The Philippines has become a top market for many international educators and is sending out more than double the number of students it did a decade ago. The growth trajectory of Filipino students in Canada and Australia provides ample evidence of why so many educators are intensifying their recruiting in this Southeast Asian market:

• Australia: 31,760 Filipino students in 2024, up from 8,492 in 2019 (+274%)
• Canada: 48,870 Filipino students in 2023, up from 7,730 in 2019 (+567%)

IDP Country Director Jojo Habana that other popular destinations for Filipino students are United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Ireland – but even combined, the number of Filipinos in these countries is much smaller than the number in either Canada or Australia. There are under 4,000 Filipino students in the US, and fewer than 4,000 in the UK, New Zealand, and Ireland.

What has drawn so many Filipino students to Australia and Canada?

The Philippines is often considered a “migratory” market – i.e., the largest segment of students are interested in emigrating and creating new lives abroad with their families. Filipinos, like Indonesians, consider family connections incredibly important when assessing study abroad options. IDP Education Philippines sales and operations head Maria Cecilia Mundo :

“We know that all students who study internationally, it’s all about helping their families, helping their economy, increase their means of living, support their siblings and relatives.”

There are several important implications of this migratory drive and of the associated priority of bringing family members:

(1) Despite the relatively low median age in the Philippines (25 years of age, the lowest in Asia outside of Pakistan), the average age of prospective Filipino students is relatively high. For example, reports that “the average age of Filipino students applying to study in Canada on [its] platform was 31 in 2022.” At this age, many Filipinos are parents – and thus they are naturally interested in bringing their family with them when they study.

(2) Adult Filipino students’ interest in bringing their family abroad is reflected in ApplyBoard’s report that in 2022, there was a 126% increase in secondary (school) approvals and a 120% increase in primary (school) approvals for Filipino students coming to Canada. As shown in the chart below, the K-12 sector has experienced the most growth from incoming Filipinos, followed by the college sector. This is largely a function of adult Filipino students coming to Canada for college studies and bringing their children to study in Canadian K-12 schools. 

(3) Mature Filipino students often have tertiary qualifications from universities in their own country, which is driving interest in postgraduate programmes abroad. notes that the surge in Filipino students abroad is largely accounted for by those in postgraduate programmes. In the US, there only slightly fewer Filipino graduate students than undergraduate students.

Room for more competition

For the past few years, the overwhelming preference of Filipino students considering study abroad has been to study in Canada or Australia. The US notes that “U.S. schools should be prepared to invest considerable time and financial resources into the Philippine market as competition is fierce.” However, recent policy changes in Australia and Canada – as well as the UK – will almost provide more room for institutions from other countries to compete for Filipino students.

Specifically:

Canada: In 2024, the spouses of international students who are in undergraduate or college programmes are no longer eligible for open work permits. Only those in master’s or doctoral programmes, or in professional programmes such as medicine and law, are eligible for open work permits. Given the tendency of Filipino students to bring their family with them, this will have a significant effect on demand from the Philippines for Canadian undergraduate and college programmes.

In addition, Canada has raised the level of available funds required for each study permit applicant to CDN$20,635 (US$15,040) – plus the first year of tuition and additional proof of being able to cover other costs. The requirement increases with every additional family member the student brings with them:

Number of applicants (including the student) in CDN dollars

One: $20,635
Two: $25,690
Three: $31,583
Four: $38,346
Five: $43,392
Six: $43,051
Seven: $54,611

Given that the average income in the Philippines is under CDN$14,000 (US$10,000), the new funds requirement will be steep for many prospective Filipino students – especially if accompanying spouses can’t get a work permit.

Australia: In Australia, the new “Genuine Student Test” – and an alleged degree of subjectivity being applied by immigration officials to visa applications – is resulting in skyrocketing visa rejection rates, especially for Southeast Asian applications. In addition, Australia has raised its available funds threshold to AUD$24,505 (US$15,690) per student. If that student applies to bring their partner, it is an additional AUD$8,574 and per child, it is an additional AUD$3,670. The alternative is being able to show annual income of AUD$62,222 per student or AUD$72,592 for families. The spouses of international students are only able to work part-time.

United Kingdom: In 2024, the majority of international students are no longer permitted to bring family members with them while they study. The exception is those pursuing research postgraduate degrees. In addition, the funds threshold for those wanting to work in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa has been raised to £38,700. Those applying for a family visa now need a salary level of £38,700.
 
Clearly, many institutions in Canada, Australia, and the UK could find it more difficult to recruit Filipino students – especially those at the undergraduate level – under current government policies. Scholarships and/or other student supports will be an important lever for those institutions able to offer them to Filipino students.

Important facts to know about the Filipino market

Cost of living concerns on the rise. Despite strong demand in the Philippines for study abroad, a 2023 found that 68% of Filipino respondents said they were reconsidering their plan to study abroad, citing increased costs of living. The Philippines has been one of the fastest-growing Asian economies in recent years, but in 2023, rising inflation and interest rate hikes put downward pressure on household spending. The economy expanded by 5.6% in 2023, short of a government target of 6–7%. Still, as shown in the chart below, the Philippines economy remains been a rising star in Asia.

Social media strategies are key to reaching students in this market. Filipinos are among the most active nationalities in the world on social media, spending an average of of every day on various platforms (and almost 10 hours a day on the Internet). The top platforms (in terms of active monthly users) are Facebook (95%), Facebook Messenger (92%), TikTok (80%), and Instagram (75%). ChinaAdmissions.com also notes that “LinkedIn’s usage has also been growing among newly graduated students and young professionals.”

