Over the past year, several countries welcomed record numbers of incoming international students. However, with increased interest comes fiercer competition, whether between students for popular programs or between destination markets to attract the brightest minds. Understanding the factors that drive today’s international students, from affordability to practical experience opportunities, can help institutions and destination markets attract tomorrow’s innovators.
This October marked the second edition of ApplyBoard’s Recruitment Partner (RP) Pulse Survey. ApplyBoard also launched its Student Pulse Survey, which twice invited (once in Spring and once in Fall) prospective students to share their views on studying abroad. Combined, these surveys can provide international education stakeholders with invaluable insights about student sentiment in order to drive strategic decisions.
How Did Student Perceptions of International Study Change in 2023?
Many respondents to ApplyBoard’s RP Pulse Survey noted that students continue to see education as a path to a brighter future, as shown in the chart below. However, the proportion of respondents reporting a decrease in the number of students interested in studying abroad rose by 10 percentage points from the 2022 RP Pulse Survey. This change is likely due to a range of factors.
In 2022, the percentage of counsellors seeing a significant increase in prospective international students was over 50%. This enthusiasm aligned with major sector shifts. For example, in the United States, the year-over-year growth rate of new international student enrollments hit a 40-year high in 2022–23.[1] It’s worth noting that the post-COVID boom likely played a role in this massive growth rate.
As the four major English-speaking study destination countries remain open, there are fewer obvious opportunities for dramatic increases in student interest. Amid ongoing global inflation and its impact on families worldwide, the affordability of international study may also be causing prospective students to take a closer look than ever at the cost of studying abroad.
Employment Top of Mind, Visa Processing Concerns Ease
The cost of studying remained the most important determining factor in the eyes of student counsellors and students. 86% of respondents selected it, up one percentage point from 2022. Cost of studying scored 15 percentage points higher than the next-highest factor. This emphasizes that, as in ApplyBoard’s survey last year, affordability remains a top student concern.
The second- and third-highest rated factors are also linked to finances, but speak directly to employability. 71% noted opportunities to work while studying were important. This option was a new addition to this year’s survey, and possible overlap between it and “post-graduation work opportunities” may contribute to why the latter option was chosen by 70% of respondents this year, but 80% last year.
63% of participants highlighted how important opportunities for permanent migration are to students. As such, it’s vital that destination markets and academic institutions promote clear avenues to permanent residency to current and prospective international students.
Visa processing times and approval rates were the option that changed the most dramatically from 2022 to 2023, and this rise in confidence may align with process improvements across the sector. For example, US student visa appointment wait times were the shortest they had been in two years in early 2023.
Interest in Health Programs Rises as Business Interest Falls
This year’s two Student Pulse Survey editions show shifting program interests among the world’s students. Although business maintained its position as the most popular program through 2023, other subjects, including health, saw increased attention.
23% of respondents to the Fall Pulse Survey indicated they were interested in studying health, an increase from 14% in Spring. It appears interest in business waned as health increased: only 36% of Fall respondents showed an interest in the field, compared to 47% earlier in the year. Still, the persistent popularity of business will be a trend worth watching in 2024.
This corresponds with internal ApplyBoard platform search data shared in ApplyBoard’s 2024 trends report. Student searches for health science programs ticked up from 11.5% of total share in 2022 to 11.9% in October 2023. But this rising interest still lags behind the swelling labour market demand, as the global shortage of health care workers is projected to persist through the next decade.
How Are Students’ Motivations for Studying Internationally Changing?
While governments and institutions attempt to woo prospective international students to their nations, the Student Pulse Survey showed historically motivating factors losing their influence over respondents.
Students viewed studies abroad with more nuance through the year. Every factor influencing students’ study abroad choices decreased in the “Extremely influential” category and increased in the “Very influential” category between Spring and Fall.
These findings may point to another variable becoming more salient, such as long-term earnings potential. This highlights institutions’ responsibility to explain how their programs’ costs will help students earn more in the future.
While it’s difficult to estimate if this is the start of a long-term trend, institutions, governments, and recruiters must nevertheless remain focused on creating accessible study abroad experiences for the world’s students. This means addressing local and international influences like rising housing prices and programs’ unique utility in regional job markets.
The Bottom Line
The ApplyBoard Pulse Surveys remain a useful tool for checking in on the international education sector. By monitoring how students and student counsellors view different markets as well as the sector itself, stakeholders are better equipped to gauge and address challenges in a timely and strategic manner with sector partners.
To drive continued connection with international students, academic institutions should consider the following:
This year’s survey results show that while interest in international study remains strong, students are placing a higher value on factors like affordability and programs that teach career-related skills. Highlight scholarships or financial aid open to international students, or unique work-integrated learning opportunities your institution offers. When connecting with future students, also speak about how international education can lead to more prestigious and in-demand career paths.
Destination markets that offer transparency about current costs of living while also providing robust post-graduation work opportunities will benefit from attracting—and retaining—top global talent.
Careful consideration of evolving program preferences must dictate recruitment strategy in 2024 and beyond. This requires flexibility in both the messaging and the execution of institutions’ offerings.
[1] The PIE News, US hosted over one million students last year. November 2023.
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