Ranked: All 24 Russell Group unis by proportion of EU undergrads – LSE highest at 8.5 per cent

The London School of Economics has the highest proportion of EU undergraduate students of any Russell Group university, with 8.5 per cent of its undergraduates coming from EU countries, according to The Tab’s analysis of HESA data for 2024-25.

According to The Telegraph, Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently offered to allow EU students to pay the same fees as domestic students, currently £9,535, rather than international rates.

The proposal, reportedly made as a concession to Brussels in setting a date for the UK-EU summit, goes against the warnings of the Russell Group, which estimated that allowing EU students to study on home fees could cost the sector £580m annually.

Within the Russell Group, there is a 7.7 percentage point gap between the university with the highest and lowest proportion of EU undergraduates. While 8.5 per cent of LSE undergrads come from the EU, there are only 0.8 per cent at Birmingham.

Queen’s University Belfast, Imperial, King’s and UCL all had a six per cent or higher proportion of EU undergrads.

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Here are all 24 Russell Group universities ranked by proportion of EU undergraduate students, from highest to lowest, according to The Tab’s analysis of HESA data for 2024-25.

1. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) – 8.5 per cent
2. Queen’s University Belfast – 6.6 per cent
3. Imperial College London – 6.1 per cent
4. King’s College London – 6.0 per cent
5. University College London (UCL) – 6.0 per cent
6. University of Edinburgh – 4.9 per cent
7. Queen Mary University of London – 4.7 per cent
8. University of Warwick – 4.4 per cent
9. University of Cambridge – 3.5 per cent
10. University of Oxford – 3.5 per cent
11. University of Southampton – 2.8 per cent
12. University of Glasgow – 2.5 per cent
13. University of Manchester – 2.3 per cent
14. University of Bristol – 2.2 per cent
15. Durham University – 2.2 per cent
16. University of Exeter – 2.1 per cent
17. Newcastle University – 1.6 per cent
18. University of Nottingham – 1.2 per cent
19. University of Sheffield – 1.2 per cent
20. University of York – 1.2 per cent
21. Cardiff University – 1.1 per cent
22. University of Leeds – 1.1 per cent
23. University of Liverpool – 0.9 per cent
24. University of Birmingham – 0.8 per cent

Responding to reports about tuition fee cuts for EU students, a UK government spokesperson said: “We do not recognise these claims. We are focused on building a closer relationship with Europe that works for the British people. We will not give a running commentary on ongoing talks.”

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Featured image via Unsplash