English-taught programmes are preferred. The Philippines’ official languages are English and Filipino, but the language of instruction at all levels of study is English. This makes Filipino students particularly well suited for direct entry into university programmes.
 
The ability to work is highly important. The 2023 IDP Emerging Futures research found that 87% of Filipino respondents said they hoped to fund their study abroad experiences at least partly through part-time work. Most intended to apply for a post study work visa after completing their studies.

International schools offer opportunities. There are many good international schools in the Philippines, especially in Manila, Cebu, and Davao. They tend to follow a US curriculum model and many offer the IB and Advanced Placement programmes. Typical tuition is US$13,000–$20,000 per year. The US Trade Administration identifies these schools as some of the best in Manila: Brent International School, British School of Manila, Chinese International School Manila, Domuschola International School, International School of Manila, The King’s School Manila, Multiple Intelligence International School, Reedley International School, Korean International School Philippines, The Beacon School, Faith Academy, Australian International School, and Southville International School and Colleges. 

Higher education institutions to consider. At the tertiary level in the Philippines, most institutions (90%) are private but public institutions enrol about a third of all students. Public higher education is free. The higher education supervisory body, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), of all tertiary-level, degree-granting institutions in both the private and public sectors. Five Filipino universities are ranked in QS’s 2024 World University Rankings, and all have improved their rankings:

• University of the Philippines Manila: #404
• Ateneo de Manila University: #563
• De La Salle University: 681-690
• University of Santo Tomas: #801-850
• University of San Carlos: #1201-1400

These universities also have important subject strengths. For example:

• Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines Manila, and De la Salle University are in QS’s Top 500 for Arts & Humanities (2024).
• University of the Philippines Manila is in the 501-550 ranking for Engineering & Technology and 401-450 for Life Sciences & Medicine.
• Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines Manila, and De la Salle University are in the top 500 for Social Sciences & Management.

Providing scholarships may be crucial. We expect to see more scholarships offered to Filipino students this year as the competition intensifies in this market and as government policy changes in various destinations affect both Filipinos’ ability to fund their studies and where they choose to apply for a visa.

Family ties mean a lot. There are large Filipino diasporas in several countries including Canada and Australia, and this represents a competitive advantage. Filipino students consider the presence of family and friends in a destination in their decision-making, and they often receive financial support from them while studying. Institutions should also take care to tailor some of their communications and outreach to Filipino parents. Profiling successful Filipino alumni and allowing prospective students to chat with current Filipino students are excellent strategies, as is a dedicated website page for Filipino students, as per the example below from Nottingham Trent University.

For additional information, please see:

• “The rise of alternative destinations: Thailand, Poland, and the Philippines”
• “Outbound mobility trends for five key sending markets in Asia“

The post Market snapshot: A guide to international student recruitment in the Philippines appeared first on ���Ϲ��� Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Today, our focus is on three alternative destinations that have – relatively quietly – been attracting considerably more student interest than in the past.

These destinations are Thailand, Poland, and the Philippines, countries that are all attractive in terms of affordability as well as strengths unique to their location and education system.

Please note: Cost of living and study costs change fairly regularly, as do visa requirements. It’s important to check with individual institutions and government officials for the most current information in these respects.

THAILAND

Increased demand from China

According to Thailand’s Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation, were enrolled in Thai universities in in 2022, up from 25,100 in 2019. Since 2009, foreign enrolments in Thai universities have grown by about 2,000 per year thanks largely to increased demand from China.

The number of Chinese students studying in Thailand has doubled within the past five years to over 20,000, and reports that 60% of foreign students in Thailand (as well as Malaysia) are Chinese. Myanmar and Cambodia are the next largest senders of students to Thailand, but they sent less than 5,000 students each in 2022.

The affordability advantage

Thailand has a compelling competitive advantage in 2024: affordability.

Thailand is not only more affordable than the Big Four destinations of Australia, Canada, the UK, and US, but it is also less expensive – in terms of tuition and living costs – than the top Southeast Asian destinations of Malaysia and Singapore. Students need only to prove they have savings of US$360 when applying for a Thai student visa – an indication of just how affordable the country is to live and study in. (By contrast, students need savings of at least US$20,000 to cover tuition and living when applying for a visa for study in Australia, Canada, and US).

In terms of programme costs, bachelor’s degrees in Thailand range from about US$1,775 to $1,900 a semester, while master’s run from about US$2,320 to $2,500. provides the following table showing average tuition.

Students can live on a much smaller budget in Thailand than in many destinations. :

“Those on a tight student budget will be able to live on 650 baht (US$20) a day, covering food, transport and accommodation. For those looking to do some travelling and exploring while undertaking study in Thailand, you will likely need to budget around 1500 baht (US$46) per day.”

QS cautions, however, that living costs are higher in major cities like Bangkok.

Quality education offerings

Thailand isn’t just competitive on the basis of cost: it also has some very good universities and highly ranked programmes. For example, two Thai universities are ranked in the Top 100 in the QS Asia University Rankings 2024: Chulalongkorn University (#44) and Mahidol University (#51). Chiang Mai University also ranks highly at #102.

