Where Students Applied in 2025 — and What This Means for 2026 Applicants

Until recently, choosing a country for studying abroad — if not entirely obvious — was at least relatively predictable. The majority of international students gravitated toward the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, or Australia.

In 2025, however, the landscape changed significantly. Stricter immigration and visa policies, combined with rising tuition fees and living costs, have led to a redistribution of global student flows. Europe and Asia are strengthening their positions, while traditional destination countries are increasingly facing declining interest from international applicants.

The Middle East deserves special attention — especially the UAE, which in 2025 is demonstrating one of the fastest rates of growth in interest among international students and is gradually becoming an independent global educational hub.

In this article, we review the key developments of 2025, analyse how the geography of international student mobility has shifted, and outline the main forecasts for 2026.

Contents

• How has the geography of student mobility changed in 2025?
• Declining interest in the US and Canada
• The UK maintains its position
• Australia: a shift from quantity to quality
• Europe: growing appeal and strengthening positions
• Asia: accelerated growth and the best cities for students
• Key forecasts for 2026
• Support with studying abroad

How Has the Geography of Student Mobility Changed in 2025?

According to ICEF Monitor data, international student mobility is increasingly shifting away from traditional destinations toward a broader range of countries across Europe and Asia.

Although the leading destination countries remain influential, 2025 has seen a noticeable downturn in several of them — namely the so-called Big Four English-speaking destinations: the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

By contrast, interest in European and Asian countries has grown significantly and continues to rise. An increasing number of students are choosing to study in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Turkey, South Korea, Japan, China, Malaysia, and Taiwan,  as well as in the UAE, which is increasingly viewed by students not just as an “alternative,” but as a strategic choice for obtaining an international education.

Below, we examine the key trends shaping international student mobility based on the Global Enrolment Benchmark Survey 2025, which included responses from 461 universities across 63 countries, including:

• 201 institutions from the United States
• 20 institutions from Canada
• 39 institutions from the United Kingdom
• 133 institutions from Europe
• 26 institutions from Asia

Declining Interest in the US and Canada

The most significant negative shifts have affected North America. In the United States, nearly half of surveyed institutions (48%) reported a decline in international undergraduate enrolments, while 63% observed a decrease at the master’s level. Overall, undergraduate enrolments fell by 6%, and postgraduate enrolments by 19%. The primary driver behind these changes is restrictive government policy.

The situation in Canada appears even more concerning. In 2025, international enrolments declined by more than one third compared with autumn 2024 (–36% at the undergraduate level and –35% at the postgraduate level). As in the US, the main reason is tighter visa and immigration policies — a view shared by 90% of surveyed Canadian institutions. Notably, Canada is the only Big Four destination to have introduced a hard cap on international student numbers, further limiting inbound mobility.

The UK Maintains Its Position

The most recent enrolment data from HESA refer to the 2023/24 academic year, when — for the first time in a decade — the total number of students at UK universities declined compared with the previous year. While the overall decrease was modest (–1%), it masked a more substantial 7% drop in international student numbers. In 2023/24, UK universities enrolled 732,285 international students, down from 758,855 in 2022/23.

At the same time, the UK has been regaining demand from other Big Four destinations, particularly from the United States. In the first five months of 2025, international students submitted 76,400 student visa applications, nearly 30% more than during the same period in 2024.

Moreover, according to the Global Enrolment Benchmark Survey, UK institutions reported a modest but positive increase in international enrolments in autumn 2025, with numbers up 3% year on year.

Australia: A Shift from Quantity to Quality

In 2024, Australia hosted 821,555 international students, representing a 9% increase compared with 2023. Since then, however, the number of international applications has declined significantly. In the 2024/25 academic year, institutions received 427,000 applications, down from 600,000 the year before.

This downturn is largely attributable to a combination of government policy measures, high visa refusal rates, and increased visa fees. At the core of these changes lies Australia’s broader education strategy: universities are prioritising quality over volume, resulting in stricter admission standards and a more selective approach to international recruitment.

Europe: Growing Appeal and Strengthening Positions

Europe is becoming increasingly attractive to international students, a trend clearly reflected in search data for 2025. Spain, Italy, Germany, and France ranked ahead of Canada and Australia in terms of online demand for study programmes, while interest in Spanish universities has reached a level comparable to that of UK institutions.

