Shifting government policies have contributed to a lull in international enrollment globally, but perhaps no more than in Canada and the U.S. New destinations may be emerging as top contenders in the global learning market.
That’s according to the latest survey from Studyportals, the popular study choice platform offering near real-time data from over 3,500 institutions worldwide. Nearly 250 institutions from 48 countries participated, providing input on their international enrollment, current obstacles and one-year forecast for the sector.
The most institutions to have participated from any given country hail from the United States, with 92.
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Over a third (34%) of all institutions reported a decline in international enrollment over the last year at the postgraduate level, which contains the most significant pool of international students. The sharpest declines were reported across some of the most prominent destinations for global studies, including Canada, Australia and the U.S. In the U.S. specifically, 43% of institutions reported a decline in postgraduate enrollment.
Enrollment in bachelor’s degree programs was essentially flat in the U.S. and most European countries. However, it dropped by a third in Canada.
The Global Enrolment Benchmark Survey was completed in collaboration with NASFA, which serves more than 10,000 members and international educators from more than 4,300 institutions in more than 170 countries, and the Oxford Test of English.
How U.S. policy is affecting international enrollment
About two-thirds (62%) of all respondents said restrictive government policies and roadblocks for students obtaining visas are significant issues for international enrollment. The U.S. and Canada reported above-average rates at 70% and 93%, respectively.
“Recent and rapid changes in political discourse and policy under President Trump’s administration—including funding threats and shifts in diversity and free speech regulations—are impacting enrolments,” the report read.
Similarly, there was a sharp drop in student interest for programs in the U.S. on Studyportals, which began last year, contributed to the enrollment dip, the report found. The U.S. has lost 36% of its market share of total student interest since January 5—the day before Donald Trump was confirmed as president.
While some experts believe the Trump administration’s actions are pushing students away from the U.S., others view it as a short-term hiccup for this country’s long-revered history as a top destination for higher education globally.
“The administration claims that they want to look out for what’s in the best interest of our country, and that’s a $44 billion industry that creates 379,000 jobs,” says Dave Saben, CEO of Via, a travel management software for higher education. “It really wouldn’t make solid, economic sense” to jeopardize that.
Who can fill the power vacuum?
The United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia are considered the “Big Four” for their solid rates of international enrollment. Of the group, the United Kingdom was the only one to experience higher postgraduate enrollment rates over the last year.
Similarly, student interest in the U.K. has increased alongside decreasing rates in the U.S.
Other countries poised to earn a bigger market share are Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Moreover, relative interest in France, Austria, Ireland and Spain has surged between 20 and 30% over the past year.
“It is really about the ‘Big Ten’ now,” Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of NAFSA, said in a statement. “If higher education leaders and policymakers fail to act, they risk losing not just talent, but also the innovation, research, and economic vitality that international students generate.”