On the global QS 2024 rankings, these are the Thai universities in the top 1,000:

• Chulalongkorn University: #211
• Mahidol University: #382
• Chiang Mai University: #571
• Thammasat University: #600
• Kasetsart University: #751-760
• Prince of Songkla University: #901-950
• Khon Kaen University: #901-950
• King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi: #951-1000

Beyond those overall rankings, the following chart shows that several Thai universities perform well in specific subject areas.

Overflow from students failing China’s ultra-competitive exams

Studying in Thailand is part of a larger trend of Chinese students choosing to study in Asia if they fail their very competitive postgraduate exams. has reported that:

“Yangyang Study Abroad Private education consultancy surveys in China put the proportion of applicants who fail the postgraduate exam and then apply to universities in Asia at between 40% (estimated by the agency) and 66% (estimated by other lesser-known agencies).”

Transnational Education (TNE) is part of Thailand’s plan to become a regional education hub

Over the past five years, TNE activity has been intense in Thailand, and the Thai government sees foreign partnerships and the establishment of branch campuses in Thailand to be a key means of attracting more international students from the region. The UK is particularly active in this regard in Thailand, and there now more than 120 active collaborative agreements between British and Thai universities.

Thousands of Thai students are abroad but high costs are dampening demand

At the same time as Thailand is attracting more inbound students, it is also sending out tens of thousands (more than 30,000 in 2022). However, agents are noticing more hesitancy this year among Thai students considering study abroad. Speaking during StudyTravel’s Alphe Asia conference in February 2024, Sethaphol Rutrakool, president of the Thai education consultancy TIECA, said:

“I think that since the pandemic, the market in Thailand has recovered, but in 2024 it is not so good. Because of inflation, the costs of everything have gone up – the costs of homestays, tuition fees and everything while the purchasing power of the students and parents is not fully back yet. So, I think it’s kind of a tough situation right now. It’s going [to] slow down from what I’ve seen for the remainder of this year and maybe next year as well.”

POLAND

Over the course of the past decade, the number of international students in Poland has tripled and last year reached a record-high of over 100,000 according to the education magazine . A total of 102,200 international students were registered in the education ministry database for the 2022/23 academic year and about 9% of all students in Poland’s universities are now foreign.

Poland offers , an advantage that appeals to a large segment of international students.

Steep rise in Ukrainians

A key reason for the increase is a significant rise in the number of Ukrainian students, many of whom have left their country due to Russia’s invasion. Nearly 50,000 Ukrainians are studying in Poland and account for nearly half of all foreign students.

But as reported in , Poland is also attracting students from a wide range of other countries, including Belarus (12,000), Turkey (3,800), Zimbabwe (3,600), India (2,700), Azerbaijan (2,500), Uzbekistan (2,100), China (1,800), Kazakhstan (1,700), and Nigeria (1,600).

The presence of so many Zimbabweans is interesting – there are more Zimbabwean students in Poland than in Canada (1,425), the US (1,790), or Australia (1,665), despite these destinations’ more intense recruiting in Zimbabwe over the past couple of years.

Of the 100,000+ international students in 2022/23, Perspektywy magazine notes: “This reflects the huge amount of work done by Polish higher education in the last 19 years … when Poland joined the EU in 2004 it had only 8,800 foreign students … just 0.5% of all students at the time and the lowest relative figure in Europe.”

Affordability

Poland is an affordable destination compared to many in Europe. provides the following illustrative chart showing tuition fees at several major Polish universities:

The Polish government says that international students can expect a cost of living of about €330 (US$350) a month, though living in cities can be more expensive. More information can be viewed .

The fee for a student visa application is €80 (US$85). In terms of proof of funds, a student must show they have 776 PLN (US$190) plus tuition for each month of their stay in Poland plus enough for return travel back to their country. They must also show they can pay for accommodation.

12 unis in the Top 1,000

There are close to 400 state and private universities in Poland. Two Polish universities are in the top 500 in QS’s 2024 World University Rankings: University of Warsaw (#262) and Jagiellonian University (#304). Overall, these are the Polish universities in the top 1,000:

• University of Warsaw: #262
• Jagiellonian University: #304
• Warsaw University of Technology: #571
• Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań: #731-740
• Poznan University of Life Sciences: #801-850
• Gdańsk University of Technology: #851-900
• AGH University of Krakow: #901-950
• Nicolaus Copernicus University: #901-950
• University of Wroclaw: #901-950
• Wroclaw University of Science and Technology: #901-950
• University of Gdańsk: #951-1000
• University of Lodz: #951-1000

PHILIPPINES

The Philippines is a crucial source of students for many destinations. It is now Canada’s third largest market behind only India and China, sending 48,870 students in 2023, 50% more than in 2022. It is Australia’s fourth largest market after China, India, and Nepal, with 48,300 students enrolled in 2024. Australia has been expanding its Filipino student population even faster than Canada has – the total for 2024 is up 194% over 2023 and represents a massive jump of 469% since 2019.

But the Philippines is also an attractive destination for a growing number of students, even though international students make up only 1% of the total student population. In 2022, the Philippines hosted 22,250 international students according to ApplyBoard, 53% more than in 2021. (This number may be an underestimation – the reported this month that Rommel Banlaoi, director of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research, says there are as many as 20,000 Chinese students were in the Philippines that same year.) As in Poland, international students have many English-taught programmes to consider in the Philippines.

