Overseas students skyrocket in Canada, UK, & US while lags in Australia, NZ

As international students see significant inflow, research-bending numbers come from Canada, the UK, and the US. Meanwhile, major educational institutions in Australia and New Zealand record another downfall for the international populace.

New research released by the Mitchell Institute at Victoria University shows the first waves of the pandemic created a significant gap in the interests of international students for studying abroad. 

The research, which is named "Student, Interrupted: International Education And The Pandemic", reveals a complex situation where the pandemic affected international students from around the world differently.

The research highlights that the numbers of new students from China are still below what they were pre-pandemic. Interestingly, in 2021 is that Asian students from India and many from Nigeria recorded a massive growth in attendance. 

A fall for all; A rebound for some

The newly formed report collects the latest numbers from five significant international students: Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and New Zealand.

In the case of the UK, new international students are 37% higher than pre-COVID. Meanwhile, new student visa applications for Australia have been slashed by 70% in the 12 months to September 2021.

More on students preferring the United Kingdom: International students preferring USA, UK over Australia.

What's new this year is that India overtook China and became the most important source country for new international students. New student visas from China are still 25% below pre-pandemic levels.

Dr. Peter Hurley, the author of the report, explained that it was very likely that many students who planned to study in Australia had gone elsewhere, particularly students from India who have gone to the UK.

"Part of the reason international students pay high fees is to experience a different culture and, for many, to immerse themselves in a country with a different language," Dr. Hurley said. 

"They can't do that when they are studying online."

What has been the impact by source country?

The report also emphasized that the inside events of students' countries will also influence their way into finding a university abroad. 

The research also considered the nation's conditions. It highlighted that new international students from Malaysia, Japan, Vietnam, and Brazil were significantly affected, falling over 45% in the twelve months to September 2021 compared to the same period in 2019. 

In another thread, UK: Home office grants record number of visas, surpasses pre-Covid level.

Nigeria rebounded the strongest, primarily driven by an increase in Nigerian international students studying in the UK. New international students from India have also increased by about 27% compared to pre-pandemic levels. 

What's more, Indian international students going to Australia fell by 62% in the twelve months to September 2021 compared to 2019. In contrast, new Indian international students to the UK have more than doubled, up by 174%.

The quick return to an upwards trend in Canada, the UK, and the US suggests pent-up demand from students waiting for borders to open. If so, new international students should enroll in more significant numbers when travel to Australia and New Zealand becomes more possible.