Canada Emerges as Top Education Destination, UK & US Retain Allure, Australia’s Popularity Wanes

M.M Advisory Indian Students Mobility Report 2023 unveils transformative trends in International Education Choices

New Delhi, 18th January 2024: M.M Advisory Services, a leading authority in international education, has unveiled groundbreaking insights in their latest report, the “M.M Advisory Indian Students Mobility Report 2023”. This comprehensive analysis offers a deep dive into the transformative landscape of international student migration from India and globally, capturing the essence of 2022 through compelling statistics and evolving narratives.

In a first-of-its-kind analysis of authentic Government data for student movement to Major English Speaking Destination Countries (MESDC) including data from Project Atlas, OECD,

UNESCO, etc from March 2022 – December 2022 and collated by the end of 2023, the most significant revelation from the report is Canada’s meteoric rise as the preferred destination…

for Indian students seeking international education. Experiencing an unprecedented surge in 2022, Canada shattered previous records by marking an 86% increase in Indian student intake over the past five years, nearly doubling its numbers since 2018. Notably, Canada’s Year-on-year growth rate in 2022 was an impressive 46.8%, second only to the UK.

Maria Mathai, Founder, M.M Advisory Services, commented, “A combination of favorable immigration policies and Canada’s position as an alternative when other countries are less attractive has contributed to this phenomenon. By our estimates, 70-80% of the intake is for diploma programs.”

While Canada emerged as the ultimate choice for Indian students, stalwart destinations like the United Kingdom and the United States maintained their appeal. The UK witnessed a remarkable 49.6% growth in 2022, surpassing Australia significantly. Meanwhile, the US displayed a noteworthy 18.9% increase, almost reaching its 2019 student volumes despite challenges related to visa backlogs and campus security issues.

In contrast, Australia experienced a modest 0.7% growth in 2022. However, its slip from being the second most popular destination in the world to fourth place over the past five years highlights a shift in international student preferences.

MMA analysis is based on data released to the public by international think tanks and Government organisations that track international student mobility for source & destination countries including but not limited to Open-Doors report (for USA), IRCC (for Canada) HESA (for UK), etc…

“Looking ahead, we expect the UK to continue its upward trajectory as a favoured destination for Indian students. The US, traditionally the dominant force in international student mobility, will continue its reign at the top, despite facing its own set of challenges,. Canada YonY numbers for the first half were higher than 2022 but diplomatic tensions in the later half of the year may prevent it from breaking more records this year. ”, further added Ms. Mathai.

Looking ahead, the report emphasises the need to monitor policy changes and competition, especially from the UK, to ensure Canada’s sustained popularity among Indian students. This is even more relevant keeping in mind recent political tensions between the two countries. Additionally, it highlights the importance of the US addressing contemporary issues to maintain its position amidst stiff competition from emerging players like Canada and the UK.

MM Advisory has successfully guided nearly 23000 students for admission in universities and colleges abroad including the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, France, Netherlands, Spain, Germany among others.