Asian Markets Fueling Canada’s Surge in K-12 International Students

Families are regaining their confidence in sending their children to study abroad, while others are choosing to relocate with their children to Canada.¹ Since travel measures have lifted and the international education sector has returned to a sense of normalcy, we are excited to see new changes reflected within the primary and secondary international student markets in Canada.

In Canada, both public school boards and private institutions play a significant role in shaping the primary and secondary education systems. As a result, there are numerous factors that impact the primary sector and often extend their influence to the secondary sector and vice versa. 

So, what are the key factors driving these shifts in the K-12 sector? What are the top student populations that are choosing to study in Canada? Which markets are interested in K-12 programs across Canada? Let’s dive right in. 

Top Student Markets Driving K-12 Growth in Canada

A few weeks ago, we highlighted a remarkable milestone in the Canadian education landscape in 2022. In 2022, K-12 approvals soared to an unprecedented 65,200. Notably, primary approvals drove this surge, with a growth rate that was five times higher than that of secondary approvals across all Canadian provinces. Let’s take a closer look into the key source markets that are driving a boom in K-12 approvals and learn more about their preferred destination provinces.

Asian and Latin American Markets Driving Primary K-12 Approvals

In 2022, India, China, and the Philippines emerged as the top three source markets for K-12 studies in Canada. Together, these countries are leading in K-12 approvals, accounting for 37% of all primary and secondary approvals.

In 2022, there was a significant increase in the number of Indian international students applying for primary and secondary programs in Canada, with over 13,000 applications submitted. Of these, approximately 10,400 applications were approved, resulting in an approval rate of 80%. India emerged as one of the fastest-growing source markets for K-12 education, experiencing a remarkable growth of 160% in approvals within a single year.

Canada’s Atlantic provinces saw a steep spike in interest from primary and secondary Indian international students in 2022. Of all the Atlantic provinces, Nova Scotia saw the largest increase in K-12 enrolment from Indian students, with eight times more K-12 approvals in 2022 compared to 2021. New Brunswick followed close behind as it also saw remarkable growth in K-12 approvals from Indian students, with a 350% growth in K-12 approvals in 2022.  

Since 2017, there has been a notable decline in K-12 applications for Chinese students in Canada. This decline in applications continued into the pandemic following China’s Zero-COVID policy. However, as Canada’s travel restrictions lifted, there was a positive development in 2022, as study permit approvals for Chinese K-12 students increased by 11% in 2022 and surpassed 7,000 approvals. Despite having the lowest approval rate in the past six years, at 78%, this uptick indicates a strong recovery in the Chinese student market.

While large destination markets like Ontario and Quebec had a decline in Chinese approvals, the Prairies and British Columbia each grew significantly. In 2022, Alberta’s approvals more than doubled, with a 112% increase in K-12 approvals from 2021. Manitoba also grew substantially, with K-12 approvals increasing by 48% in 2022. In comparison, British Columbia had a steady increase of over just 16%, with nearly 2,000 K-12 approvals.

These developments are all positive signs of growth in the Chinese student market, showing strong signs of recovery into 2023.

The Philippines has had impressive growth across all study levels, with this trend holding true for K-12 studies as well. In 2022, over 6,700 primary and secondary students from the Philippines were approved to study in Canada. This represented a growth rate of 122% in K-12 approvals from 2021 into 2022. 

According to ApplyBoard internal data, a significant portion of Filipino students choosing Canada as their study abroad destination country are working-age adults, with many hoping to also relocate their families. In 2021, the average age of Filipino applicants who applied to Canadian schools through ApplyBoard was 33. With more Filipino post-secondary students coming to Canada, there has been a noticeable uptick in Filipino students bringing their children to Canada, triggering a rise in primary and secondary student enrollments.

Ontario and Alberta were at the forefront of this trend, with a 130% increase in K-12 approvals from Filipino students in 2022. Overall, Ontario recorded nearly 2,700 approvals for K-12 students coming from the Philippines, while Alberta had nearly 1,500 approvals. Notably, Newfoundland and Labrador had the strongest growth of any Canadian province in 2022, with four times the number of approvals compared to 2021. Similarly, Saskatchewan had a significant growth rate of 205% in K-12 approvals from Filipino international students. 

Exploring Emerging Student Markets

Several student markets experienced substantial growth in 2022, and have continued to accelerate their progress over the past two years. These student markets are playing a crucial role in driving K-12 approvals and diversifying the landscape of Canadian K-12 education. Let’s take a closer look at some of the fastest-growing markets for K-12 programs in Canada:

In 2022, Nigeria experienced a notable rise in study permit approvals, making it the third-largest student market across all study levels in Canada. Overall, approvals for Nigerian students almost doubled. Nigeria’s growth was even higher in the K-12 sector, growing by 120% from 2021, with a total of over 2,000 approvals in 2022. However, Nigeria’s approval rate in K-12 studies stands at 66%, which remains lower than most top source countries in Canada.

