Canada Overtakes US, UK & Australia as Top Study Destination, New Research Finds

Canada has become the most popular study destination for international students, according to a new study by IDP Connect, an education company focusing on student marketing and recruitment.

The “New Horizons” research conducted in late August and early September has involved 3,650 students from a total of 55 countries worldwide, Erudera.com reports.

39 percent of students participating in the study have mentioned Canada as their first choice for post-secondary studies, followed by 17 percent choosing the United States and the United Kingdom both, and 16 percent rating Australia as their first choice for higher education.

Furthermore, the study reveals that Canada is the most considered country to study for some 69 percent of students, followed by the UK, which was considered as a study destination for 48 percent of students and Australia and the US ranked third with 46 percent, each.

72 percent of students have chosen to move to Canada as they prioritize the ability to work part-time and study at the same time, 66 percent because of the tuition fees being affordable, whereas 64 percent due to cost of living.

At the same time, the research has found that 81 percent of international students want to pursue studies on campus, whereas 18 percent are comfortable pursuing their education online.

“Only 10 per cent of respondents say they will consider staying in their home country to complete a fully online-only study program,” the study noted.

Following the results, the CEO at IDP Connect, Simon Emmett, said that countries that offer students more opportunities for their investment in education will see a greater demand, pointing out also that students want to be clear about the value that they benefit from education in a particular country.

“The countries and institutions that can offer and communicate clear pathways to employment or migration will be most popular as the world continues to re-open from the pandemic,” Emmett said.

Meanwhile, the Director of External Relations, IDP Connect, Jonah Duffin, said that with the implementation of vaccine mandates and relaxation of restrictions, there may be more international students who would want to benefit from opportunities on and off-campus.

Canada, along with the United Kingdom, was even earlier ranked as the most popular study destination for international students, overtaking the United States.

According to surveys assembled by educations.com, an online platform informing potential students about study abroad options, other countries where international students considered to study were France, Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Sweden.