2023 was a monumental year for international education. Destination countries (both familiar and emerging) grew in popularity, several policy adjustments impacted student choices, and student priorities shifted along the way.
We covered all of these topics and more in an effort to provide you with a top-down view of the landscape of international education. But before we get into what will shape 2024, we want to look back at some of the pivotal trends that made 2023 what it was.
Read on to dig into some of the year’s most important stories, as we cover the progress, innovations, and roadblocks that have defined the past 12 months.
Key Insights at a Glance
- The impact of the UK’s decision to restrict many postgraduate students from bringing dependants with them to the country was already being felt in Q3, with study visas issued to Indian and Nigerian students down 13% and 26% from Q3 2022, respectively.1
- ApplyBoard’s Recruitment Partner and Student Pulse Surveys indicate students are increasingly prioritizing employment and finances.
- Student interest in health-related fields is increasing while interest in business programs may be on the decline.
- Technology, Software engineering, computing and IT is the most popular subcategory on the ApplyBoard platform, and should continue its rise in 2024.
UK Limits Ability of Students to Bring Dependants with Them
Perhaps the most impactful policy change of the year was made by the UK government, which announced in May that it would begin to limit the ability of international students to bring dependants into the country with them.
This decision impacted students from all over the world, but eyes were firmly on India and Nigeria following the announcement. Nigerians and Indians brought more dependents into the country on student visas than any other countries in 2023.2 So, their response to this policy change will be a concrete indicator of the long-term fallout for the UK’s international education sector.
We now have Q3 2023 data, which we can directly compare to Q3 in the years prior to the announcement, allowing us to analyze the impact of this decision so far:
Given that India and Nigeria were the largest and third-largest sources of international students in the UK in 2022/23, applications from these nations have the power to sway overall numbers in the UK by a significant amount. If not being able to bring family along with them is non-negotiable for Nigerian students, we could see overall application numbers decline by a large percentage.
Nigeria and India accounted for 73% of dependants issued a UK study visa in 2023 (Q1-Q3).
While this is unfortunate news for some UK institutions, other destination markets are about to be presented with a big recruitment opportunity. Our analysis indicates that US universities may find strategic recruitment opportunities in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Australia could see more students from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, and Nepal.
In Canada, expect a significant influx of international students with dependants by 2024, particularly from top source markets like India, Nigeria, and Nepal.
However, Canada currently grapples with a noteworthy challenge – a substantial decline in Indian student enrollment over the past few months. This decline poses a potential block to the anticipated increase in dependants of Indian students in the country. If this trend persists, the projected surge in the number of dependants may fall short of expectations.
Search Data Teaches Us Plenty About Student Preferences
2023 was a year marked by a commitment to understanding our students better. We spent a lot of time looking through our own data to learn what motivates our students. We dedicated efforts to understanding the alignment between international students’ study interests and the demands of the job market. Our exploration also unveiled intriguing patterns, such as the preferences of certain nationalities for specific subjects.
A common denominator in our process is the pursuit of outliers. Data points that are radically different, which tell a story about a certain group of students. Here are three of the most interesting outliers we found in our own data this year. For the rest, check out our full coverage.
Bangladeshi Students Dominate Computer Science Searches
When we scraped the ApplyBoard platform’s internal data for our science search filters, we were on the lookout for figures that made a certain market stand out for its interest in a particular sub-category.
We analyzed the data from the top 10 markets by search volume within the sciences subject filter in 2022 and compared each country’s market share of sub-category searches to that of all markets. Then, we ranked them by the largest disparities.
Here’s what we found:
In 2022, computer science became the top choice for students in Bangladesh, surpassing all other nationalities. Throughout the year, 28% of all searches in the field of sciences were related to computer science programs. 53% of Bangladeshi searches were for computer science. Pakistani students also demonstrated a higher-than-average interest in computer science, with 38% of their 2022 searches falling within this specific sub-category.
For institutions aiming to attract more international students to their computer science programs, our data suggests that students from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal are excellent prospects for admission teams. Investing in targeted recruitment efforts in these areas could yield positive results for institutions.
Software Engineering the #1 Subject on the ApplyBoard Platform
Technology, software engineering, computer programming and IT was the most-searched subject on the ApplyBoard platform in 2023. The following chart ranks the search distribution of all searches within the engineering and technology category through September of this year.
Over the past two years, technology, software engineering, computer programming, and IT has dominated searches in this category. In 2023, 46% of all engineering and technology searches focused on this subcategory, a slight increase from 45% in 2022.