Traditionally, Ontario has been the preferred choice for over 75% of primary and secondary Nigerian international students looking to study in Canada. However, in 2022, we saw a significant shift as other provinces gained market share, resulting in Ontario’s share dropping to 68%. Meanwhile, Nigerian K-12 approvals in British Columbia and Atlantic Canada more than tripled. In comparison, Ontario grew by 53% in 2022.

In 2022, Nigeria became Atlantic Canada’s second-largest source country for international students. Atlantic Canada had a growth of 347% in study permit approvals since 2019.

Colombian K-12 approvals in Canada have shown an upward trend since 2016, resulting in an impressive 71% growth in 2022. In 2022, over 1,700 Colombian primary and secondary students were approved to study in K-12 programs across Canada. Despite having the lowest approval rate among Latin American countries at 67% in 2022, Colombia’s growth outpaced Mexico, Brazil, and Peru.

The majority of the growth in K-12 approvals for Colombian students was in Canada’s three most popular destination provinces: Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. Notably, British Columbia had a strong surge in K-12 approvals for Colombian students, with double the study permit approvals in 2022. In comparison, the Prairies and Atlantic provinces recorded more steady growth rates of around 30% in 2022.

In 2022, the number of K-12 approvals to Peruvian students in Canada grew by 52%. From 2016 to 2020, Peru had fewer than 70 approvals for primary and secondary students in Canada. However, over the past two years, there has been a significant uptick in K-12 approvals, reaching a total of nearly 640 approvals in 2022.

Of all the Canadian provinces, British Columbia has become the most popular destination province for Peruvian students, with over 230 approvals. This represented a substantial growth of 76% in 2022 compared to 2021.

In 2022, Sri Lanka became one of Canada’s fastest-growing South Asian K-12 markets. Despite a lower approval rate of 59%, Sri Lanka had a remarkable growth of 375% in K-12 approvals. In 2022, Sri Lanka had over 500 primary and secondary students approved to study in Canada, with most K-12 students accompanying their parents.

This surge in approvals highlights Sri Lankan students’ increasing interest in pursuing K-12 education in Canada, and British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta are their preferred destination provinces. In 2022, British Columbia was the most popular destination province, with over 200 primary and secondary Sri Lankan student approvals. Ontario followed closely with a total of 180 approvals in 2022.

Achieving Higher K-12 Enrollment with ApplyBoard

Approval rates for K-12 studies have been growing significantly from 2016 to 2022, showing a promising future for primary and secondary international students in Canada. At ApplyBoard, we’re seeing growing interest in primary and secondary programs across Canada through our applications and searches.

Students who choose to use ApplyBoard can count on a competitive 95% acceptance rate.

At ApplyBoard, we’re excited to continue contributing to this growth by making international education accessible for more students and their families. We are actively collaborating with our partners, expanding recruitment efforts, and working closely with the most sought-after schools for K-12 programs. By leveraging our resources and expertise, we aim to support the increasing number of primary and secondary international students, contributing to their educational success.

Looking Forward

K-12 enrollment in Canada has grown significantly and is well poised for a promising future for students. This growth in K-12 approvals reflects the renewed confidence that parents have in sending their children to study in Canada. We are also seeing a growing trend of mature college students feeling more comfortable with bringing their children along to study abroad with them. This development is both exciting and encouraging for international K-12 students and families looking to begin their study abroad journey in Canada.

According to Statistics Canada, international students and immigrants arriving in Canada before the age of 15 are more likely to succeed academically when compared to their Canadian-born counterparts.

As international interest in K-12 studies continues to grow, it is critical for Canadian institutions to build on this momentum and continue to attract primary and secondary international students from diverse backgrounds. K-12 institutions in Canada can continue to attract students by:

• Increasing student awareness of homestay programs and summer camps offered to primary and secondary international students in Canada through targeted marketing, online platforms, partnerships, and conferences.
• Positioning students for success with Canada’s rich ESL/FSL programs, which are designed to enrich language training for primary and secondary students. These programs play a vital role in enhancing students’ English or French skills, equipping them for academic achievement and social integration in the Canadian context. 
• Establishing partnerships with embassies and international organizations can help schools expand their reach and attract students from different countries. These collaborations can facilitate recruitment efforts and promote the school’s programs and offerings.

About the ApplyInsights Team

FOOTNOTES:

1. Data courtesy of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

2. The terms student visa and study permit are generally used interchangeably for Canadian international students. Rather than student visas, Canada provides accepted international students with study permits, which allow those students to enroll in classes at Canadian institutions. When a student is accepted for a study permit, they are also usually provided with a visitor visa, which allows that student to enter Canada for their studies. For the purposes of this article, we’ll use the terms interchangeably.