Over just a couple of years, the simple equation of a science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) programme = best chance at a well-paying and secure job is becoming more complex. This is because of increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace and the profound worry among young adults that AI could jeopardise their career prospects. “Future proofing” (for the impact of AI) may end up being the Oxford Word of the Year.

This is radically changing the way students decide what to study, and it is prompting institutions to review their programming, curricula, and marketing. Educational agents, too, are noticing the shift. They are directly in touch with students in local markets who now consider an AI-resistant – or AI compatible – career to be essential.

In the 2010s, the big disruption for higher education was MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). In the 2020s, it is most definitely AI.

How international students choose programmes

For international students, a strong return on investment (ROI) from higher education is crucial. Often, they pay more in tuition than domestic students do; have significant travel costs; and must navigate visa settings that affect their ability to work in host country. They are taking an even bigger risk by pursuing higher education than domestic students are.

They choose STEM programmes not just out of interest, but also because host countries tend to have more favourable visa policies for STEM graduates than graduates from other fields. For example, the STEM extension of Optional Practical Training (OPT) in the US provides three years of work experience rather than one with regular OPT. In Germany, international STEM graduates can more easily be hired through the EU Blue Card system than other international graduates because employers do not have to prove an EU professional could just as easily fill the position.

STEM students are also more likely to find a scholarship than students choosing other programmes. In the US, for example, SEO firm has found that 17% of STEM-interested students receive scholarships compared to 12% of non-STEM-interested students. Across major destinations, there are dozens of major STEM scholarships – often fully funded – offered to international students by governments and private organisations.

These advantages are huge for international students. Consider that:

• , 30% of international students choose STEM programmes compared to 19% of domestic students.
• In the US, were in STEM fields in 2025.
• of all Canadian programme searches by international students on the ApplyBoard platform in 2025 were for STEM fields.
• In Australia, emerges with a STEM degree.

Why is decision-making changing?

STEM graduates have historically experienced stronger employment outcomes and higher earnings compared to non-STEM majors, but recent data reveals important variations within STEM fields. For example, the analysed 70 popular majors in 2025 and found that the unemployment rate for recent graduates with physics and computer engineering degrees was 7.8% and 7.5%, respectively, compared to an all-major average of 3.9%. Only anthropology graduates fared worse (9.4% unemployment).

As an article in puts it:

“Cracks in STEM supremacy were beginning to emerge [in 2024]. And now, in a stark reversal [the Federal Reserve Bank of New York research] found that art history grads are far more likely to be employed than computer-engineering, mathematics, chemistry, industrial-engineering and physics majors.”

While some STEM graduates still earn far more than other graduates, says the article, the trend is not as broad-based as it used to be: “It’s starting to look like some letters in STEM are more valuable than others.”

Similarly, National College of Colleges and Employers show that in 2014, only about 6% of engineering graduates were unemployed six months after completing their degree. In 2023, that proportion more than doubled to 14%. And in 2024, bachelor’s-level engineering and computer sciences were among the disciplines that lost the most ground in terms of employment outcomes for graduates.

Statistics like these are circulating among students choosing majors, and they are adding anxiety to the process. A by the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School found that 7 in 10 college students see AI as a threat to their job prospects.

As an article in notes: “Today’s college students say that picking a major that’s ‘AI-proof’ feels like shooting at a moving target as they prepare for a job market that could be fundamentally different by the time they graduate.”

Where are students pivoting?

Because technology is arguably the area where most AI automation of formerly human tasks is happening, many students are looking into programmes – both STEM and non-STEM – that emphasise “human skills.” They are interested in interpersonal/relationship‑heavy roles that seem most immune to automation. And there is a distinct trend of students already more than a year into their current programme switching it for AI-proofing reasons.

interviewed Josephine Timperman, a student at Miami University in Ohio, who said:

“You don’t just want to be able to code. You want to be able to have a conversation, form relationships and be able to think critically, because at the end of the day, that’s the thing that AI can’t replace.”

Another interviewee for the piece was Courtney Brown, a vice president at Lumina, an education nonprofit that encourages high-school students to progress to higher education. Ms Brown said:

“We see students all the time change majors. That’s not new or different. But it’s usually for a ton of different reasons. The fact that so many students say it’s because of AI — that is startling.”

Hiring trends are reinforcing the shift

In the first six months of 2025, AI job postings on LinkedIn from employers around the world more than doubled over the same period in 2024 (+110%). And in April 2026, global show that workers with AI expertise earn about 56% more on average than other workers, and job postings that mention AI pay roughly 28% more than similar postings without AI requirements.

The LinkedIn data is only one indication of the trend; other surveys and anecdotal evidence point to the real urgency felt both by job candidates and employers about the need for AI skills.

Does that mean everyone should pursue AI-specific degrees?

The short answer is: no. Rather, AI capability is fast becoming a core employability advantage rather than an optional skill, and this is happening across business, health, engineering, social sciences, and more. Across sectors, there is growing demand for professionals who can manage, direct, or complement AI systems.

