Postgraduate Research Pulse Update as of July 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 July 2024, we’re seeing that:

• The fall in International Share of Search from the non-EU audience has levelled off, though we are yet to see signs of recovery. Interest from the EU has been unaffected by either the Graduate Route review or the General Election and is slightly greater than it was 12 months ago. 
• Attitudes to Study remain stable for the international audience, whereas the domestic audience are significantly less likely to feel 'unsure' about pursuing PGR. 
• The largest growth in discipline interest comes from Computer Science and Physics. Biological Sciences has seen the greatest fall in interest, however it still remains by far the most popular discipline.
• Our Spotlight this month explores what the UK PGR audience considers to be the most important factors when deciding on an institution. Unlike PGT, an institutions Reputation & Ranking is by far the most important factor at PGR level. For more information we recently investigated how Reputation & Rankings affect search trends.