STEM programmes draw the most students

Interestingly, the Philippines is enrolling most of its international students to STEM programmes. As you can see from the chart below, STEM students make up a larger proportion of the overall student population in the Philippines than they do in any other destination represented in the data.

Indian students’ growing interest in the Philippines

The Philippines’ international enrolment growth has been largely driven by Indian students. In 2022, these were the top five markets for universities in the Philippines:

• India: 16,010
• China: 4,460 (but this number could much higher according to the )
• Nigeria: 1,930
• South Korea: 144
• Thailand: 137

notes: “While traditional destinations like the UK, US, Australia and Canada remain popular [for Indian students], other countries like Uzbekistan, Philippines, Russia, Ireland, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are gaining interest.”

ApplyBoard points out that once a destination attracts a critical mass of Indian students, it tends to expand its international student population at an increasingly rapid rate:

“Once Indian students penetrate a market, history tells us that the market will skyrocket in popularity. Not just among Indian students, but all international students.

Take the UK for example, which hosted 18,000 Indian students in 2017. Today, the UK is projected to welcome over 100,000 new Indian international students next year, which will make India the UK’s number one source market.

We will be watching the Philippines closely to see if this spike in Indian interest is the catalyst of quick growth.”

Affordability

International students can expect to pay €500–€2,000 (US$530–$2,030) per year in tuition – making the Philippines one of the most affordable study abroad destinations in the world, especially considering that the cost of living ranges from €650–€1,000 per month (US$692–$1,065).

The visa application fee is US$100 plus $40 for a compulsory registration card. There is no set amount required for proof of financial means, but students must present evidence they can afford their course of study, accommodation, and living expenses while in the Philippines.

QS rankings

Five universities in the Philippines feature in :

• University of the Philippines: #404
• Anteneo de Manila University: #563
• De La Salle University: #681-690
• University of Santo Thomas: #801-850
• University of San Carlos: #1201-1400

The allure of alternative destinations

The costs of living and studying – plus hefty requirements for proving sufficient financial resources – are making it impossible for thousands of students to study in the leading English-speaking destinations. But strong demand for study abroad remains, and students are proving themselves quite willing to travel to emerging destinations to earn a foreign degree at a cost that won’t leave them (and their families) desperate for cash.

Thailand, Poland, and the Philippines are just three of the alternative destinations enrolling many more students than in the past on the basis of affordability. Other host countries that have attracted significantly more international students over the past few years include Mexico, the Netherlands, Russia, and Japan.

For additional background, please see:

• “Southeast Asian students increasingly considering “studying abroad” closer to home”
• “The impact of immigration settings, affordability, and job opportunities on international students’ study abroad decisions”
• “Closer to home: Intra-regional mobility in Asia”

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We use as our baseline, then factor in more recent data from government sources where available to determine mobility volumes in 2022. That means our outbound count is a combination of the most recent UNESCO data and more updated statistics from various government sources (Australia, Canada, UK, and United States – and sometimes other destinations). Please note: Australian, Canadian, and US data includes enrolments in other sectors as well as higher education.

In brief, outbound mobility from the five countries is up significantly since 2020 – sometimes nearly doubling. When we note increases, these represent year-over-year growth unless otherwise indicated.

Bangladesh

The most recent UNESCO data (2020) counts 49,150 Bangladeshi students abroad in higher education. In 2022, numbers grew to more than 70,000 Bangladeshi students abroad (including other sectors). Canada, the UK, and US are clearly recruiting more intensely in Bangladesh given growth over the past couple of years.

The UK, Canada, and UAE are the top three destinations at the moment for Bangladeshi students.

• UK: 12,700 in 2021/2022 (+90% y-o-y)
• Canada: 12,295 in 2022 (+24.5%)
• UAE: 11,150 in 2020 according to UNESCO
• US: 10,600 in 2021/22 (+23%) according to IIE Open Doors data
• Australia: 7,250 in 2022 (+17%)
• Malaysia: 6,600 in 2021
• Germany: 3,930 in 2020 according to UNESCO
• Japan: 2,800 in 2020
• India: 2,750 in 2020
• South Korea and Saudi Arabia: Roughly 2,500 in 2020 (combined)

Plus smaller volumes in other countries.

Nepal

The most recent UNESCO data (2020) counts 95,270 Nepalese students abroad in higher education. In 2022, Nepal was sending out at least 125,500 students (including enrolments in other sectors). A student survey conducted by Indian think tank IC3 revealed strong demand for study abroad among Nepalese high school students, and this finding seems to have been very much on point.

The top three hosts of Nepalese students are Australia, Japan, and India.

• Australia: 57,190 in 2022 (+25% y-o-y)
• Japan: 24,260 in 2022 according to JASSO (+29%)
• India: 13,575 according to UNESCO and Statista
• US: 11,780 in 2021/22 (+5.5%) according to IIE’s Open Doors data
• Canada: 7,745 in 2022 (+258%)
• UK: 4,920 in 2021/22 according to HESA
• Cyprus, South Korea, Germany: Collectively, over 6,000 in 2020 according to UNESCO

Plus smaller volumes in other countries.

Pakistan

The most recent UNESCO data (2020) counts 64,065 Pakistani students abroad in higher education. Outbound mobility from Pakistan was over 103,190 in 2022 when we consult more recent statistics published by government sources in various destinations. There have been large increases in Pakistani students recorded recently in the UK, Australia, US, Canada, and Germany.

The top three destinations for Pakistani students currently are UAE, UK, and Australia.

