A new research report has revealed exciting new insights into how international students are choosing their destination countries.
Released yesterday by IDP Education, the Emerging Futures 7 – Voice of the International Student report compiled data from more than 6,000 students from 114 countries. The report aims to help educators, institutions, government and policymakers better understand what overseas students need to thrive.
Simon Emmet, Chief Partner Officer at IDP Education, says the findings have shown that employability is a top priority for international students.
“The research serves as a timely reminder for governments and policymakers to embrace the international student cohort, who go on to fill vital skill gaps and foster long-lasting diplomatic ties between their home and host countries,” says Emmet.
Read on to learn more about the key findings from Emerging Futures 7 and what they could mean for the future of international study.
Career development is front-of-mind
One of the major findings from this report is that prospective students are placing more importance on career-related outcomes.
67% of students identified career development as a key reason for choosing an international qualification, while ‘job outcomes’ was the leading non-academic factor in students’ institution choice.
“We know that international students choose their study destination based on factors that help them become job-ready, with access to post-study employment visas being the key influence,” Mr Emmett added.
Job outcomes impact perception of education quality
67% of students also cited education quality as a key factor in choosing overseas study. However, it seems that employment prospects are increasingly being considered an essential part of what makes ‘high-quality education’.
The survey found that an institution’s graduate employment rate is the top factor students consider when assessing education quality. This is followed by institution ranking, facilities, quality of academic staff and cost of tuition.
Cost of living a key challenge
Unsurprisingly, financial concerns topped the list of concerns for international students. 66% of respondents cited finance and costs as a key issue, making it the most significant barrier by a wide margin.
Other major concerns include visa challenges, which affected nearly half (47%) of students, along with career plans (44%), housing (43%) and balancing work and study (39%).
“Financial considerations, such as the cost of visa and savings requirements, are weighing on students’ minds,” Emmet explains.
“One in two students told us they would consider switching to another destination country if it had lower savings requirements.”
The Labor Government recently announced an upcoming increase in student visa application fees. Application fees already increased in July 2024, more than doubling from $710 to $1,600. Financial requirements for student visa applicants also increased in May last year.
Australia still top choice
In positive news, Australia is the top choice of destination for international students, with 28% preferring to study here. This puts the country ahead of the USA (22%), the UK (21%), Canada (13%) and New Zealand (5%), with 11% choosing other destinations.
In an analysis of student perceptions by country, Australia ranked highly across education quality, value for money and employment opportunities. It also leads all others in perceptions of post-study work visa opportunities.
Non-academic factors
Among the other non-academic factors students considered, more than half said the range of available scholarships and access to part-time work opportunities were key considerations.
46% said they were influenced by the availability of student visa support services, while only 37% considered location within the destination country important.
So, what are the takeaways?
The report indicates that employability and career outcomes are pivotal for students choosing a destination and institution — and even a key part of choosing to study overseas at all.
According to IDP Education, the key takeaway for educators, governments and policymakers alike is a keener focus on employment outcomes.
In particular, they say institutions should look to strengthen ties with industry and enhance career support offerings, while governments might look to protect opportunities for post-study work rights.
