According to IDP Education’s sixth edition of Emerging Futures research, which includes views of over 6,000 students from 114 different countries, 66% of respondents are considering more than one country to study in or receive their qualifications from, the highest in recent years.
It highlighted that 62% of the students would change their preferred study destination if they could apply for a post-study visa.
The data further indicated that needing fewer savings to be eligible for a student visa (58% of respondents) or being able to access cheaper visa fees (57% of respondents) could also lead to students choosing specific destinations over others.
Opportunity to gain permanent residency also features among the top priorities for international students, with 43% of students keeping it at the forefront of their mind when choosing where to study.
With Canada and Australia limiting their numbers of international students and imposing restrictions on post-study work rights, students are considering more countries as possible destinations.
Speaking on the release of the data, launched at the 2024 AIEC conference in Melbourne, IDP’s director of partnerships and external relations Joanna Storti highlighted the importance of such data at this critical time.
“Emerging Futures is focused on equipping the sector and policy makers with informed insights to offer exceptional global education experiences that’s aligned with student demand,” said Storti.
But Emerging Futures is also all about providing the voice of the student, she highlighted. It examines their attitudes, their motivations, and the intentions for where they choose to study.
“I think probably never before has listening to our students, our customers, been so vitally important. We know there’s so much change. It’s all we’re talking about since we arrived at AIEC, all the change that is amongst us, all these certain uncertainty at the moment that’s facing our sector. And we can just imagine what that means for students.”
Storti is therefore encouraging the conference’s 1,800 delegates to “lean in and listen” to students.
“There’s so much uncertainty and change facing them right now and they don’t really get a vote really on any of it. They don’t get to vote on what’s happening in the policy space. And so this research really endeavours to shed a light on how they’re responding and what they’re doing in light of these changes.”
Simon Emmett, IDP Connect CEO commented: “In an environment of unstable policy settings, we are seeing 66% of students consider more than one destination, indicating they are widening their options as they strive for certainty.”
According to Emmett, policy changes in Australia, Canada, and the UK are also driving more students to the US, which has better perceptions of quality, value for money, and graduate employment opportunities.
While 24% and 23% of the respondents respectively chose Australia and the US as their preferred destinations, only the US has seen a positive growth (4%) among the big four compared to last year.
In an environment of unstable policy settings, we are seeing 66 percent of students consider more than one destination, indicating they are widening their options as they strive for certainty
Simon Emmett, IDP Connect
New Zealand is also seeing continued growth, with 5% of international students choosing the country as a first-choice destination.
Moreover, 11% of the students are considering alternative destinations, a 6% growth from last year.
Another significant highlight of the research was how bringing dependents or family members and finding work opportunities for them were essential to international students.
While 48% of all students surveyed revealed that they would be willing to change study destinations based on work opportunities for dependents and spouses, over 55% of students consider it a top priority while choosing a study destination.
The importance of allowing students to bring their dependents with them is significant, especially considering the UK has implemented major restrictions on non-PhD students bringing family members or spouses with them.
For the first time, Emerging Futures has included data on students who have decided not to pursue their studies.
When asked about their reasons for discontinuing their international education, nearly half (49%) cited the high cost of tuition, while 35% pointed to the rising cost of living as a significant factor.
Nearly 65% of the students have problems availing of a student visa, while another 14% see study options in their home country as more appealing compared to before.
Canada recorded the highest rate of “decliners”, who originally intended to study there, followed by Australia.
However, of those students putting their plans on hold, almost half (47%) would reconsider their global study plans in the next two years.
According to the IDP study, most of these students are at the postgraduate or vocational level of study, with undergraduate and pathway students less likely to pursue education abroad.
