In September 2024, international student counsellors from over 40 countries responded to the year’s second ApplyBoard Recruitment Partner (RP) Pulse Survey.1 They shared which destinations were top-of-mind for students, how top destinations’ safety and affordability are perceived, and how destinations’ domestic policy changes have influenced students’ academic journeys.
Since we ran the previous RP Pulse Survey in March 2024, the international education landscape has continued to shift. Australia announced it would implement a soft cap on the number of international students in 2025 while introducing additional measures. Likewise, Canada announced changes to its Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program and additions to how study permit caps would work in 2025. And the United Kingdom welcomed a new government which has already signaled its support for international students.
Understandably, this high rate of policy change, particularly in Australia and Canada, is reflected in education professionals’ responses to our survey. Read on to learn how the latest survey responses compare to our last two RP Pulse Surveys.2 From a gentle upswing in overall interest in studying abroad to surging demand for European destinations, this survey points to students’ evolving perception of—and approach to—international education.
Key Insights at a Glance
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- In our Fall 2024 RP Pulse Survey, over 40% of counsellors reported an increase in students interested in study abroad, up almost 10 percentage points from our Spring 2024 survey.
- But this is partly due to students having more destination options than ever before. Almost three of every four survey participants worked with students considering destinations beyond the “Big Four.”3
- Participants listed over 50 study destinations of interest, with 13 of the 15 countries with the most interest located in Europe.
- The United States was ranked the most attractive destination by survey participants. It’s the first time in this survey’s history that Canada has fallen from the top spot.
Overall Interest in Study Abroad Stabilizes
In our Spring 2024 RP Pulse Survey, most counsellors noted declining student interest in study abroad programs due, in part, to uncertainty around sector policies and rising affordability concerns. But here’s some good news: the Fall 2024 survey found this trend reversing:
The number of counsellors who saw a significant decrease in interest remained steady across both 2024 RP Pulse Surveys. However, over 40% of counsellors reported a significant or moderate increase in study abroad interest in Fall 2024. That’s an improvement of 9 percentage points compared to Spring 2024.
The US Rises as the Most Attractive Study Destination
Respondents were also asked to share how much six popular study abroad destinations appealed to students. As in our Spring 2024 survey, we looked at Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. While Canada took top spot back in the spring, a different country leads the pack this round:
In a year of sweeping policy changes in many popular destinations, comparative policy and economic stability in the US4—plus its highly-regarded academic institutions—likely appealed to students. Our Fall 2024 survey results show the country improving on already strong attractiveness scores from Spring 2024. Importantly, this growing interest has led to action: 2024 marked the third consecutive year where over 100,000 F-1 student visas were issued in the first half of the fiscal year to international students in the US.
Canada’s Attractiveness to International Students Falters
Compared to our Fall 2023 survey, perception of Canada as an “attractive” or “very attractive” destination has dropped by 14 percentage points. This puts Canada behind both the US and the UK for this metric for the first time since the survey started running.
In the last six months alone, those ranking Canada as a “very attractive” destination dropped from 57% to 45%. These changes may reflect a changing outlook among students and recruitment professionals on Canada after a year of comprehensive policy changes.
In a follow-up question, nearly four out of five respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that Canada’s decision to limit study permit applications made it a less desirable destination:
While more details about Canadian study permit caps for 2025 are on the way, we already know the capped amount of study permits will drop by 10% next year. As such, the Canadian international education sector will face the continued challenge of rebuilding Canada’s brand for prospective international students.
Australia’s Attractiveness as a Study Destination Dips in Fall 2024
Australia introduced policy changes similar to Canada’s over the past year, including a higher proof of funding amount and an incoming cap on student visas in 2025. As a result, Australia experienced a 30% dip in student visa applications from January to May 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.
Interestingly, Australia’s attractiveness score was more resilient than Canada’s, dropping by only seven percentage points between Q3 2023 and Q3 2024. Yet when respondents were asked directly, 75% agreed it had become a less desirable option:
UK Dependents Policy Continues to Affect International Student Sentiment
Unlike Canada and Australia, the UK’s attractiveness to international students grew over the last six months. In Fall 2024, 82% of participants said their students found the UK either “very attractive” or “attractive,” which is up from 69% in Spring 2024 and 76% in Fall 2023.
That said, recent policy changes in the UK, especially the limiting of which international students could bring dependents, continues to affect student choice. In the year ending June 2024, fewer study visas were issued than in the previous year. Student recruitment professionals’ opinion of this policy change has also leaned slightly more pessimistic in our most recent survey:
Destination Markets Continue to Diversify
So, if interest in traditional Anglophone study destinations is wavering, where is the next cohort of international students setting their sights?
