The steady rise in the number of students opting to study abroad has occurred as the world becomes more interconnected.
Popular study abroad destinations have always been in competition to attract and retain the best global talent. Changes to the global economy, labour market and international student populations around the world have led to increased competitiveness in the international education sector, especially in English-speaking countries, such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia.
What is it that students are looking for when they choose to study abroad? And how can countries and institutions better support student success? In order to better comprehend student needs, ApplyBoard recently published a trends report titled, “A New Era of Student Choice Begins”.
The report leverages the latest data to identify what drives student success.
What Do Students Want
International education trends are shaped by the major factors that influence a student’s decision-making process. According to our ApplyBoard Pulse Survey, counsellors shared that cost of studying, access to post-graduation work options and the cost of living are the top concerns for international students.
One of the most crucial considerations for students when deciding where to study abroad is affordability. Survey results have shown that 85% of recruitment partners surveyed indicated the cost of studying is the top concern for students.
Data from user searches on ApplyBoard Platform also support this. Two out of every three students on the platform searched for tuition fees below 50,000 per year. This is less than what students were searching for our platform before the pandemic started.
Increased work opportunities provide a more fulsome study abroad experience building future employability while offering more exposure to new skills and training. According to the ApplyBoard Pulse Survey, counsellors agreed that post-graduation work opportunities are the second most important factor.
We’re seeing many announcements related to work opportunities for international students: the US recently announced additional post-graduate work opportunities as part of the Optional Practical Training program, Australia updated its post-study work program to include more years and Canada lifted restrictions around the number of hours an international student is permitted to work weekly.
“We’re seeing many announcements related to work opportunities for international students”
This proves that several destinations are continuing to listen to what students want, in order to maintain their competitive edge.
Popular study abroad destinations are vying for the greatest talent, and in order to stay ahead of the curve, it is crucial for them to understand student priorities and needs. We have released this trends report to reflect on the challenges that students are facing and how popular study abroad destinations can help them feel more supported, secure and maintain an optimistic outlook on their future.
A destination’s ability to attract students will increase if they are more welcoming and supportive to international students especially, when it comes to things like work opportunities, visa processing and affordability.
About the author: This is a sponsored article from Meti Basiri, co-founder of ApplyBoard. The full “A New Era of Student Choice Begins” trends report is available here.
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