• UAE: 24,865 in 2020 according to UNESCO
• UK: 23,075 in 2021/22 (+62% y-o-y)
• Australia: 15,875 in 2022 (+15%)
• US: 8,770 in 2021/22 (+17%)
• Germany: 7,115 in 2021/22 (+22%)
• Canada: 6,405 in 2022 (+38%)
• Kyrgyzstan: 6,000 in 2020 according to UNESCO
• Malaysia: 4,700 in 2021
• Turkey: 2,385 in 2020 according to UNESCO
• Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sweden, Qatar: At least 4,000 in 2020 according to UNESCO

Plus smaller volumes in other countries.

Philippines

The most recent UNESCO data (2020) counts 26,162 Filipino students abroad in higher education. If we look at total enrolments – very important for this market because of its demand for shorter courses and vocational or college programmes – there are roughly 62,000 Filipino students abroad in 2022, particularly because of a huge flow of Filipino students to Canada.

The top three destinations for Filipino students currently are Canada, Australia, and the US.

• Canada: 32,455 in 2022 (+112%)
• Australia: 17,975 in 2022 (+25%)
• US: 3,270 in 2021/22 (+13%)
• UAE: 2,250 in 2020 according to UNESCO
• UK: 2,000 in 2020 according to UNESCO
• Japan, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Jordan: Close to 4,000 collectively according to UNESCO

Plus smaller volumes in other countries

Thailand

The most recent UNESCO data (2020) counts 32,066 Thai students abroad in higher education. The number of Thai students abroad in all sectors has grown moderately to about 40,720 in 2022.

The top three destinations for Thai students currently are Australia, UK, and US.

• Australia: 19,360 in 2022 (+78%)
• UK: 5,405 in 2022 (+21%)
• US: 5,010 in 2021/22 according to IIE’s Open Doors report
• Canada: 2,755 in 2022 (+78%)
• Egypt: 2,955 in 2020 according to UNESCO
• Japan: 2,735 in 2022 (+15% but down from a high of 3,415 in 2020)
• Germany, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand: Collectively over 2,500 in 2020

Notes on China

China’s borders were mostly closed to international students till 2023. As a result, China’s foreign enrolment dropped significantly from the start of the pandemic (2020) to 2023. Still, we will note 2018 figures given that Chinese borders are now open again and China has resumed active recruitment in its top markets – many of which are in Asia.

, there were 10,735 Bangladeshi students, 28,600 Thai students, and 28,025 Pakistani students.

Data Sources

Much of the data for this article comes from the following sources:

• Canadian immigration data (IRCC)
• US immigration data

For additional background, please see:

• “Canada’s foreign enrolment grew by more than 30% in 2022”
• “Foreign enrolment in US rebounded in 2021/22 and is approaching pre-pandemic levels”
• “UK foreign enrolment takes another leap driven by students from China, India, and Nigeria”
• “Surge in new students has ELICOS sector leading Australian growth for 2022”
• “Agent survey tracks key factors for study abroad planning in China and South Asia”

The post Outbound mobility trends for five key sending markets in Asia appeared first on ���Ϲ��� Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Canada is a notable example in this regard. In 2018, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) moved to introduce a streamlined student visa process in four Asian markets, including Philippines. The Student Direct Stream, or SDS, allows qualified students to obtain a Canadian study permit more quickly and the speed and relative certainty of the process has led to a marked increase in Filipino enrolments in Canada.

There were slightly more than 5,000 Filipino students in Canada last year, an increase of 29% over the year before and enough to position Philippines as the 14th-largest sending market for Canadian institutions and schools. This compares to 7.3% growth in the US (3,225 students in 2018 as reported by the Institute of International Education), and 18% growth in Australia (nearly 13,000 students as reported by the Department of Education and Training).

A discussion with Ben Ryan Ybanez, the president and chairman of the Philippines-based agency Wise Immigration, gave us a chance to learn more about outbound mobility from the important emerging market. In our first interview segment below, Mr Ybanez begins by highlighting the impact of the Canadian SDS programme.

In our second interview segment, Mr Ybanez points out that demand is shifting in the Philippines. In large part because of the adoption of a complete K-12 curriculum, the market is now becoming more of a source for higher education students. “Normally, the Philippines is an important sending market for health care programmes,” he adds. “But we are seeing are interest in other sectors, like hospitality, business, and trades.”

Our final segment explores market entry strategies for educators who are new to the Philippines, or planning to expand their recruitment efforts there. Looking ahead, Mr Ybanez anticipates a lot of growth in outbound.

“I’m seeing that Philippines is the next Vietnam in Southeast Asia. People are becoming more global. After graduating from secondary [school], they are thinking of countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand.”

For additional background, please see:

• “Final stages of K-12 transition underway in the Philippines”
• “Canada moves to speed student visa processing for selected Asian markets”
• “Southeast Asia trading and mobility bloc continues to take shape”

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The K-12 transition effectively adds two additional years of high school to the current system, under which students have previously gone on to college to complete the equivalent of senior high coursework. “The Philippines is the last country in Asia and one of only three countries worldwide with a 10-year pre-university cycle (Angola and Djibouti are the other two),” notes a statement on the DepEd website.

“A 12-year programme is found to be the best period for learning under basic education. It is also the recognised standard for students and professionals globally.”

