In our 2025 Trends Report, we highlighted that international students have more study destination options than ever before. The “Big Four” Anglophone markets—Australia, Canada, the US, and the UK—faced more competition to attract international students last year, with established and emerging destinations in Europe and Asia positioning themselves as attractive, welcoming alternatives.
This shift was also evident in our 2024 Fall Student Pulse Survey. Our results revealed that one in every three respondents were considering an alternative destination in addition to the “Big Four.”
With this in mind, we’re turning to the 2024 update from Project Atlas. Project Atlas, a global research initiative studying post-secondary student migration, is the leading authority on global student mobility statistics. Where are students choosing to study in the post-pandemic landscape? Read on to find out the top trends from Project Atlas’s 2024 reporting year.
Key Insights at a Glance
- 45% of international students studied in one of the “Big Four” Anglophone destinations according to Project Atlas’ 2024 report, a decrease of two percentage points from 2020.
- The five destination countries with the highest year-over-year growth rate for the 2024 reporting year were New Zealand, Poland, Mexico, Chile, and Spain.
- Inbound post-secondary students to Chile have grown 450% since Project Atlas’ 2019 report.
From the outset, it’s important to highlight that Project Atlas data is by reporting year, not calendar year.1 This can create some inconsistencies with the data, especially when comparing data between different countries.2
Top International Destinations in the Post-Pandemic Landscape
Project Atlas’ 2024 report shows that 6.9 million international students pursued tertiary studies in 2022—an 8% year-over-year increase—demonstrating the continued growth of global student mobility in international education.
In their 2020 report, Project Atlas outlined that 47% of international students pursued education in one of the “Big Four” Anglophone countries. Four years later, this was down to 45%:
That two percentage point shift is reflected in the growth of destinations comprising “all others”. Inbound students to these alternative destinations grew from 34% to 36% over this period. While 2% may not seem like a lot, it is reflective of hundreds of thousands of international students.
Expect this trend to accelerate once reporting year 2025 data is released. Due to lagging data, the 2024 report shows significant growth in enrolments across Canada, Australia, and the UK. However, more timely data indicates these destinations trended downward during the 2024 calendar year. And with destinations across Europe and Asia expanding their student offerings, destinations outside the “Big Four” are likely to gain an even larger share of international student interest as the reporting years catch up to the present-day shifts.
Top Five Fastest-Growing Destinations for Post-Secondary International Students
As policy changes reshaped the international education landscape throughout 2024, one question stood out: where are post-secondary students heading beyond Australia, Canada, the US, and the UK? Despite the differences in per country data reporting, Project Atlas provides us a key roadmap to answering this question.
The table below highlights the five fastest-growing destination countries according to Project Atlas’ 2024 report:3
New Zealand led the pack with a striking 49% year-over-year growth, setting the pace for international education’s shifting landscape. Poland followed with a solid 23% increase, while Mexico (+16%) and Chile (+12%) continued to cement their positions as rising destinations. Spain’s 10% growth may round out the top five, but its steady climb signals increasing momentum in Southern Europe’s appeal to international students.
What stands out is the diverse representation of regions globally, with the top five including Oceania, Central Europe, Southern Europe, and Latin America (LATAM). Let’s dive deeper into some of the trends in each of these countries.
New Zealand’s Comeback as a Popular Destination
Per Project Atlas, New Zealand had 36,500 inbound post-secondary students in the 2024 reporting year:
The 49% growth of inbound students observed over the last reporting year was an encouraging reversal of a downward trend that occurred from 2020 to 2023. And recent news suggests this positive momentum will continue into future reporting years. In December 2024, the Honorable Penny Simmonds shared that total enrolments between January and August of that year had already surpassed full-year 2023 total, with universities coming within 7% of pre-pandemic levels.