Global learning organisation says: “[What we] are navigating now is a labour market where the rules have changed at the role level, the skill level, and the career pathway level simultaneously.”

Further:

“Across enterprise learner data covering millions of professionals, the fastest-growing skill among people actively building AI capability is Content Creation. AI skill demand runs across every function. The assumption that AI upskilling is an IT or engineering priority leaves the majority of your workforce behind.”

Many non-technical roles, for example in marketing or HR, increasingly need “AI translators”: professionals who can integrate AI copilots into workflows and design prompts, and who can evaluate AI output. Titles for these roles include Citizen Data Scientist, or AI Business Analyst. Essentially, the work is cognitive, strategic, and creative – but it requires a capacity to work with and alongside AI.

Higher education is moving slower than the jobs market

by Pearson and Amazon Web Services with over 2,000 students, higher education leaders, and employers found a serious discrepancy between what employers need and what higher education institutions are delivering:

• More than half (53%) of employer respondents said that finding AI-ready graduates is their main challenge.
• Over three-quarters (78%) of university respondents said they thought their programmes were meeting employer expectations.
• And only 28% of employers believed that universities are keeping pace with AI-driven change.

The study report says:

“AI readiness does not falter at the point of intention. It falters at the points of alignment and execution, where what institutions deliver and employers require are not synchronised, and where learning is expected to translate into applied capability at work.”

Of course, some institutions are ahead of the pack and rethinking how they provide value to students. They are not making vague promises about being able to provide students with AI readiness; they are showing concrete evidence such as AI‑specific course requirements, work‑integrated learning with AI tools, and graduate outcomes linked to AI skills. And they are running these themes through all programmes: not just STEM. The screen shot below is an Instagram post by Elmhurst University’s admissions department announcing its English department’s technology-focused coursework for the September 2026 intake.

In an era where youth are increasingly cautious about where and what to study, institutions that recognise intense interest in AI skills are the ones that have the best chance of converting students – and of ensuring graduates can compete for desirable jobs. Today’s students – international and domestic alike – expect nothing less than an education that is relevant for the AI present … and future.

For additional background, please see:

• “A common challenge: Strengthening student confidence in the ROI of study abroad“
• “How is the rapid adoption of AI affecting international students’ career and programme planning?“

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The report’s introduction notes that “regions that were once seen primarily as sources of outbound demand are now positioning themselves as destinations in their own right.” We can see that in international education strategies, rising foreign enrolments, and growth targets in countries such as Japan and South Korea.

A key strength for Asia is that it now collectively offers 20,000 English-taught programmes (ETPs), which allows Asian institutions to:

• Attract demand from students who might otherwise be deterred by language barriers;
• Compete more effectively with the Big Four destinations.

In addition, Asia (1) hosts the most transnational campuses and partnerships of any region, and (2) now has almost 600 institutions in the major world university rankings.

Taken together, this means that Asia is highly competitive on many fronts, including:

• Proximity to key regional source markets;
• Expanding work rights;
• Lower tuition and living costs;
• Highly ranked institutions;
• English-language programmes.

As the report notes, these attractions are perfectly timed for “students who are increasingly weighing value-for-money, online/blended learning, and clear career pathways in their decision-making.”

It is not coincidental that as countries such as China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and Malaysia gain Asian enrolments, Australia, Canada, the UK, and US are losing traction in many Asian markets. Top origin markets for Asian destinations include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and several others.

Demand by level

Of Asian destinations, Japan and China are attracting most student interest, as demonstrated in Studyportals pageviews. Japan is the leader for master’s degrees, while Chinese bachelor’s programmes are rapidly gaining interest (+33% between 2023 and 2025). Vietnam has also gained share of student demand, up 101% for bachelor’s programmes. However, demand has weakened over the past couple of years for Singapore and South Korea.

Supply dynamics

Changes in supply on English-taught programmes (ETPs) can be signals of a destination’s ambition of becoming a study hub. For example, India expanded its supply of both bachelor’s (+54%) and master’s programmes (+53%) between 2023 and 2025. Its international enrolment target is 200,000 by 2030, up from just over 72,000 right now.

Other countries increasing their ETP supply include Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Brunei.

Important source markets

Across Asia, the most important sources of students for bachelor’s programmes include Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, which the report says, “underscores the pull of regional proximity, affordability, and growing ETP availability across Asia.” At the master’s level, demand is most pronounced from India, but growth in demand is highest in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Most popular programmes

As in other destinations, students are gravitating to STEM studies. Demand for these programmes offered in Asia outpaces supply. Other disciplines could stand to attract more students.

Regional perspective

The Studyportals/British Council report considers “Asia to be a consolidated destination, MENA as having policy-driven momentum, and Latin America having a more cautious trajectory.” These regions, as well as Europe, are increasingly on the radar of the world’s international students. The report concludes:

“This continuous recalibration is redrawing the map of international education and raising important questions about how institutions and governments can remain competitive.”

