Universities & Higher Education Institutions Licensed to Sponsor International Students

There are 192 route entries for 192 distinct name-and-town combinations on the UK Home Office register of licensed student sponsors. That is 192 entries on the Student route.

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are universities and degree-awarding bodies licensed by the Home Office to sponsor international students on the Student route. Studying a full degree at an HEI is also the most common path to the Graduate visa, which lets you stay and work in the UK after finishing your course.

Most HEIs hold Student Sponsor – Track Record status, meaning they have a proven history of immigration compliance. This is not a teaching-quality rating or a guarantee of visa eligibility. Financial evidence exemptions depend on the applicant's circumstances.

Higher education providers with a track record of compliance

In this snapshot, 182 of the 192 HEI route entries have a status containing “Track Record”. This is a Home Office sponsor-compliance status, not a university ranking, scholarship or guarantee of admission. Check the status and route on the same row as the legal name on your CAS.

See the full list of higher education providers with a track record of compliance, with every change to the status since our archive began. For a course taught by a partner or pathway college, check the CAS issuer as well as the university awarding the degree. The Graduate visa requirements are a separate eligibility check.

The largest concentrations are in London (45), Birmingham (6), Leeds (6), Glasgow (5), Liverpool (5), Belfast (4), Coventry (3), Plymouth (3).

How to use this category

There are 192 route entries representing 192 distinct name-and-town combinations. An organisation can appear twice if it sponsors both routes; these are not necessarily two licences. This category accounts for 15% of register entries, not of international students.

Routes in this snapshot: Student: 192. Status counts: Student Sponsor: 6; Student Sponsor - Track Record: 182; Probationary Sponsor: 4. All these figures count rows.

Compare the sponsor's legal name, route and location with your course offer. Ask whether a partner institution or pathway college, rather than the teaching institution, will issue your CAS. Confirm deposit refund conditions if sponsorship changes. The register does not list tuition fees, scholarships, course availability or admission requirements.

Reading the register

The Status column describes immigration sponsorship, not teaching quality, scholarships or a guarantee of a CAS. Course eligibility, your circumstances and the provider's admissions checks still apply. Read the official sponsor guidance for the privileges and restrictions attached to each status.

The Student route is for eligible applicants aged 16 and over. The Child Student route is for eligible children aged 4–17 at independent schools. A provider may have an entry for each route under its licence.

Full list (192 route entries)

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Frequently asked questions

Browse all cities and institution types or search the full sponsor list.

Source: Home Office student sponsor register, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Snapshot: 13 October 2026. See our methodology and limitations; always recheck GOV.UK before paying or applying.