in UK PhD opportunities. As of Feb 2024, we’re seeing that:

• Domestic PGR audiences feel more positive, though our January sample tends slightly older
• Interest in Autumn 2024 has (finally) overtaken Spring 2024, but we’re still seeing a much ‘stickier’ pipeline this year
• UK Share of Search for international PGR audiences continued to trend above the previous cycle, suggesting immigration concerns are less impactful here
• At discipline level, PGR interest is still greatest in STEM, but with the most growth in Computer Science; AI is increasingly popular at subject level
• This month our Spotlight section models the impact of hypothetical changes to the UK Graduate Route