Northern European countries are also showing sustained growth: interest in studying in the Nordic region increased by 33%, according to data from the Keystone platform.

Overall, Europe entered the top 10 most popular study destinations in 2025, based on global search analysis.

Enrolment data further support this trend. According to the Global Enrolment Benchmark Survey, European universities performed relatively well in attracting international students. At the undergraduate level, 30% of institutions reported stable enrolment figures, while 43% recorded growth. At the master’s level, 30% reported stable enrolments, and 45% saw an increase — figures that significantly outperform those observed in North America.

Country-level examples:

• Germany enrolled more international students than ever before in the 2024/25 academic year, with over 400,000 foreign students, and has launched several initiatives aimed at attracting and retaining international talent.
• France recorded a 17% increase in international enrolments in 2024/25 and has set a new target of welcoming 500,000 international students by 2027.
• Spain has increased its international student population by 77% over the past decade and aims to expand it further. In the summer of 2025, the Spanish government approved fast-track access to universities for students who were denied the opportunity to study in the US due to restrictive immigration policies introduced under the Trump administration.

According to international analysts, Europe is expected to continue encouraging student mobility through policy measures such as visa facilitation and other regulatory initiatives. This is likely to further enhance the region’s competitiveness and shift student demand toward so-called alternative destinations.

Asia: Accelerated Growth and the World’s Top Student Cities

Countries across Asia and the Middle East are posting some of the fastest growth rates in international student interest in 2025. For example, the United Arab Emirates continues to build its profile as a global education hub: Keystone data show nearly a 90% increase in interest in studying in the UAE in June 2025.

Other destinations have also recorded strong growth:

• Malaysia: +64% in online search volume
• Singapore: +51%
• Japan and South Korea: both have risen noticeably in global rankings of the most popular study destinations

Overall, Asian institutions are strengthening their enrolment performance:

• Undergraduate level: 45% of surveyed universities reported stable international enrolments, while 36% recorded growth
• Postgraduate level: 40% maintained stable numbers, and 35% enrolled more international students than in the previous year

Another notable development is that Seoul has topped the global QS Best Student Cities 2026 ranking for the first time, overtaking both London and Tokyo.

In total, seven cities from the Asia–Pacific region placed in the top 20 student cities worldwide, according to QS:

• Seoul, South Korea (No. 1)
• Tokyo, Japan (No. 2)
• Singapore (No. 11)
• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (No. 12)
• Beijing, China (No. 13)
• Taipei, Taiwan (No. 14)
• Hong Kong (No. 17)

These results point to a significant improvement in the urban environment for students, a key factor enhancing the overall attractiveness of Asia as a study destination.

Key Forecasts for 2026

Based on ICEF analysis, several key trends are likely to shape the geography of international student mobility in 2026:

1. A broader range of destinations beyond the big four

The global student mobility landscape is gradually shifting away from the traditional Big Four (the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia) toward a wider group of attractive destinations — often referred to as a Big 14. As a result, student flows are increasingly distributed across countries in Europe and Asia, rather than concentrated in a small number of English-speaking hubs.

This shift is already visible in international rankings, including student city indices, where Seoul and Tokyo now occupy the top two positions in the QS rankings.

2. Continued growth in the global student population

According to expert forecasts, the total number of students pursuing higher education abroad will continue to grow, reaching around 9 million by 2030 (up from approximately 7 million today). This points to a gradual increase in mobility in 2026, driven by sustained long-term demand for international education.

3. Tighter immigration policies in selected destinations

In 2025–2026, the impact of stricter immigration and visa requirements remains evident in several leading destinations, including the US, Australia, and Canada. These measures not only constrain enrolment growth but also encourage students to seek alternative destinations with more favourable regulatory environments.

4. New decision drivers: affordability and return on investment

Students are becoming increasingly pragmatic in their decision-making. Affordability, cost of living, and employment opportunities during and after studies are now among the most important factors when choosing a study destination.

In 2026, these considerations are expected to play an even greater role, further redirecting student flows toward Europe and Asia, where living costs and return on investment (ROI) are often more attractive.

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