The number of international students enrolled in Maltese further and higher education in the 2023/24 academic year stood at 8,252 – representing 37% of all tertiary enrolments in the country, according to new data from Malta’s National Statistics office (NSO).
This represents a 27% increase in international enrolments year-on-year, the NSO said, with 21.9% being non-EU nationals at 15.1% from other EU countries.
Indian students saw the biggest increase year-on-year for tertiary international students, with numbers rocketing from 1,033 in 2022/23 to 2,378 in 2023/24 – a 130.2% increase.
Nigerian, French and Libyan student enrolments also saw notable gains, recording 97.3%, 48.9% and 27.1% increases respectively.
Raj Kapoor, senior director of international student recruitment at GEDU, told The PIE News that Malta’s growth in international student enrolments reflects its “growing appeal as a world-class study destination”.
He praised its welcoming environment, high-quality education delivered in English and EU-recognised qualifications – as well as a welcoming environment for international students and post-study work opportunities.
The small Mediterranean island’s post-study work visa offers graduates who stay in the country the chance to claim back up to 70% of their tuition fees if they secure a job within nine months of leaving a full-time university course.
At the Global Business School (GBS) Malta – which is part of GEDU – Kapoor said that there had been a “surge” in interest from across South and South East Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
“Students are drawn to Malta’s affordability, transparency, and strong career outcomes – with 98% of our 2025 graduates securing employment locally,” he said. “It’s a small country making a big impact in global education.”
Meanwhile, the NSO data showed the number of international enrolments in Maltese post-secondary institutions also increased year-on-year.
Some 1,808 post-secondary international students were enrolled in Malta in 2023/24, representing 17.4% of total students.
Again, those from non-EU countries made up the bulk of enrolments in this cohort, with Chinese, Filipino and Indian students leading the charge.
Students are drawn to Malta’s affordability, transparency, and strong career outcomes – with 98% of our 2025 graduates securing employment locally
Raj Kapoor, GEDU
Filipino (74.4%), Chinese (68.5%), and Polish (57.1%) enrolments saw the biggest percentage increases between 2022/23 and 2023/24.
And NSO data from April shows that Malta’s ELT sector is booming. The country’s warm climate, famous hospitality and proximity to mainland Europe have long made it a popular destination for students looking for English language courses.
In 2024, there were 80,946 students enrolled across 33 licensed ELT schools in Malta, and increase of 2,379 on the previous year.
The majority of these students hailed from Italy (24.9%), France (10.3%) and Germany (10.1%), with an overall 73.9% of students coming from an EU country.