For additional information, please see:

• “Canada and India deepen educational ties; India repositions as an equal player in international education”
• “Inbound, outbound, and transnational: the landscape for international education in China continues to evolve”
• “Japan surpassed its foreign enrolment target of 400,000 in 2025”

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The link between higher education enrolment and jobs

The number of students enrolled in India’s higher education system has more than tripled in the past 15 years to a Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) of 28%, and the government’s target is a GER of 50% by 2035. But the pace of enrolment growth is slowing, and it is doing so in tandem with a slowing of income gains for graduates since 2017.

The APU report offers some sobering statistics:

• Under 7% of graduates in India secure permanent salaried jobs within one year of graduation.
• Of those who do, less than 4% land white-collar positions.
• 40% of graduates aged 15–25 and 20% of those aged 25–29 are unemployed.
• Of the roughly 5 million graduates India produces each year, barely 2.8 million find jobs, with even fewer securing salaried work.
• While on average, graduates still make double the amount of money over the course of their lifetime than those without higher education, the pace of wage growth for them has slowed since 2017.
• The proportion of young men in school is declining – from 38% in 2017 to 34% in 2024.

Tenuous pathways from education to good jobs for women

Among poorer Indian families, the motivation to save precious income for university studies has always been to escape informal and/or poorly paid occupations in agriculture and construction. Between 2007 and 2017, the share of students from India’s poorest households enrolled in higher education rose from 8% to 17%, and while this happened, a growing number of new jobs were created outside of agriculture.

Still, nearly half of all work remains in the agricultural sector, and almost two-thirds of all Indian women working are employed in that sector. Many of them are the first in their family to hold a degree – and they invested in that degree precisely to get out of agricultural work.

A March 2026 article by the sums up the differing outcomes of segments of female graduates:

“At one end, a small but growing cohort of educated and skilled women is entering salaried roles in IT, automobile manufacturing, and business services. At the other, far larger end, most of the increase is in self-employment and unpaid or home-based work, often within households or family enterprises. This signals necessity rather than opportunity. The result is a statistical rise in participation that masks a qualitative divide: opportunity at the top, compulsion at the bottom.”

In March 2025, interviewed 27-year-old Geetanjali Devi, 27, who holds a bachelor’s degree in history. Now, Geetanjali works on her family’s rural farm in the state of Bihar near the border with Nepal. Her husband is not with her: “Like the majority of men in the village, he spends most of the year working construction in the southern state of Kerala, earning $8 a day more than 1,000 miles away.”

Men are also losing hope

Disappointing job prospects are dampening Indian men’s demand for higher education. APU’s study notes that in 2017, 58% of young men cited economic pressure as the reason for not continuing their studies. Only five years later in 2023, this proportion rose significantly to 72%.

Without a degree, more Indian men are turning to informal jobs to meet urgent household needs for cash. They cannot wait to see if the economic returns of higher education will pay off over the long term.

More industry linkages are needed

As reported in a January 2026 article, new survey results from India’s TeamLease EdTech, a provider of employability solutions and educational technology for higher education, show that “75% of higher education institutions in India are not adequately prepared to meet industry expectations.” Only 7% of the 1,000 representatives from wide swath of institutions surveyed said they were achieving placement rates above 75%.

According to the report, ‘”industry relevance is often treated as an add-on rather than a fundamental design principle,” resulting in graduates who emerge with “theoretical knowledge that lacks direct applicability in a modern workplace shaped by technology, automation, and evolving business models.”

There are, of course, high-quality institutions that do prioritise industry linkages, but wealthier students have a much better chance of (1) affording these and the higher-ROI courses such as engineering they offer, and (2) obtaining good jobs as a result of this and their social connections to those in power.

The national urgency

The APU report notes:

“India’s youth population, defined as those between the ages of 15 to 29, is the largest in the world. The 367 million people in this age group account for a third of the country’s working age population. The extent to which this large, increasingly educated and aspirational cohort is productively absorbed into the labour market will determine whether this massive, and continuing demographic dividend translates into an economic dividend.”

Much will depend on whether India can provide more linkages from education to good jobs for segments other than the wealthiest students. If not, the number of degree-holding women left on farms to manage subsistence agriculture will increase, and the number of men who trust higher education to increase their income prospects quickly, rather than over a lifetime, will decrease.

The urgency is real. The Washington Post reports: “Indians are now poorer than Hondurans on a per capita basis. More than half of those of working age are unable to find a place in the formal economy.”

For additional background, please see:

• “Is a university degree still the same passport to success?”
• “Canada and India deepen educational ties; India repositions as an equal player in international education”
• “The number of Indian students abroad fell in 2025”

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India, like China, has cultivated an eclectic mix of political and economic alliances across multiple regions. It is as likely to partner with the US as with Russia, and it works closely with France, Germany, Japan, and Australia on joint goals in the spheres of military, technology, and trade. In 2026, India has renewed ties with Canada under Prime Minister Mark Carney after a years-long diplomatic rift.

Higher education has become another area of strength: the number of top-ranked Indian higher education institutions is growing. In the 2026 QS world ranking, 54 Indian institutions were featured. This is five times as many as in 2015.

