Canada rebounds, beats U.S. as international students' favourite destination
Canada has bounced back as a top destination for international students, surpassing the U.S. despite stricter immigration policies.
Experts report that Canada remains one of the most popular destinations for international students, according to ApplyBoard’s latest Fall 2025 Recruitment Partner Pulse Survey.
To find out about changing trends, ApplyBoard, an Ontario-based educational technology company which helps international students apply for post-secondary studies, surveyed nearly 400 student recruitment professionals worldwide. Respondents shared insights on how policy changes influenced interest levels. They also discussed changes in student enrollment trends and the key factors driving students’ decisions.
@mcgillu/Instagram
“The past two years have been marked by changes to the international education landscape, yet study abroad demand remains high,” reads the survey. Interest continues to rise, and over 20 percent of respondents reported working with “significantly more students.”
So, which destinations are students choosing?
According to respondents, there is a growing interest in alternative destinations, with New Zealand leading the way. However, interest in the Big Four — Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and Australia — hasn’t waned.
“In Fall 2025, the U.K. remained the most attractive destination, and Canada climbed to the second-highest spot,” reads the survey. The U.S., which was the number one choice in 2024, has fallen to the third spot.
Forty-two per cent of respondents said that Canada remains a “very attractive” choice for students. Although Canada has risen in the rankings, there are signs that the country’s stricter policies may have had an effect on students’ perception.
The survey states, “This fall, perception of Canada improved by three percentage points to 74 per cent attractiveness compared to the Spring 2024 survey, although this remained down six percentage points versus results from a year ago.”
@torontomet/Instagram
Affordability remains a key factor for students, with 90 per cent of recruiters citing it as their top priority. In terms of cost, 77 per cent identified Germany as the most affordable destination, followed by 69 per cent who chose Ireland, and 67 per cent who picked Canada.
Recruitment professionals were also asked to rank countries based on how open, safe, and welcoming they perceive them to be for international students. A total of 84 per cent agreed that Canada is a safe and welcoming place for students.
“In general, outlooks on Australia, Canada, Ireland, Germany, and the U.K. were comparatively stable,” reads the survey.
However, the same can’t be said for the U.S.
Only 50 per cent said that the U.S. is “an open, safe, and welcoming destination for international students” — a drop of nearly 28 per cent compared to the previous year.
What are your thoughts on these results? Let us know in the comments.