Mobility boost expected

We have seen a significant increase in outbound mobility from the Philippines over the past decade. And no wonder: the population is large and youthful, economic growth is consistently strong, and English is an official language as well as the medium of instruction in schools.

Total outbound for higher education has increased from just over 7,900 in 2006 to nearly 15,000 in 2016. About half of those students go to Australia or the US, but after that outbound from the Philippines is pretty widely distributed among roughly ten other destination markets, including New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Italy, and Japan.

Most Philippine students that go abroad first complete their secondary studies in private high schools at home, a sector that accounts for about 20% of total secondary enrolment in the country and that has long offered a full K-12 curriculum.

That the 12-year programme is now being extended to the remaining 80% of students has led many observers to anticipate increased student numbers coming out of the Philippines. “Changes to the education system are intended to better equip students for employment and further study,” says a from World Education News & Reviews (WENR). “The most likely outcome is an increase in outbound rates. The changes address a major systemic limitation on graduates from the Philippines who want to pursue advanced studies abroad: the two-year deficit of academic achievement at the secondary level, which had to be made up for in college.”

Government moving ahead despite opposition

The K-12 transition was first established in legislation passed in 2013, and under an earlier government administration. However, current President Rodrigo Duterte reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the transition in a high-profile speech earlier this month, and this in spite of considerable popular and political opposition.

K-12 has been a hot topic among parents in the Philippines – who are facing the prospect of supporting students in school for two additional years – and has triggered a number of related court actions seeking to set aside the government’s transition plan. This reluctance on the part of parents is so far showing up in lower-than-projected grade 12 enrolments in some parts of the country, but the transition is nevertheless going ahead.

Similarly, higher education institutions in the Philippines have opposed the change, in part because of projections of a sharp, short-term decrease in college enrolments as more students stay on in high school for their senior years. Early reports, however, suggest that the have not been as significant as first feared.

For additional background, please see:

• “Outbound mobility gathering steam in the Philippines”
• “Philippines creates opportunities in overhaul of K-12 education system”

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Those ten countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam – have a total population of more than 600 million people. Their combined economies would currently rank as the seventh-largest economy in the world, an economic footprint that is projected to grow to become the fourth-largest in the world by 2050.

The ten member states of ASEAN

Education is a key arena for increasing collaboration across ASEAN, and there are significant efforts afoot now to harmonise curricula and qualifications and to expand intra-regional mobility initiatives.

For example, the ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework () Committee held its first meeting in Jakarta earlier this year and work is now underway on formalising and implementing the framework in collaboration with participating ASEAN members. The AQRF is designed to support expanded student and labour mobility within the region. It is accompanied by a number of related initiatives, including the ongoing development of the ASEAN Credit Transfer System (). Both efforts are meant to address a widely recognised challenge with respect to intra-regional mobility today: it is still too difficult for students to move from institution to institution within Southeast Asia and to bring credits earned abroad back to their home institutions.

Speaking at a second meeting of the AQRF committee earlier this month, Philippine Department of Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said, “This effort aims to harmonise our own qualifications framework to those of other ASEAN member countries, enable to promote lifelong learning and to make it possible for our learners and professionals to go from one country to another based on a harmonised framework.”

Mobility within the region was also in focus at The First ASEAN Student Mobility Forum, held 14–15 June 2017 in Manila. The Forum hosted 200 delegates from across ASEAN, and was an opportunity for students and educators to share their experiences of study abroad within the region (presentation decks, videos, and other programme details are now available online).

The Forum was co-organised by the Support to Higher Education in the ASEAN Region (SHARE), an EU-funded organisation with a mandate to “strengthen regional cooperation, enhance the quality, competitiveness and internationalisation of ASEAN higher education institutions and students.” The EU is a long-standing supporter and funder of regional collaboration initiatives in Southeast Asia and, in a mobility context, the EU’s Erasmus+ programme is widely referenced as a model and for best practices in support of greater movement of students within the region.

For the moment, the most prominent regional exchange initiative is the ASEAN International Mobility for Students () programme. AIMS links the government ministries of six participating ASEAN members – Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, and Philippines – along with South Korea and Japan. The programme extends to 68 universities in those countries and encompasses ten fields of study.

Through AIMS, students can participate in one-semester exchanges abroad with a participating institution. As the following chart illustrates, the programme is still modest in scale, with somewhere around 1,000 regionally mobile students each year.

Annual number of inbound and outbound students on AIMS exchanges, 2010–2016. Please note that the flag icons indicate the years in which the corresponding countries joined the programme. Source: SEAMEO RIHED

However, the numbers also reflect that AIMS is expanding quickly over the last two years.
Programme administrators intend to expand AIMS to all ASEAN countries, and, particularly as credit transfer and qualification frameworks continue to strengthen, we can expect continued strong growth in intra-regional mobility going forward.

A leading global economy

As we noted earlier, if ASEAN were a single country it would safely be counted among the world’s largest economies. Its combined (and youthful!) population of 600 million is larger than that of the European Union or North America, and surpassed only by China and India.

Similarly, real GDP growth over much of the last 15 years has been clipping along at more than 5% per year. Of all world economies, only China and India grew faster during this period.

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“ASEAN has dramatically outpaced the rest of the world on growth in GDP per capita since the late 1970s. Income growth has remained strong since 2000, with average annual real gains of more than 5%. Some member nations have grown at a torrid pace: Vietnam, for example, took just 11 years (from 1995 to 2006) to double its per capita GDP from US$1,300 to US$2,600. Extreme poverty is rapidly receding. In 2000, 14% of the region’s population was below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day (calculated in purchasing-power-parity terms), but by 2013, that share had fallen to just 3%.