For all these reasons – as well as US President Trump’s dismantling of the post-WWII world order of alliances – India is an increasingly coveted trade and education partner. It is now negotiating from a very different position than it has historically: a position of strength, as an equal partner.

This is nowhere more evident than in international education. India is no longer just a source of students for the Big Four (Australia, Canada, UK, and US) – it is ever more a country with which the Big Four partner under mutually beneficial terms.

This reality is well illustrated by the warming India-Canada relationship in 2026.

The Canada–India Talent and Innovation Strategy

In February 2026, representatives from 20 top Canadian institutions travelled to India to explore partnerships centred on common areas of interest and specialisation with Indian counterparts. There, the was launched by Universities Canada and Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan). Notably, Prime Minister Carney as well as Foreign Minister Anita Anand were present in Mumbai for the official launch, signalling the importance of the Strategy to Canada.

Out of that event alone, 13 new MOUs were signed (see ). Collectively, the MOUs cover student and faculty exchanges; joint academic programming; dual credentials; embedded work experience; post-study progressions into jobs; research collaboration including potential TNE arrangements and STEM projects such as clean energy and AI; and pathways from Indian programmes to Canadian programmes.

The collaborative approach signalled by the new Strategy is more than evident in the statements prepared by Minister Anand and Universities Canada President Gabriel Miller. Count the number of times “partner” or “partnership” appear in their quotes:

Minister Anand: “Canada and India are natural partners in education, innovation and research. Canada welcomes the new Canada–India Talent and Innovation Strategy that will create opportunities for students and researchers, drive economic growth, and reinforce the strong people-to-people ties that connect our two countries.”

Mr Miller: “This is a new chapter in a very important relationship, and it demands a new partnership on higher education and research, which is vital to the future of both our countries. We are building the foundations of a long-term partnership that will create good jobs, better incomes and communities that can thrive in a highly competitive global economy.”

An invitation to ambassadors

Also in February, Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan addressed the Study in India Edu-Diplomatic Conclave 2026 in New Delhi. In attendance were ambassadors, high commissioners, and diplomats from over 50 countries. With Indian officials, participants discussed strengthening international cooperation in higher education.

As per an article in The Hindustan Times: “[Minister Pradhan] called upon the Excellencies to collaborate with India’s fast-growing, innovation-driven, multidisciplinary and access-friendly education system.”

Minister Pradhan told the assembly that “Indian institutions are deepening global engagement through joint, dual and twinning programmes, while premier universities are expanding their international footprint.” He made particular mention of the Global South and distanced it from its colonialist interpretation: “From artificial intelligence, biotechnology and semiconductors to sustainable energy, India is emerging as a trusted innovation partner, advancing a Global South model rooted in collaboration, capacity-building and shared knowledge.”

The foreign diplomats were told that India’s previously unstructured and unregulated environment for branch campuses has been replaced with “a transparent and time-bound regulatory framework” that has seen top institutions in Australia, Italy, the UK, and the US cleared within a month.

A redefinition of India

Canada’s flurry of education and research agreements with India are but an example of momentum in the Big Four to move from a purely recruitment-focused model – i.e., enrolling Indian students at home – to a partnership model. In recent months, the UK, Spain, and Australia have all sent similar delegations to build new partnerships in India.

The shift happens as:

• The number of Indian students studying abroad in 2025 fell by -5.7% compared with 2024, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs;
• The number of first-time Indian students in UK institutions fell -12% in 2024/25, the second year of decline;
• In Australia, Indian commencements were down -8% in January–September 2025;
• In the first half of 2025, Canada granted 9,995 study permits to Indian students – down from 76,930 in the same period in 2024 and 149,875 in 2023;
• In the US, F-1 visas issued to Indian students fell by -44% in the first half of 2025 versus the first half of 2024.

For additional background, please see:

• “The number of Indian students abroad fell in 2025“
• “The UK is quickly expanding its TNE footprint in India”

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It isn’t just computer sciences feeling the impact of students’ jitters about AI. Across the board, universities are moving to position their programmes as relevant to students intent on “future proofing” their study choices.

The disruptive effect of new technologies

Between 2005 and 2023, the number of students graduating with computer science degrees in the US quadrupled. These degrees remain very popular among international students: as we speak, 1 in 5 international students in the US is enrolled in computer sciences.

Enrolments in the field first spiked in tandem with rapid Internet adoption, driving a ballooning of job openings in tech companies in the US and around the world. Coders, programmers, designers, etc. enjoyed a heyday of intense competition for their skills. But now that AI can fulfill some coding tasks and lighten the workload of programmers and designers, there is deep concern among students and workers about whether they should begin or continue a career in computer sciences.

As Boston College Professor has written, of all study fields, computer science is “the most likely to be impacted by artificial intelligence, which uniquely targets high-wage cognitive tasks, unlike past technological revolutions that automated physical labor.”

Worries about the extent of AI’s erosion of computing-related jobs is already manifesting in enrolment data. According to the Computing Research Association, a nonprofit that gathers annual data from about 200 US universities, 62% of computing programmes recorded . What’s more, 66% of respondents said that their students graduating with computing majors were struggling to land jobs.