Another reason to expect further positive momentum in future years is New Zealand’s commitment to expanding its international education sector. In August 2024, Education New Zealand (ENZ) set a target of 100,000 international enrolments by 2027.4 ENZ also launched a “mixed reality” tool designed to provide immersive experiences for prospective students. And as we explored in the 2025 Trends Report, the destinations and institutions that embrace the digital wave will be the ones to thrive as artificial intelligence further shapes the future of education.
Although New Zealand student visa application fees doubled in October 2024, they remained over 50% lower than Australia’s.5
Poland’s Ascent in Central European Education
Amid shifting student mobility patterns in Central Europe, Poland joined the 100,000 inbound post-secondary students club in the 2024 Project Atlas report:6
Poland’s two largest international student populations come from Ukraine and Belarus. As such, it’s unsurprising to see a significant increase of inbound students from these countries following the war in Ukraine.
In the 2022 reporting year, 38,500 Ukrainian students and 9,700 Belarusian students pursued education in Poland. Two reporting years later, the number of inbound students grew to 48,000 and 12,000, respectively. That’s a growth of 25% in Ukrainian students and 23% in Belarusian students over the two year period.7
We also expect to see Poland accelerate its Indian student enrolment in coming years. In July 2024, India’s Polish embassy introduced a new system for Indian students to submit their study visa applications.8 This simplified process should help simplify visa processing for Indian students, potentially boosting student interest and applications.
In August 2024, the Polish government announced that it would not be issuing study visas to international students without high school diploma verification.9 This decision was made to help bolster the graduation rate, which previous reports cited as 37% for international students over the past decade.
Mexico’s Rise as a LATAM Student Hub
Mexico has quickly become a leading destination country in LATAM, trailing only Argentina in inbound students in reporting year 2024:10
Nearly 62,200 international students pursued their education in Mexico in the 2024 reporting year, an increase of 16% year-over-year. Mexico attracted 25,300 students from the US in the reporting year 2024, up 18% over the previous period. And over 20,900 students from across South America pursued education in Mexico in 2024, 13% more than in 2023.11
With the right infrastructure investments and strategic recruitment, Mexico could significantly expand its capacity to host more international students. That’s because, in reporting years 2023 and 2024, international students made up just 1% of Mexico’s higher education population. For comparison, competitor Argentina increased its proportion of international students in higher ed from 4% to 5% over this period.
Chile’s Booming Growth in International Enrolment
Like Mexico, Chile is a fast-rising LATAM destination with the potential to continue expanding student capacity:12
Over the last five reporting years, inbound post-secondary students to Chile have grown 450%. A major contributor to this increase is Chile’s booming Venezuelan student population. Since 2019, Venezuela has risen from Chile’s fourth-largest international cohort to its largest. Over 5,900 Venezuelan students pursued an education in Chile during the 2024 reporting year, representing a staggering 1,300% growth over five years.
This surge highlights Chile’s growing appeal as a destination for international education. Indeed, Chile attracted large numbers of students from across Latin America according to Project Atlas’ 2024 report, including from Peru (4,980 students), Colombia (3,790), Bolivia (1,920), and Ecuador (1,750).
Spain’s Surge as a Southern European Hotspot
Spain is on the rise as one of Europe’s fastest-growing destinations, even as it competes with giants like the UK, France, and Germany:
Spain is a growing hub of international education for students from across many European countries. According to Project Atlas’ 2024 report, student populations from France (17,950) and Italy (16,450) led the way, followed by students from the US (9,260) and Germany (9,240). In addition, Spanish institutions have benefitted from rising student mobility in Spanish-speaking countries in the Americas, attracting over 9,000 Colombian students in the reporting year 2024.
Additionally, during the summer of 2024, Indian and Spanish universities signed an agreement to promote collaboration between higher education institutions in the two countries.13 If this collaboration enhances Spain’s appeal among Indian students, it could significantly accelerate growth in international enrolments given the larger number of Indian students who study abroad every year.
