Event

The economic costs and benefits of international students

This event hosted by UK think tank HEPI launches a new report on the economic costs and benefits of international students.

On Thursday, 9 July 2026 between 12pm and 1pm, HEPI is hosting a webinar with Kaplan and London Economics to launch a new report on the economic costs and benefits of international students broken down by parliamentary constituency.

HEPI and Kaplan International Pathways have commissioned London Economics to calculate the economic consequences for the UK economy of hosting so many international students. Unlike other work in this area, the results cover the economic benefits and the public costs, enabling the publication of figures showing both the gross and net benefits of attracting so many learners from other countries. In addition, the new research includes the figures calculated down to the level of parliamentary constituencies.

The 2026 publication will be the fourth iteration of this work, but the new version will be based on the latest data (2024/25) on international students and will also, for the first time, use international students’ actual addresses rather than using proxies for where in the country they live.

Speakers

Professor Sir Steve Smith – UK Government International Education Champion

Professor Karen O’Brien – Vice-Chancellor and Warden, Durham University

Linda Cowan – Managing Director, Kaplan International Pathways

Maike Halterbeck – Partner, London Economi

James Cannings – Principal Consultant, London Economics

Rosie Stephenson – Director of Policy and Srategy, HEPI (Chair)