This not only makes technology-related fields the top choice in engineering and technology but also the most sought-after subcategory across the entire ApplyBoard platform. In 2023, 12% of all searches on ApplyBoard were for technology, software engineering, computer programming, and IT, surpassing the second most popular subcategory, management and administration, by 4 percentage points.
The terms “computer” and “IT” ranked among the top six most popular search terms on the ApplyBoard platform in 2022, indicating a strong likelihood of continued growth for this subcategory.
Students Commonly Refused Visa Due to Intentions to Stay in Canada
The most frequent reason a Canadian student visa application was rejected in 2021 and 2022 was the applicant’s inability to convince the Canadian government that the applicant would leave the country after completing their studies, based on the purpose of their visit.
94% of Indian applicants who were denied a study permit during this period faced rejection at least partially due to the purpose of their visit.3 92% of Iranian applicants encountered refusals for the same reason.
Applicants from Bangladesh, the Philippines, Algeria, Pakistan, and China also experienced higher-than-average rates of refusal on these grounds. Individuals from these countries aspiring to study in Canada should pay close attention to crafting a compelling statement of purpose for their study permit application.
But, the frequency of this refusal reason leaves questions on the table. 70% of respondents to ApplyBoard’s Recruitment Partner Pulse Survey said post-graduation work opportunities factor into a student’s study location preference. Despite many institutions promoting post-graduation work opportunities, there is clear misalignment between this messaging and application guidelines.
However, Canada is taking steps to address this disconnect, by revising revised dual intent instructions for immigration officers earlier this year. Now, different intentions after graduation are instructed to be viewed as complementary rather than contradictory, and Canadian work experience is a strong indicator of successful settlement. We’ll closely monitor this data in the new year to see what kind of impact this revision will have.
RP and Student Surveys Inform How International Education is Evolving
In addition to distributing our second annual Recruitment Partner Pulse Survey in 2023, we also launched our Student Pulse Survey to understand what students are thinking. Between both surveys, we learned a lot about program interests, students’ preferred destinations, labour market awareness, and much more.
Here are some of the highlights:
Program Interests Shift: Health Gains, Business Declines
Despite maintaining its position as the most popular program in 2023, business experienced a decline in interest, while other fields, notably health, saw a rise.
23% of respondents to the Fall edition of our Student Pulse Survey expressed interest in health studies, up from 14% in our inaugural Spring edition. Conversely, business interest declined, with only 36% of Fall respondents interested in business, compared to 47% earlier in the year.
This may suggest that students are becoming more aware of job market needs than ever before. For instance, job vacancies in Canada’s health care and social assistance sector surged nearly fourfold from 2015 to 2022.4 Additionally, there’s a projected global shortage of health care workers expected to persist over the next decade.5
Finances and Employability Top of Mind for Students
The cost of studying remains the top concern for student counsellors and students, with 86% of RPs choosing cost as one of their students’ top five priorities when considering where to study, a slight increase from 2022.
The second and third highest-rated factors focus on employability. 71% prioritize opportunities to work while studying while 63% of participants stress the significance of opportunities for permanent migration, emphasizing the need for destination markets and academic institutions to promote clear pathways to permanent residency.
This is crucial for bringing diverse perspectives after graduation, fostering innovation, inclusion, and maintaining a robust local workforce amid aging populations.
As living expenses increase, destinations can boost confidence by adjusting the required minimum funds students must bring to their study country, as Canada recently did. Although this might initially seem discouraging, it can ultimately result in a more self-assured student population that is financially ready for their journey.
2024 Coverage Plans
From shifting policies to shifting student priorities, 2023 brought myriad changes that transformed what international education looks like. At ApplyInsights we’re committed to covering these changes in detail, providing you with our in-depth analysis and predictions.
With upcoming elections, pending policy adjustments, and the emergence of even more options for international students, we’re excited to continue delivering comprehensive coverage of the events that shape our sector in 2024.
Want to be even more plugged in to the happenings of international education? Follow ApplyBoard on LinkedIn and YouTube. And for commentary on how latest policy shifts in our major destination markets impact both institutions and students, follow ApplyBoard’s Co-Founder and CEO, Meti Basiri, on LinkedIn.
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FOOTNOTES:
1. The UK Government’s policy change takes effect January 1, 2024. This policy shift only impacts students studying at the postgraduate level.
2. All UK data courtesy of the UK Home Office.
3. Canadian immigration officials may cite any number of reasons for refusing a study permit, and frequently cite more than one reason for a given application.
4. Canadian data courtesy of Statistics Canada, adjusted for seasonality.
5. World Health Organization, Health Workforce.