Writing in about computer sciences enrolments declining at Duke, Stanford, and Princeton, Rose Horowitch said:

“If the decline is surprising, the reason for it is fairly straightforward: Young people are responding to a grim job outlook for entry-level coders. In recent years, the tech industry has been roiled by layoffs and hiring freezes. The leading culprit for the slowdown is technology itself. Artificial intelligence has proved to be even more valuable as a writer of computer code than as a writer of words. This means it is ideally suited to replacing the very type of person who built it. A recent Pew study found that Americans think software engineers will be most affected by generative AI. Many young people aren’t waiting to find out whether that’s true.”

Reason for optimism

Rather than panic, says Tom Griffiths, director of the Princeton Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence, students should consider that technology jobs will not disappear, but rather change. He acknowledges that there will be a decrease in so-called cognitive jobs because of AI, but he predicts an increase in “metacognitive jobs, such as knowing enough about software engineering to instruct automated software engineers and systems.” In an interview with the , Mr Griffiths said:

“I can understand why students are trying to model out what the job market is going to look like in a few years when they finish their degrees. But I also think there’s going to be all sorts of things that surprise us in terms of the kinds of jobs that become possible with particular skill sets.”

Similarly, Harvard Business School Professor Suraj Srinivasan has that found that new jobs are emerging as well as becoming scarcer as a result of AI. He found that after the public launch of Chat GPT in 2022, job postings involving “structured and repetitive tasks, likely replaceable by generative AI,” decreased by -13%. At the same time, employer demand for jobs that require more analytical, technical, or creative work – potentially enhanced by AI – grew +20%.” Professor Srinivasan says: “Rather than solely eliminating jobs, generative AI creates new demand in augmentation-prone roles, suggesting that human-AI collaboration is a key driver of labour market transformation.”

Universities are beginning to create new programmes with this human–AI dynamic in mind. For example, in 2025, the University of South Florida in Tampa attracted more than 3,000 students to its new Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing College. The State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) received US$5 million in funding from New York State Governor Kathy Hochul to launch a standalone Department of AI and Society that offers seven interdisciplinary AI degrees.

The interdisciplinary structure has merit: asking for candidates with AI skills – and these listings span a multitude of sectors (e.g., tourism, communications, healthcare).

Future proofing

The spectre of AI disrupting the labour force was already on students’ minds in 2024, at a time when the use of generative AI had just hit the mainstream. In a survey conducted in 2024 among more than 1,000 college students , almost two-thirds (64%) of students belonging to the class of 2027 (i.e., graduating that year) said AI had at least somewhat impacted their academic plans.

Knowing how quickly AI is changing the workforce, students are considering the future as much as the present when considering course options. For example, Travis White, an AI and Responsible Communication major at UB, explained the rationale for his choice of programme on : “My thought was that adding this new major would set me apart from the competition and give me some skills that could get me a niche, higher-paying job that may not even exist yet.”

Students are also looking outside of computing and AI

Some students are considering “interpersonal and hands-on” jobs that seem less likely – at least in the near term – to be jeopardised by AI. This trend is underlined by labour market data, as noted in a February 2026 :

“While AI is still just one factor among many that are leading to layoffs, ADP, the largest payroll company in the US, found that professional and business services roles, alongside information services jobs in media, telecom and IT, collectively lost 41,000 jobs in December 2025. In that same month, employment grew in healthcare, education and hospitality, per the firm’s data.”

The Guardian interviewed Jasmine Escalera, a career development expert at professional development firm Zety. Ms Escalera spoke to research by the firm that found that “close to half (43%) of Gen Z workers who are anxious about AI are moving away from entry-level corporate and administrative roles and toward careers that rely on ‘human skills’ including creativity, interpersonal connection and hands-on expertise.”

Study after study shows that employers remain interested in hiring people with strong “soft skills” (e.g., empathy, teamwork, communication, and creative problem-solving) – and it may be that the rise of AI will increase this demand. Fields such as the humanities and social sciences – which have been losing enrolments for years – are the very ones that cultivate soft skills, and some universities in the US are leaning into this in their marketing and programme design. They are boldly countering the narrative that the humanities are useless with an assertion that the very reverse is true. As reported in in 2025:

“The number of undergraduates majoring in the humanities at the University of Arizona has increased 76 percent since 2018, when it introduced a bachelor’s degree in applied humanities that connects the humanities with programs in business, engineering, medicine and other fields. It also hired a humanities recruitment director and marketing team and started training faculty members to enlist students in the major with the promise that an education in the humanities leads to jobs.”

Similarly, notes the Report, “Georgia Institute of Technology has also started drawing a connection between the humanities and good jobs 
 which has helped boost undergraduate and graduate enrolment in Georgia Tech’s Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts by 58 percent since 2019.”

The Report cites a real-life example of a student who achieved the ROI she was looking for through a humanities programme: “Olivia Howe was hesitant at first to add French to her major in finance at the University of Arizona, fearing that it wouldn’t be very useful in the labor market. Then her language skills helped her land a job at the multinational technology company Siemens, which will be waiting for her when she graduates this spring.”

