Student mobility is an important component of the migration flows of the BIC Member Administrations. Each year a substantial number of young people will leave home to take up a place at university. At the end of the course many will move again, usually to take up employment or to continue their studies at another higher education institution. Nearly all (97%) first-year English-domiciled students went to Higher Education Institutes in England in 2009/2010, compared with about three-quarters of students domiciled in Northern Ireland (75%) and Wales (77%) who went to institutions in their home country. Around one-fifth of students domiciled in Northern Ireland (19%) and Wales (22%) went to HEIs in England.

Three quarters of first year students enrolled on courses at HEIs in Scotland were UK-domiciled, 9% were EU students (including Ireland) and 15% were from the rest of the world. Various policy initiatives exist to encourage international students to study in the UK and Ireland. In 2009/10, around 1.1 million first-year students enrolled on courses at HEIs in the UK. Of these, 79% were UK-domiciled students, 6% were EU students (including Ireland), and 15% were from the rest of the world. There are also schemes to encourage home students to study abroad, and to attract graduates back to their original country of domicile. Of those graduates who are employed six months after graduation, the majority are employed in the same country where they studied. Graduates of English HEIs have the lowest migration rates while graduates of Welsh HEIs have the highest. Graduates of Northern Irish HEIs have the highest international migration rates. The European Union is the most popular destination region for international movers, with the United States also being important.