Drop in UK international students

TheTimes Higher Education reported that, for the first time since numbers were recorded, the number of international students studying in the UK has dropped.  The largest drop is among Indian students.  Interestingly, the article attributes the drop to a combination of visa changes and cost.  I wonder how much perceived quality and opportunity elsewhere (perhaps even in their home country) have contributed to the shifts.  Certainly one year does not establish a trend but perhaps this is something to watch.

Phillip Altbach commented on the UK and other trends and attributed the shifts in enrollment to commodification of higher education and competition to balance budgets.