When asked about other options, counsellors identified European markets as strong contenders:
Out of all the countries respondents entered, France and Finland were of highest interest. But students’ curiosity spans Europe: from Portugal and Spain in the west to Latvia and Poland in the east. One might be surprised to see Malta appear so prominently above—but this small, sunny island country is a bilingual nation (English and Maltese) with a comparatively low cost of living and institutions that don’t always require an English proficiency test score (like IELTS or PTE).5 As students search for more affordable options, countries like Malta are increasingly compelling alternatives. General interest in Europe as a continent—and the Schengen area as a region within it—was also strong.
Asian destinations were also top-of-mind for students and counsellors in our Fall 2024 RP Pulse Survey. While South Korea led the region, participants also shared their students’ interest in multicultural, cosmopolitan cities like Singapore and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Perceived Affordability of Popular Student Markets Diverges in 2024
As in our Spring 2024 survey, Germany was seen as the most economical destination of the six focus countries. 72% of the Fall 2024 survey respondents agreed it was an affordable option:
That said, it’s interesting that the perception of affordability hasn’t changed uniformly over the past year. Perceptions of affordability for the US and the UK were up compared to 2023, but down for Canada and Australia. Ireland remained steady. The US and the UK’s improvement on this metric in this most recent survey contrasts with our previous survey. In Spring 2024, all featured countries were seen as less affordable than in our 2022 and 2023 surveys.
Employability and Affordability Remain Top Student Concerns
Supporting an international student is a major financial investment for many families. So, it isn’t surprising that the overall cost of studying remained the most important factor when deciding where to study:
While the top five factors students consider when deciding where to study are the same in the Fall 2024 and Fall 2023 RP Pulse Surveys, priorities have shifted. For example, “opportunities to work while studying” dropped from second to fourth place. Meanwhile, “post-graduation work opportunities” became the second most important factor.
As students increasingly align their studies to programs that prepare them to work in high-demand fields, understanding their post-graduation work options—whether Optional Practical Training in the US or the Temporary Graduate visa in Australia—is a key step in deciding their destination.
As student visa approval rates for many emerging markets dropped in early 2024—in Canada, two-thirds of all student populations had a lower study permit approval rate compared to full-year 2023—it’s clear prospective students and their advisors are also more aware of this potential stumbling block. Compared to the Fall 2023 survey, “visa processing times and/or approval rates” climbed by 13 percentage points.6
Key Takeaways
By gathering feedback from student recruitment professionals from over 40 countries, the ApplyBoard RP Pulse Survey remains a helpful check-in on the international education sector. We’d like to thank everyone who participated. Your insights help us understand how international education is changing in your community! By monitoring how students and student counsellors view different markets as well as the sector itself, we’re better equipped to proactively address challenges future students face.
Based on the results of this survey, it’s clear that changes throughout the sector have influenced students’ considerations and priorities. To best support prospective international students, academic institutions should consider the following:
- While interest in international study has rebounded slightly from our findings in Spring 2024, students continue to place a high value on factors like affordability and programs that lead to post-graduation work opportunities.
- As students consider an ever-growing list of potential destinations, be clear about why students should choose your institution. Transparency around tuition and other fees—and highlighting how your institution helps students strengthen their career skills—can help your team build trust with students even before they enrol.
- Changes to government policy can be hard to understand, even if you’re a local. Consider having a page on your institution’s website or pinned social media posts about the changes and how they affect future students.
Stay tuned to ApplyInsights—our Student Pulse Survey is underway and we’ll share the results later this fall.
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FOOTNOTES:
1. The Fall 2024 RP Pulse Survey ran from September 3, 2024 to September 17, 2024, and had 369 responses.
2. The previous two RP Pulse Surveys were conducted in March 2024 and October 2023.
3. “Big Four” destinations include the most popular countries for post-secondary education in English: Australia, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
4. The White House, “Beating the Forecasts: How the US Economy Defied Expectations.” September 17, 2024.
5. Malta University, “Study in Malta: Pros and Cons.” Accessed Sept. 2024.
6. In our most recent survey, we split “visa processing times” from “visa approval rates” for greater visibility into student motivations. As such, the 2024 survey result above is purely for “visa approval rates.” (Visa processing times were cited as a top-five concern by 12% of respondents.)