Looking Ahead
The data from Project Atlas’ 2024 report reflects the evolving nature of international education and the increasing competitiveness among destination countries. While the “Big Four” Anglophone markets continue to attract the largest share of international students, the rising prominence of countries such as New Zealand, Poland, Mexico, Chile, and Spain signals a diversification of options for global learners.
This shift emphasizes the role of policy, infrastructure investment, and international partnerships in driving student mobility. Destinations that actively address affordability, accessibility, and digital transformation will be well-positioned to capture growing demand in the years ahead. By staying attuned to these trends and aligning strategies with evolving student priorities, institutions and governments can continue to foster growth in international education on a global scale.
As highlighted in our 2025 Trends Report, the evolving landscape of global student mobility calls for greater adaptability from institutions in established destination markets. With international students increasingly exploring alternatives beyond the “Big Four,” institutions must refine their recruitment strategies, enhance student experiences, and address evolving policy environments to remain competitive. By aligning with changing student priorities and emphasizing long-term value, institutions can better position themselves to attract and retain international talent in this shifting landscape.
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FOOTNOTES:
1. Project Atlas data is provided by in-country partners involved in the international education sector, including government departments and NGOs, on a voluntary basis. As a result, data is not available for all countries for all years. Additionally, each country calculates post-secondary student numbers using different methodologies, meaning it is not possible to uniformly compare data from all countries. Despite these challenges, Project Atlas is one of the few global initiatives to provide clarity into global student flows.
2. For example, the 2024 data release shows 1.1 million international students in the US. This aligns with the 2023/24 Open Doors data, released in November 2024, which includes both enrolled students and those working in OPT programs. But Project Atlas’s figure of 367,578 students in Germany aligns with Germany’s 2022/23 winter semester enrolments, despite 2023/24 winter semester enrolments also releasing in November 2024.
3. Note that the Project Atlas infographic shows Russia hosted 14% more international students in reporting year 2024 compared to the previous year. This would make Russia the fourth fastest-growing destination outside of the “Big Four.” However, this figure comes from UNESCO, whereas the rest of the data comes from a Project Atlas Partner. Due to this, in the interest of consistency, we’ve omitted Russia from the table.
4. ICEF, New Zealand aims to double [sic] value of education exports by 2027. August 2027.
5. ICEF, New Zealand will double student visa fees as of October 2024. August 2024.
6. Earliest available data on Project Atlas about inbound students to Poland is for reporting year 2019.
7. Note that much of this growth took place in the 2023 reporting year. From reporting years 2022 to 2023, the number of students from these two countries grew by nearly 11,700, alongside year-over-year increases from most other top source countries. However, the overall total for 2023 reflects an increase of just 1,200 inbound students. Without more detailed access to Project Atlas’s data, it’s unclear why significant growth at the country level isn’t mirrored in the aggregate total. For this reason, we believe comparing reporting years 2022 to 2024 offers a more accurate reflection of broader trends..
8. The PIE, Indian students can now apply online for study visas to Poland. July 2024.
9. The PIE, Poland tightens visa rules amid enrolment concerns. August 2024.
10. Note that the missing data for reporting years 2016, and 2018–2020, are due to lack of data availability from Project Atlas.
11. In the Project Atlas 2024 infographic, Mexico is the only destination country with inbound students listed by region—South America, Central America, Europe—rather than by individual country. Additionally, the top places of origin dashboard appears to return incorrect data. For example, it shows only 192 inbound students from the US for reporting year 2023, compared to 21,395 in that year’s infographic.
12. Note that data from the Project Atlas 2024 infographic and its associated partner data page does not match. For example, for reporting year 2024, the infographic shows 22,360 inbound students while the partner data page shows 43,000. We have referred to the infographic data here as it aligns more closely to data from other external sources: Chile’s ministry of education hosts an OECD article that says international students in Chile reached 10,300 in 2019, which aligns closely with Project Atlas’s reporting year 2020.
13. The PIE, Indian and Spanish unis sign agreement on international collab. July 2024.
