If Not To The U.S., Where Will International Students Go?

Forbes

27-05-2025

International students at Harvard and at universities across the country have grown unnerved by the ... More Trump's administration's volatile visa policies. Whether they continue to come to the U.S., or decide to go elsewhere to study, remains to be seen.
For decades, the U.S. has been the top destination for international students. Globally-ranked universities, post-graduate work schemes and research opportunities are the reasons why a record-high 1.12 million international students are in the U.S., contributing over $50 billion to the country's economy.
However, after weeks of volatile visa policies, capped with the Trump administration's move last week to terminate Harvard University's ability to enroll international students, the appeal of the U.S. as a host country is in flux. While a judge has temporarily blocked the government's latest action, the destabilized higher education landscape in the U.S. could be enough to keep international students away, no matter how the situation shakes out.
In addition, Harvard—along with a number of other research universities—have lost billions of dollars in research funding, which translates into fewer research possibilities for international graduate students. Rising tuition costs, too, have pushed the 'all-in' cost of at least one school to rise over $100,000, another factor that has international students—who largely pay full fare—wondering whether an investment in a U.S. degree is a wise one.
Staying in their home countries may become an increasingly popular alternative to earning a degree overseas. But some countries, like India, do not have enough university seats to meet the demand for higher education, and even with a growing number of higher education institutions, the quality remains inconsistent. Additionally, other countries have low-quality universities that fail to produce graduates with the skills necessary to compete in today's workforce.
International students may opt for other major Anglophone host countries, such as the U.K., Canada and Australia, which offer globally-recognized degree programs and post-study work pathways. However, immigration policies in those countries are also constricting after a significant influx of international students in recent years has caused public attitudes towards immigration to sour.
In the U.K., there is a proposal to reduce the country's post-study work scheme from two years to 18 months for undergraduate and graduate students. Earlier, the country disallowed most international graduate students from bringing dependents with them on their UK student visas, a move that concerned a sector already in financial turmoil.
Canada, traditionally known for its welcoming stance toward international students, has capped international enrollments for at least two years. Previously, the number of international students was so big, the cohort made up 2.5% of the country's population. Australia, where international students have reached 27.1 percent of the overall university student population, has set a limit on international student enrollments as well, and also raised student visa application fees.
While efforts to curb net migration may dampen student interest in some countries, those disruptions pale in comparison to the volatility in the United States. But against this increasingly unwelcoming backdrop, international students may look to countries that have more recently emerged as viable destinations for study.
A growing number of countries are actively seeking international students, largely in response to declining birth rates. With fewer children being born, there are fewer high school graduates, which leads to lower university enrollment and, eventually, a smaller workforce. To offset this trend, governments are turning to international students to help fill their campuses and close workforce gaps as their domestic populations fall.
Japan—where the number of 18-year-olds has nearly halved in 30 years—has an ambitious target of recruiting 400,000 international students by 2033. South Korea, where one in five people is 65 or older, is aiming to draw 300,000 international students by 2027, and Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia have announced similar goals. Singapore, meanwhile, recently relaxed rules for international students to apply for permanent residency.
Even India, which now sends more students abroad than China, wants to attract 500,000 international students to its own universities by 2047.
Many countries in Europe, too, are ageing and seeking international students to bolster their ranks. Germany recently hit a record-high number of international students at its universities, as has Spain.
While programs taught in English at universities in these countries may be limited, the tuition tends to much more affordable. For example, yearly tuition in Japan is about $4,000, so a student can earn a four-year degree at a Japanese university for a fraction of the cost of only one year's tuition at a private U.S. university.
While the countries where international students have traditionally gone to pursue university degrees are undergoing policy shifts, global study options have increased. In addition, U.S. universities have launched branch campuses overseas, which allows both schools and students to circumvent visa issues.
And, as a result of Trump's latest move against international students, some countries have come forth to potentially scoop up global talent—the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has announced it will offer a place to any international student at Harvard who is forced to leave, as well as those with confirmed offers.
'The university will provide unconditional offers, streamlined admission procedures, and academic support to facilitate a seamless transition for interested students,' the university said on its website.
As traditional destinations tighten their borders and rethink their international student policies, the global education landscape is becoming more diverse. For students, the decision of where to study is becoming less defined by tradition and more about where they can find value as well as stability.