Ms Howe commented: “The reason I got the job is because of my French. I didn’t see it as a practical choice, but now I do. The humanities taught me I could do it.”

Quick thinking

The increasing use of AI in workplaces does not mean that human skills are becoming obsolete. Smart universities are setting their students up to work alongside AI and/or in jobs that remain high-touch and hands-on. They are reviewing programme design, positioning, and career services to align with the most important theme in higher education: career outcomes are the top driver of student choice and student satisfaction.

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Prof Kapur says, “UK universities still provide the best education in the world, thanks in part to the premium tuition fees they earn from international students.” He suggests that without that revenue, the quality of UK institutions and the national competitiveness of the UK in the global economy would be significantly imperilled.

Today, we look at Prof Kapur’s assertion and explore what it means not just for the UK, but for other major study destinations with high numbers of top-ranked universities.

The importance of international student tuition

In an era where public universities in advanced societies such as Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US receive less government funding than in the past, elite institutions’ ability to deliver quality programmes, hire top professors, and maintain support staff is under pressure. Alternative revenue sources are essential. For many universities, international student tuition fees keep the most popular programmes running and well resourced. Mr Kapur, speaking of the situation in the UK, says:

“The role of international students in our universities is a national conversation we need to have. International students are not some sort of oddity or indulgence of our universities. They are now a fundamental feature of our system. Not only does it benefit the international students, it greatly benefits our domestic students, in addition to UK as a nation. Therefore, if we’re going to change it, we should do it knowingly after considering all the implications for our domestic students, for our universities, for our productivity as a nation.”

The correlation between innovation and international students

Highly ranked universities contribute a massive proportion of the scientific talent in the nation in which they are located. A great deal of these universities’ funding for elite faculty, cutting-edge programmes, and student services comes from the higher tuition fees that their international students pay.

Consider these statistics for the link between prestigious institutions and the proportion of international students they enrol:

• At Oxford University, come from countries outside the UK.
• At University of Melbourne, are from outside of Australia.
• At the University of Toronto and at McGill University, is composed of international students.
• At Harvard University, international students make up 27% of the total student population.

Now consider what new government policies and policy directions might mean for these institutions’ ability to remain as highly ranked as they are now – especially in a context where the share of Asian universities in top rankings is rapidly growing. For example:

• In the US, President Trump wants the proportion of international students at Harvard to nearly halve through a cap of 15%.
• In Canada, where caps have been applied primarily (and now exclusively) at the undergraduate level, the University of Toronto welcomed in 2024/25. experienced a 22% drop in new international applications in 2024/25, which will without doubt reduce the number of international enrolments in 2025/26. These are only two examples of losses across the entire Canadian university sector.

The example of McGill

McGill is by no means the only prestigious university to be facing problems as a result of government policies exerting downward pressure on international student enrolments. However, we can use it as a case study of what happens when a top-ranked university loses a significant proportion of its operating revenue due to declining international student numbers.

At McGill, the projected deficit for Fiscal Year 2025 is . This loss is due to several factors, including a range of provincial government policies that have cost McGill both and international students. : “Without corrective action, annual deficits will grow to $44 million in 2026, $61 million in 2027 and nearly $75 million in 2028.”

Were that to happen, says Mr Manfredi, it could trigger the government to remove the funding source called “subvention conditionnelle.” For McGill, this represents a portion of its annual grant representing close to $40 million. Mr Manfredi also says deepening deficits could trigger “further restrictions and an erosion of McGill’s autonomy.”

What “corrective actions” are planned or already being implemented at McGill? Staff cuts are the first unfortunate correction given that 80% of McGill’s expenses are salary-based. Mr Manfredi says: “With fewer staff, we cannot maintain the same operations.”

Doing the math

In 2023, Canadian higher education specialist Alex Usher about the differential between the revenue contribution of domestic students and international students at McGill, as summarised in the chart he created:

In October 2025, McGill welcomed , a loss of 8%. If we look at the chart above, that loss of international students equates roughly to a loss of CDN$21.1 million for McGill in international student tuition over two years. This loss will deepen given the in international student applicants in 2024/25.

This math illustrates just how affected McGill’s finances will be by a serious decline in international students. Forced to operate with less budget, McGill will be hard-pressed to maintain a range of programmes for domestic and international students alike. As Mr Manfredi notes: “In the long term, McGill has opportunities to generate revenue by offering new programs or delivering existing ones in different formats, such as online, and expanding global initiatives. However, these revenue streams will take time to have a meaningful impact.”

Extrapolating the logic

McGill University is ranked #41 in the world in the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings for 2026 and 27th according to QS. It is in the top 2% of all universities in the world. University of Toronto is as well (21st in THE’s ranking and 29th according to QS). Oxford is #1 according to THE and 4th in the QS rankings. Harvard is #5 according to both sources. University of Melbourne is in the top 20 in the QS ranking and top 50 according to THE.