Already some 67 million households in ASEAN states are part of the ‘consuming class,’ with incomes exceeding the level at which they can begin to make significant discretionary purchases. That number could almost double to 125 million households by 2025, making ASEAN a pivotal consumer market of the future.”

From a recruitment point of view, these are all powerful indicators of a regional bloc with considerable potential for outbound mobility. Indeed, skills development and access to advanced education will increasingly be a key determinant of continued economic growth and social development in the decades ahead.

There are, however, considerable variations in market conditions across the region. Indonesia, for example, accounts for about 40% of total economic output among member states and is a G20 member. And Singapore’s highly developed economy is home to some of the top-ranked universities in the world. Myanmar, meanwhile, is really just emerging from a long period of political and economic isolation and so we can still observe significant gaps in educational attainment and income from country to country within the region.

Even so, the ASEAN states are an increasingly integrated global market that includes some of the key emerging markets in the world for outbound mobility, notably Vietnam and Indonesia. There will be considerable momentum in the next decade and more to mobility within the region, and also towards study in neighbouring countries that have also stepped up their own recruitment activity of late, such as China and Japan. But as income levels continue to rise, the region’s very large college-aged populations also represent a significant opportunity for recruiters from further afield – one that also offers the added efficiency of recruiting in a series of diverse markets in close proximity to one another.

For additional background, please see:

• “ASEAN poised to usher in new era of regional student mobility”
• “Indonesia’s growing middle class expected to drive outbound mobility”
• “Malaysian government cools on study abroad but outbound still growing”
• “Growing demand for vocational training in Vietnam”
• “Vietnam: Regulatory change expected to spur international school enrolment”
• “Singapore adopting a more cautious outlook on education hub ambitions”

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We say “slice” because the report essentially parses selected emerging market responses to the QS World Grad School Tour Applicant Survey gathered between June 2014 and June 2016. At 2,096 emerging market respondents, the sample size is small (especially on a per country basis) but nevertheless provides some interesting directional indicators for recruiters. All of those responding to the survey were in the process of applying for admission to postgraduate degree programmes abroad.

The survey zeroes in on four countries that are increasingly seen as significant emerging markets for international recruitment: Nigeria, Indonesia, Brazil, and Turkey. In most cases, QS has paired these priority targets with other promising markets from the same region: Brazil with Mexico and Colombia, Nigeria with Ghana and Kenya, and Indonesia with the Philippines.

Bangladesh and Pakistan round out an 11-country sample of markets that share some common characteristics: booming youth populations, significant issues with domestic higher education, and, in some cases, national scholarship schemes to support study abroad.

Why study abroad?

Consistent with other surveys in the field, QS finds that employability is a major driver of demand for postgraduate studies abroad.

Most emerging market respondents indicated more specifically that their primary motivation for study abroad was to progress in their current career path. Bangladesh and Pakistan were the exceptions here: most applicants from those countries said they wanted to pursue postgraduate degrees abroad in order to progress to higher-level academic qualifications (that is, doctoral studies).

Where to study?

Not surprisingly, the US and UK were the two most-preferred destinations among emerging market respondents, with Canada, Australia, and Germany rounding out the top five choices.

Some interesting regional variations were noted, with the US and Canada more prominent in the preferences of students in Nigeria and Ghana, for example, and Germany and Australia more strongly preferred by Bangladeshi and Pakistani students. In contrast, the US and UK were consistently the number one and number two choices (respectively) of emerging market respondents in Latin America.

The main factor behind destination preferences appears to be “international recognition of qualifications,” which QS interprets as the students’ interest in ensuring that their foreign degrees will be valued at home and abroad.

Broadly speaking, African and South Asian students gave even greater weight to the availability of scholarships or other financial aid. And respondents from Latin America, along with their interest in international recognition of qualifications earned abroad, put a high priority on cultural and lifestyle factors.

The importance of subject rankings

When it comes down to choosing an institution, most respondents (47% of master’s applicants, 49% of doctoral applicants) put the highest priority on the institution’s reputation or ranking with respect to their intended field of study.

For master’s applicants, and reflecting the overarching importance of recognition of qualifications earned abroad, this was closely followed by institutional reputation (45%), employment prospects (40%), and funding (34%). Funding was the second-ranked factor for PhD applicants (42%) followed by overall institutional reputation (36%).

QS concludes that framing postgraduate study as a stepping stone to career advancement is likely to have the widest appeal, except for students in Pakistan and Bangladesh who are more strongly inclined to see master’s-level study as a path to a more advanced degree.

The report authors also suggest highlighting both subject-specific and institutional reputation for prospective postgraduate students, with a greater emphasis on subject-specific strengths when recruiting in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Indonesia, and Turkey.

On the key question of post-study work, the report concludes, “While post-study work opportunities are considered by a significant proportion of applicants in all profiled markets, this appears to have a particularly strong impact on the destination choices of those in the Philippines, Brazil and Turkey, while carrying less weight for those in Bangladesh, Pakistan, or Indonesia.”

