The latest UK Student Housing Update from Knight Frank and revealed that the long-term outlook for student numbers in the UK is positive, largely thanks to strong demand from international students (non-EU), despite Brexit uncertainty, and also because demographic trends in the UK should strengthen local demand.

More than 560,000 students applied to start a full-time undergraduate course at a UK university for the 2019/20 academic year, according to the latest applications data from UCAS. This was nearly 2,500 more applications than at the same point last year and the first year-on-year increase in applications in three years.

Understanding changing trends relating to applications and acceptances is of vital importance for accommodation providers and the purpose built student accommodation sector as it has implications for current and future student demand.

The rise in applications for the 2019/20 academic year was driven by a record number of applicants from outside of the UK, which climbed 5.7% compared to 2018 levels.

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International student numbers increased in spite of the heightened level of political uncertainty surrounding Brexit, highlighting the ongoing global appeal of UK higher education, according to the report, which found that nearly a fifth (19.2%) of all applicants came from outside the UK.