Canada remains a favourite choice for higher education despite new restrictions that impact international students.
ApplyBoard, an Ontario-based educational technology company that helps international students apply for post-secondary studies, published its Spring 2025 edition of the Student Pulse Survey, in which almost 850 students from 84 student markets were asked to share their thoughts on international education and the factors that shape their choices.
“Canada remained the most attractive destination among the students surveyed: 94 per cent of respondents showed some level of interest in studying in Canada,” reads the report.
Although students’ interest in studying in the U.S. remained high, it continued to rank as the second most popular choice, while Canada led the rankings “by weighted average.” Australia and the U.K. came in third, while Germany was in fourth place and Ireland was in fifth place.
ApplyBoard Student Pulse Survey – Spring 2024
The study notes that visa applications, housing, travel, and the rising cost of living continue to be primary concerns.
Rising costs have students considering other destinations, with Denmark, Finland, Nigeria, Italy, and the Netherlands becoming increasingly popular. Other alternative destinations include New Zealand and Japan.
International students undeterred by policy changes
Canada’s popularity might be surprising, considering several new policy changes and restrictions.
For example, in 2024, the government announced a 10 per cent cap on the number of new international student study permits issued in 2025, while students applying for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) must meet new language requirements.
After temporarily lifting the 20-hour-per-week off-campus work hours in 2022, students are limited to working off-campus up to 24 hours per week without a work permit.
According to the survey, just like Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and Australia have also introduced new measures that affect international students. However, the survey noted that student sentiment was “at least twice as positive as it was negative around how recent policy or government changes affected their desire to study in these destinations.”
ApplyBoard Student Pulse Survey – Spring 2025
Despite these changes, 30 per cent of participants said their interest in Canada has “greatly increased,” and 18 per cent said their interest has “increased somewhat,” while 29 per cent noted “no change” in their desire to study in Canada.
Sixteen per cent said their interest “slightly decreased,” while a mere 7.6 per cent of participants said their interest in studying in Canada “greatly decreased” due to policy changes.
“In arguably good news for the sector, surveyed students’ desire to study abroad remained strong despite ongoing policy changes and recent elections over the past year in top Anglophone study destinations,” reads the survey.
