Study Abroad Sector Now has a ‘Big Ten’ in Place of ‘Big Four’

The days of global prominence are quickly passing by for the ‘big four’ of Canada, Australia, US and UK in terms of study abroad industry globally. This is owing to the restrictive policies these countries have been putting in place, for couple of years. While students took their time absorbing the news, now they have come to terms with it, and actively looking for alternatives, and as the world has started to look for options, they are finding plenty of them, be it Asia or the other European countries, other study abroad destinations who had always maintained their calibre, are now getting the attention, that had eluded them for so long.

Studyportals and other well-known portals conducted the study, which comprises responses from 240 universities in 48countries with an emphasis on the January–March 2025 intake. It is important to note right away that this involves a small sample, which is made even more apparent when the results are specific to a single location. For instance, 15institutions from Canada and 14 from Australia responded. Nonetheless, the trends found in the survey data are supported by substantial amounts of search data from Studyportals, which also offer crucial insights on demand changes in the first few months of 2025, and they are strongly represented in additional data points that we have for the previous three to six months.

Because it encompasses a considerable admission window for many universities, the January–March concentration is also noteworthy. "Historically, the January to March admission has traditionally been the biggest for nations in the Southern hemisphere, like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa," according to the research paper. "In the past decade, numerous institutions in the Northern hemisphere are considering this as a second main intake." Overall, 32% of bachelor's and master's degree programs worldwide begin in January or March. This is in contrast to 59%of programs that begin in August or October.

The majority of countries and study destinations are seeing changes in market share. Asian educational institutions report increases in undergrad and graduate enrolment. This year, fewer students are reported in the US, Australia, and particularly Canada. Graduate enrolment in the UK is increasing after a decline in 2024 due to the implementation of tight restrictions for accompanying dependents. Undergraduate enrolment in Europe is static, but graduate enrolment is climbing.

Regarding the elements influencing students mobility this year:

●    62% respondents said that "prohibitive government policies and/or problems securing a visa" were a significant issue. This comprises 70% of US universities, 86%of Australian universities, and 93% of Canadian universities.

●    In the UK, where 57% of respondents described it as a significant issue, answers for the factor "Affording tuition and the cost of living" spiked somewhat, with slightly more than half of responding institutions reporting it as a big issue.

●    20% respondents worldwide cited "lack of suitable housing/accommodation" as a key issue, with European institutions giving this factor a higher weight.