Every year, these university powerhouses produce some of the most successful graduates in the countries in which they are located, including in the fields of AI, medicine, and engineering. Overseas, they are among the most sought-after universities by students across the world. Their brands – and those of other top-ranked universities in the countries in which they are located – help to anchor the popularity of their country as a study abroad destination and the reputation of the entire national higher education system that surrounds them.

In the US and Canada, the impact of government policies and rhetoric on international student demand and enrolments is not just jeopardising the operations of prestigious universities (and all universities, for that matter). By depressing international student numbers and associated revenue – without increasing public funding that could mitigate these losses – they threaten to damage the entire post-secondary landscape, thus reducing their countries’ potential for innovation.

As King’s College London’s Professor Shitij Kapur says: “If we’re going to change [the role of international students in UK higher education], we should do it knowingly after considering all the implications for our domestic students, for our universities, for our productivity as a nation.”

For additional background, please see:

• “șÚÁÏčÙÍű Podcast: Engine of growth: The true value and impact of the international education sector“
• “US: Study estimates that changes to international student policies could reduce GDP by up to US$481 billion per year“
• “UK confirms levy on international student fees as new analysis argues that government is ‘drastically underestimating’ the impact of the move“
• “Canada: A case study of immigration policy impacts on postsecondary institutions and the wider economy“

The post The link between international student tuition and global competitiveness appeared first on șÚÁÏčÙÍű Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Enrolment hotspots

Regionally, Asia is expected to enrol the greatest number of students, while Africa will experience the fastest proportional increase in enrolments as a result of expanding access to higher education. China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, and other countries with large populations will account for the most enrolments, while Pakistan and the UK should see the most enrolment growth. Enrolments in the US are expected to decline slightly by 2035, and they are forecast to fall off more severely in Eastern Europe (-14%).

Income

Non-research income (university income minus research income) is expected to reach 1.7 trillion by 2035. Different factors will determine non-research income in various global regions. Advanced regions (e.g., Western Europe) and countries (e.g., Switzerland, Hong Kong, UAE) will benefit from higher income per student despite relatively slow enrolment growth. The report says that “higher tuition fee structures, strong investment in HE infrastructure, and TNE expansion” will enable this elevated income per student metric.

African higher education income is also expected to grow, but from a smaller initial base given the less developed education systems in many African countries.  

New forces impacting HE systems

The Times Higher Education report notes:

“While enrolment and income projections illustrate the scale of future growth, they do not capture the full complexity and changes of the HE sector. Potential disruptors are reshaping the operating environment for HE worldwide.

AI and digital transformation are redefining teaching, assessment and industry skill needs. Policy and funding changes are applying pressure on institutional sustainability, while international mobility and TNE are challenging traditional provision models. Together, these factors are expected to influence enrolment patterns, university programme portfolios and income models, demanding adjustment, innovative thinking and foresight from both institutions and governments.”

How can institutions and governments evolve?

Business as usual is out the window for colleges and universities striving to remain relevant in the coming decade. The report highlights a number of investments that will be necessary:

“Institutions need to adapt strategically by leveraging technology, aligning programme portfolios with future skills needs, diversifying income and strengthening reputation. Collaboration between governments and universities is increasingly critical, particularly in areas such as visa policy, funding frameworks, qualification recognition and TNE expansion, all of which play a vital role in attracting international students.”

Meanwhile, for governments, the report notes a challenge in “balancing innovation and inclusion.” This is a great point given that youth need to access (1) training and technologies that enable them to participate in the rapidly changing labour force and (2) affordable higher education. The two go hand in hand if governments are to expand the segment of their population equipped with leading-edge competencies. But the investments needed to evolve higher education systems are not small, heightening the challenge of providing affordable education.

The report sets out these considerations for governments:

“Digital transformation and AI require investment in infrastructure, regulation and workforce readiness. Policies that support institutional agility through flexible quality frameworks and sustainable financing will be crucial. Governments will also need to reconsider funding and regulatory models to ensure affordability for students while maintaining institutional viability, particularly as demographic shifts and mobility trends change demand. Coordinated international policy approaches on recognition and transnational education could further strengthen collaborations.

For additional background, please see:

• “How does this current generation of students view the impact of AI?”
• “The surging demand for skills training in a rapidly changing global economy”
• “Global trends in international enrolments and policies as we head into 2026”
• “The changing face of international student mobility”

The post Global higher education enrolments expected to grow through 2035, but new challenges must be addressed appeared first on șÚÁÏčÙÍű Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The study findings show demand as measured by pageviews on Studyportals websites through July 2023–July 25 and represent the searches of 51 million prospective students. This methodology captures prospective students’ interest about 6–24 months before enrolment and so provides insights about demand that can materialise into enrolments 1–2 years in the future.

The research report also measured demand for the Middle East and Latin America, which we will summarise as well.

Interest growing for most Asian destinations

The research found that Asia’s many English-taught programmes (more than 20,000) and highly ranked universities are contributing to students gravitating to this region. Asia now has more universities in the 2026 QS World Universities Rankings than any other region, with 565 universities making their way onto the list.

