APPLYBOARD’S latest Student Pulse Survey finds that Canada continues to be the most preferred destination among future international students, even as global study trends evolve.
The Fall 2025 edition of ApplyBoard’s Student Pulse Survey reveals that international students remain highly confident in Canada’s education system and post-study opportunities. Despite global policy changes and heightened competition among top destinations, 95% of surveyed students expressed some level of interest in studying in Canada, underscoring its continued appeal as a welcoming, safe, and opportunity-rich study destination.
The survey, conducted in September 2025, captured the views of nearly 300 future international students from diverse backgrounds. The findings provide a snapshot of how students today are balancing affordability, safety, and career potential when choosing where to study.
Canada leads in safety, openness, and student welcome
Among all major study destinations, students perceived Canada as the most open, safe, and welcoming toward international students. Even with changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program and new enrolment measures, Canada has successfully maintained student trust, outperforming destinations including the US, UK, and Australia.
By comparison, only 43% of students agreed or strongly agreed that the US is open, safe, and welcoming, reflecting a growing sense of caution among applicants. Recent visa policy shifts and student visa revocations across the US may have contributed to a 9 percentage point drop in strong interest in studying there compared to ApplyBoard’s Spring 2025 survey.
Students are exploring more diverse study destinations
While Canada, the UK, the US, Australia, Germany, and Ireland remain top choices for many students, 38% of respondents are exploring alternative destinations, up three percentage points from our Spring 2025 survey.
Emerging destinations include:
- Nigeria (12%) – the most cited alternative, reflecting growing confidence in the country’s expanding education sector. Nigerian students were also the largest survey demographic (32% of participants), so it’s possible many of these students are considering domestic and international options.
- France (10%)
- New Zealand (9%)
- Finland (8%)
- Netherlands (7%)
- Sweden (7%)
- Japan (6%) – remains the most popular Asian destination
- Ghana (5%)
- Switzerland (5%)
This expanding mix shows that students are considering more regional and cost-effective options alongside traditional study hubs.
Business, technology, and health programs drive interest
Business programs remain the top choice among respondents: 40% of students planned to study fields such as commerce, marketing, or management. This was followed by math, computer science, and IT programs (24%), and health and medical fields (22%).
However, interest in engineering programs declined to 16%, its lowest level since 2023. This drop may reflect affordability concerns and shifting post-study work incentives in STEM-related fields.
Students aspire to global careers in nursing, IT, and business
When asked about career goals, many students shared ambitions across healthcare, business, and technology fields. Nursing, business management, software engineering, and research emerged as the most popular career paths, and tech-forward roles in data science, IT, and cybersecurity were also in high demand. Outside of tech, project management, law, and accounting were also popular career goals.
Interestingly, interest in aviation and aerospace careers rose sharply—from 0.5% in Spring 2025 to 4% in Fall 2025, reflecting global growth in the aviation and flight technology sectors.
Students prioritize post-study work experience
The survey also found that international students are proactively planning their careers:
- 43% plan to gain short-term work experience in their study destination before returning home.
- 22% aim to pursue permanent residency, leveraging post-study work pathways such as Canada’s PGWP or the UK’s Graduate visa.
- 27% plan to return home immediately.
- Only 6% were undecided about their next steps.
When selecting programs, students rated graduate employability rates and affordable tuition as their top decision factors, showing that practical outcomes remain central to their study abroad journey.
What these survey findings could mean for future students
ApplyBoard’s survey findings reinforce that international students are more strategic and informed than ever. They’re comparing destinations and programs with a sharper focus on cost, career outcomes, and long-term stability.
For many, Canada stands out as the destination that best balances affordability, post-study opportunities, and a safe, inclusive environment—qualities that continue to make it a top choice among future international students.
Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash
