Demand for Study Abroad is Shifting to Destinations in Asia and Europe Beyond the Big Four

Whenever we talk about studying internationally in India, traditionally four destinations pop up in mind, USA, Canada, Australia and the UK. For years this has been the template for Indians and for developing nations in general as they look to study overseas. But with the way the modern generation thinks, the rising costs and the world seeing so many potential opportunities to seize on the business of international education, restrictions popping up in the big four study destinations, particularly in Canada, Australia and the UK, there is a good chance new emerging destinations establish themselves in the game. The major centers of Europe and Asia are ready to cash in on that chance.

Prospective students are applying to more programs than ever before—typically four or five, and to a greater number of institutions in more destinations than in prior years, according to new research from INTO University Partnerships. Long-term projections indicate that this trend will continue, which means that institutions that make investments in admissions processing and inquiry responsiveness will see an increase in the number of applications that enrolled.

Multiple factors play a part in deciding your international study sojourn, be it cost of study, living, future job opportunities, local view of international students, visa processing time etc. As per the reports from various middlemen in the field, cost of living is a major driving factor in the scheme of things right now, while this generation wants as many options to itself as possible and will choose the best from it, without considering reputation or history.

Many students are influenced by the cost of living, but other factors can still draw large market segments to more costly locations. For instance, despite the comparatively high cost of living, Japan welcomed 50,000 more international students in 2023 than it did the previous year before. Additionally, more students are considering mental health, national attitudes toward learners from other nations, and sustainability when making their choices. Increases in student mobility to countries like Germany, France, and Finland may already be a result of these trends.

Asian powerhouses like China South Korea, Japan and Malaysia have seen large number growth in number of Asian and African students in particular, while Japan is looking to host around 400,000 students in the years to come. Turning your eye to Europe, places like France, Italy and Spain are constantly renovating themselves with elaborate English Language programs and are reaping rewards for it.

Teachers in Europe are, in fact, buoyant. Last year, Germany and France each enrolled more than four million students, and international initiatives in Spain are paying off. Overall, the outlook for European institutions outside of the UK is positive; during the past year, international students from all the major source countries have found these locations increasingly alluring. Additionally, interest in non-UK European institutions has grown by almost a quarter, according to agents in China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Nonetheless, the popularity of Southeast Asian and other Asian institutions has grown even more for these agents.

While the traditional power centers still hold the larger chunk of the international education market, these new destinations are definitely starting to make up some ground. In all these, students are the real winners, they get more options to choose from, and affordability is also addressed, while every university and immigration authority has to be prompt with their responses to get their share of business.

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