What were the top student concerns when it came to studying internationally in 2022? How does a destination market’s reputation for offering students safety, affordability, and post-graduate work opportunities compare against its competitors’?
The ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 Pulse Survey seeks to answer these questions and more. In October, we reached out to our network of student counsellors to get a pulse on the international education sector. Over 900 student counsellors responded, representing over 60 countries. The results help provide valuable insights into the top concerns of prospective international students, as well as illuminate how students and counsellors alike view destination markets and institutions.
Key Insights at a Glance
- The top three student concerns in 2022 related to affordability.
- 83% of respondents saw an increase in student interest studying abroad over the previous three months.
- 98% of counsellors strongly agreed or agreed that Canada offers students strong post-graduation work opportunities.
Affordability the Top Student Concern
As we highlighted in ÌìÃÀÂ鶹’s second annual trends report, affordability issues dominated the concerns of prospective students:
85% of respondents cited cost of studying as a student concern when choosing where to study, making this the most commonly occurring concern. Post-graduation work opportunities (80%) and cost of living (73%) rounded out the top three. All three of these top responses relate to affordability and return on investment. As highlighted in the 2023 trends report, these results are unsurprising. High inflation and rising interest rates led financial news around the world throughout 2022, and a global recession looms over 2023.1
Visa processing times and approval rates also rated highly as a student concern, with a 66% response rate. A steep drop followed these four concerns. A destination’s reputation as welcoming to international students was the fifth most common response with 31%, a difference of 35 percentage points from the visa processing times response rate.
Canada Viewed as Most Affordable Destination Market
If affordability is the biggest concern for prospective students, what’s the reputation of each major English-speaking destination in terms of affordability?
Canada has a clear reputation advantage over the other three major English-speaking destination markets as being affordable. 87% of respondents either strongly agreed or agreed that Canada is affordable for international students. No other destination market topped 70%. Canadian institutions should consider leveraging this reputation in their recruiting strategies for top student talent, particularly those in low-cost-of-living areas such as the Prairies and the Atlantic provinces.
Were Students More or Less Interested in International Study in 2022?
With affordability topping student concerns in 2022, have prospective students grown more hesitant to study internationally? The chart below shows surprising results:
Despite the macroeconomic conditions, prospective students grew more interested in studying internationally during the summer of 2022. 83% of counsellors responded that they’ve seen a significant or moderate increase in the number of students interested in studying abroad. This aligns with the Institute of International Education’s released in June, in which 65% of responding American institutions reported an increase in applications for the 2022/23 academic year.
This increased interest speaks volumes about the opportunities and career progression offered through international study. All four major English-speaking destination markets received high rates of positive responses about their post-graduation work opportunities:
At least 72% of counsellors strongly agreed or agreed that Canada, Australia, the UK, and the US provide international students strong opportunities to work after graduation. Canada had the highest positive response rate of these four countries at 98%, followed by Australia (83%), the UK (78%), and the US (72%). Check out our trends report for a deep dive into each market’s post-graduation work opportunities.
United States Trails Competitors for Reputation as Welcoming and Safe for Students
The four major English-speaking destination countries all have strong reputations as being welcoming to, and safe for, international students. At least 76% of counsellors responded that they either strongly agreed or agreed destinations were welcoming and safe. While the reputations are positive all round, separation exists among the four countries:
Canada and the UK had the strongest reputation as being open and welcoming to students. Both countries received a positive response rate of 91%. Australia was next at 83%, while the US was at 76%. Canada separates itself as the top destination market for student safety, as over 96% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that the Great White North was safe and stable for students. Next was the UK (88%), followed by Australia (86%) and the US (77%).
But 2023 could be a year for the US sector to make positive strides. The US dollar reached generational strength in 2022. As we highlighted in our deep dive of the latest US enrollment data, leveraging the strong USD to invest in student support networks like building more affordable housing, meal plans, and career services would help the US sector build bridges with prospective students around the world and grow its reputation as a student-oriented market.
Looking Forward
The ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 Pulse Survey is a useful tool for checking in on the international education sector. With over 900 respondents representing more than 60 countries, it helps take a pulse on how students and student counsellors view destination markets.
The results from this October 2022 survey show that affordability reigns supreme among student concerns. And these concerns will likely grow in 2023 with a recession looming over the global economy. The destination markets that can offer the most support for students could secure a competitive advantage in attracting top talent in the coming years.
Institutions could also shore up recruitment strategies with these affordability concerns in mind. With cost remaining a huge factor for prospective students, schools should be stressing the value of an education from their programs and what unique institutional factors will help students succeed and gain employment after graduation.
Stay tuned to ApplyInsights, as we’ll run the survey again in the spring.
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