For additional background on the motivations and key decision factors for international postgraduate students, please see:

• “Survey says employment prospects the key for postgraduate applicants”
• “When it comes to rankings, students really want to know about employment”

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The prevailing wisdom about MOOC students (and fair enough because most of these observations are based in a number of credible studies of online learners) has it that registrants tend to be young, employed, well-educated, and male. And in the relatively short history of MOOCs, most of those students have come from North America or Europe.

But less is known about MOOC students in developing countries, and the team from the Technology and Social Change Group (TASCHA) at the University of Washington set out to try and fill this gap with that encompassed both users and non-users of MOOCs in three emerging markets: Colombia, the Philippines, and South Africa.

“Many people assumed that in developing countries, MOOCs would only be used by the rich and well-educated,” said lead researcher Maria Garrido, research assistant professor at TASCHA. “We were excited to find that this is not the case. Many users come from low- and middle-income backgrounds with varying levels of education and technology skills.”

The TASCHA team surveyed a sample of 1,400 MOOC users aged 18–35 across the three countries, and a further cohort of 2,254 non‐users (also aged 18–35 years). The survey responses were then rounded out with interviews with government officials, educators, and employers in all three countries.

Study sample details across all three countries. Source: TASCHA

Who are these students?

TASCHA found that neither income nor technical expertise are barriers to MOOC study in developing countries. “Income level does not determine young people’s engagement with MOOCs,” notes the study report. Eight in ten MOOC learners in the survey were low or middle-income, in contrast to the relatively higher-income students that are more typically observed in North America or Europe.

Most respondents (70%) were 30 years old or younger. One in four had completed high school, another third had completed vocational studies, and the rest had a first university degree or better. Most were also either employed (60%) or enrolled in school (36%).

Interestingly, the MOOC users in the study were not characterised by advanced computer skills. Eight in ten had only basic or intermediate-level technical skills, a finding that challenges the another prevailing idea that MOOCs are for those with more advanced information technology skills. Indeed, the study found that, among non-users, lack of awareness was by far the biggest barrier to MOOC studies (79% had never heard of MOOCs). Among those non-users who did know something about MOOCs, most (50%) were prevented simply by a lack of time to pursue their studies.

The population of MOOC users in the three study countries skewed younger, and was from more diverse educational backgrounds, compared to learners in developed countries.

Why are they studying?

When it comes to developed countries, the report points out, “Students enrol in MOOCs with different goals in mind. Satisfying their curiosity and advancing their jobs are two of the most common reasons. While participants enrol with the specific intention to obtain a certificate, or even multiple certificates, many others are less interested in working through a full course.” That is, students in developed countries commonly enrol in MOOCs out of curiosity, personal interest, or for the sake of sampling the course material. It is also generally observed that such students tend to complete their courses far less often.

In contrast, TASCHA found that learners in developing countries were much more focused on career development. More than six in ten (61%) said their main motivation for taking an online course was to gain specific job skills. Another 37% were trying to obtain a specific professional certification, and another notable group (39%) said their main reason for signing up was to prepare for further education.

Main motivations for taking a MOOC, respondents from Colombia, the Philippines, and South Africa. Source: TASCHA

The study found some variance in motivation by income level: “In terms of income, the top three categories for low‐income users are learning skills to succeed in a new job (57%), preparing for professional certification or exam (54%), and finding a new job (53%). For medium‐income users, the top three are learning skills to succeed in a new job (50%), earning a promotion in current job (49%), and starting a new business. However, for high‐income users, the top three are starting a new business (44%), finding a new job (43%), and learning skills to succeed in a new job (42%). Thus, the priorities of different income categories do seem to differ slightly in how they perceive the benefits of MOOCs. However, the general trend is consistently that users with low incomes rate MOOCs as more important in every category than those with medium or high incomes.”

Given the very strong focus of these learners on career and/or further education goals, perhaps it is not surprising that the study also found that completion and certification rates of learners from developing countries far exceed those of their counterparts in North America or Europe. Nearly half (49%) of MOOC users in the survey received at least one certification, and another 30% completed at least one course.

Admittedly, data on completion rates in developed countries is a little fuzzy but most estimates settle on course completions in the range of 5-10% of all MOOC students. The completion rates observed for learners in the Colombia, the Philippines, and South Africa far exceed these norms, and completion rates were higher still – an attention-grabbing 70% – among the currently employed, underscoring once again the strong career orientation among MOOC learners in the study.

Also reflecting the strong employability orientation that we see across the survey results, most students in developing countries were enrolled in computer sciences, language studies, or business and management courses. “In Colombia and the Philippines, close to 40% of users enrol in computer science MOOCs compared to only 25% in South Africa, with a third of women in the first two countries reporting enrolling in these courses. Language courses are more popular in Colombia and the Philippines, with almost a third of users engaging in a language MOOC, compared with only 9% in South Africa.”

Most responding students indicated that they found their way to their MOOC courses via online searches, recommendations from their current teachers or professors, or through word-of-mouth referrals from friends or family.

These discovery paths, along with the study’s findings regarding the profile and motivations of MOOC learners in developing countries, open up some interesting questions for international educators. Could MOOCs represent a new and viable channel for reaching a larger field of prospects in developing economies? One of the commonly accepted strategic rationales for MOOCs, from an institution’s point of view, is that it can enhance the institutional brand, introduce the institution or school to a wider field of students, and open up new recruitment channels for online programmes, transnational education pathways, or studies abroad.

The findings from the TASCHA study certainly add some weight to this argument and offer some new insights on the expanding population of MOOC learners worldwide for educators and marketers alike.

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