Register data

Two thirds of the sponsor register is schools, not universities

By Elif Karaman, register desk · Published 3 November 2026 · Facts checked 9 October 2026 · Register figures to 3 November 2026

People arrive at the register of licensed student sponsors expecting a list of universities. It is mostly a list of schools. On 3 November 2026, 889 of its 1,290 licences — 69% — belonged to independent schools. Universities and other higher education institutions held 192.

That is not a curiosity. It changes how you should read almost every number quoted about the register, including ours.

What is actually on the list

A licence is one sponsor on one route. The register covers two routes: Student, for those aged 16 and over, and Child Student, for children aged 4 to 17 at independent schools. On 3 November 2026 there were 751 Student licences and 539 Child Student licences.

Those 1,290 licences are held by 936 institutions, because 354 hold both routes and so appear twice. 397 can sponsor only on the Student route and 185 only on the Child Student route.

Why a register this size does not mean this much choice

If you are looking for a degree, your real list is the 192 higher education licences, not 1,290. A university may sponsor tens of thousands of students and a school a handful, so the 15% of licences held by higher education institutions account for the great majority of sponsored students.

The opposite mistake is just as common. A parent searching for a school sees a well-known name on the register and assumes it can sponsor a twelve-year-old. It can only if it holds a Child Student licence. A school listed solely on the Student route can sponsor from 16 upwards and no younger.

Status means something different for schools

Among higher education institutions, 182 of 192 licences (95%) hold Track Record status. Among independent schools it is 16 of 889. That is not a sign that schools are less compliant. Track Record status exists for the things it unlocks, and those are almost all about higher education: term-time work, dependants, and eligibility for the Graduate route all require a higher education provider with a track record of compliance. A school gains little from the status and most never hold it.

So an average such as “a quarter of sponsors have Track Record status” describes no one. For universities the status is close to universal and its absence is worth a question; for schools its absence is normal.

How to read the register for your own case

• Applying for a degree: filter the sponsor list to higher education institutions, and check for Track Record status, which you will need later for work rights and the Graduate route.
• Choosing a school for a child under 16: filter to the Child Student route. Ignore status comparisons with universities.
• Aged 16 or 17: either route may be open to you, with different conditions. Check which licence the school holds before you decide.
• A college, language school or pathway provider: check the exact legal name on your offer against the register, and read the status carefully. This is the group in which licences change most often.

The proportions here move slowly, but they do move: the register has been shrinking, and not evenly across these groups.

Sources

• UK Student Sponsors register archive and change log
• Home Office, Register of licensed sponsors: students
• Immigration Rules, Appendix Child Student
• Immigration Rules, Appendix Student

This article explains published rules and data. It is not immigration advice, and it cannot tell you how an individual application will be decided. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are recorded in the corrections log.

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