Of Asian destinations, Japan and China command the most interest from international students (based on searches over the 24 months leading up to June 2025). South Korea and Malaysia are also competitive, but from July 2024 to June 2025, interest in South Korea declined. This may be linked to the fact that .

Japan leads in demand for master’s-level programmes, followed by China, then Taiwan and Singapore (though Singapore lost ground in the 12 months leading to June 2025). Greater numbers of students are also travelling to India for master’s degrees.

China is the most popular for bachelor’s degrees (and becoming ever more so, as shown in the following chart). Malaysia is gaining share of interest at this level, in contrast to South Korea and Thailand.

Smaller Asian destinations are also picking up steam, especially at the bachelor’s level. Demand rose 101% for Vietnam and 38% for Indonesia between July 2024 and June 2025.

Of the 10 countries displaying the most interest in Asian bachelor’s programmes, seven are in Asia, with the US, UAE, and Nigeria rounding out the list. For the master’s level, six of the top 10 origin countries are in Asia, while the remaining four are the United States, Nigeria, the UK, and TĂŒrkiye.

Branch campuses in Asia add to the region’s attractiveness

There are more Western universities than ever setting up branch campuses in Asia, a key consideration for students who want degrees from Western universities but who also appreciate the greater affordability of destinations outside of the Big Four. Of the world’s more than 300 branch campuses, Asia hosts about 60% of them. In China, there are about 50 branch campuses, more than in any other country.

India expanding English-taught programmes to gain an edge

India now offers almost as many English-taught programmes (ETPs) as China and Malaysia. In addition, it is rapidly expanding provision of these programmes (+55% for bachelor’s and +54% for master’s in 2025 versus 2023) while China and Malaysia are either reducing or maintaining their supply.

Interestingly, among the top origin countries for students searching for bachelor’s programmes in Asian destinations – Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan – only India shows a reduction in demand between 2023 and 2025, which suggests that Indian students may be taking advantage of greater supply of ETPs in their own country.

Asia’s rise coincides with slightly less interest in the Big Four

When looking at the volume of Asian students searching for bachelor’s programmes in the Big Four, demand for Australia, Canada, and the US has fallen by -0.5%, -1.9%, and -1.2%, respectively, since July 2023. The UK is the outlier, but barely, with a +0.3% increase in pageviews. At the master’s level, Australia had -1.2% fewer pageviews, Canada declined by a more notable -4.8%, and the US lost -1.3% of interest. Again, the UK remained fairly stable with a 0.7% rise in demand from Asia.

Latin America is currently not a major education hub

While many Asian destinations are now attracting or on their way to attracting as many international students as they send out, this trend is not happening in Latin America. Brazil is the only country in the regional sample to have contributed an increase in pageviews since 2023 (+34.4%).

Brazil is also the outlier in terms of Latin American students searching for study abroad programmes. For bachelor’s programmes, demand from Brazil grew by 20.6% since 2023, and for master’s programmes, it rose by 12.8%. Otherwise in the region, Mexican student searches for both bachelor’s and master’s programmes abroad remained stable, while Colombian, Peruvian, and Ecuadorian students were less likely to be searching for programmes offered in other countries.

In general, Latin America’s draw for international students is weakening due to its having lost more than half its foreign campuses and its small supply of English-taught programmes.

Top Middle Eastern destinations are TĂŒrkiye, UAE, and Saudi Arabia

TĂŒrkiye and UAE dominate share of interest in the Middle East at both the bachelor’s and master’s levels, but Saudi Arabia is rapidly closing the gap, as shown in the chart below.

The Middle East is the most interesting of the three regions studied in terms of an important measure of internationalisation: diversity of source countries. As the following chart shows, students from around the world are searching for Middle Eastern countries, though demand has fallen for the most part since 2023. Pageviews only increased from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India – and only at the bachelor’s level.

Asia and the Middle East are now competing strongly for the world’s international students

The conclusion of the Studyportals/British Council report observes:

“Beyond traditional study destinations like Australia, Canada, the UK, the US, as well as increasingly popular destination located in Europe, those in Asia, Latin America, and the MENA region are not simply peripheral to the global education system, but they are actively shaping it. The dominance of Anglophone destinations remains, but it is no longer uncontested as these regional hubs are developing in ways that reflect their distinct economies, higher education structures, and international ambitions.
The Middle East is also becoming a hub for branch campus activity, and more universities in the region are earning spots on major global university ranking systems.”

“The global centre of gravity in higher education is clearly shifting,” said Edwin van Rest, CEO and co-founder at Studyportals.”Asian and MENA universities used to send students abroad. Now they’re keeping them home and attracting students from other regions. Universities need to understand this shift if they want to stay competitive.”

For additional background, please see:

• “The four key trends that will shape international student mobility for the next decade“
• “șÚÁÏčÙÍű Podcast: Redrawing the map of global student flows from the ‘Big Four’ to the ‘Big Fourteen’“
• “Asian destinations show their strength in latest ranking of student cities“
• “Search data highlights surge in student interest in Asian and Middle Eastern destinations at mid-year“

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