Despite the impact of the Covid pandemic, student mobility is back on track. In fact, it's on the rise, reshuffling the deck regarding favorite destinations for international students. Last June, Campus France published its study on global student mobility. Here's a closer look at the most popular countries with international students. Where are international students coming from? What regions of the world are the most mobile?
The most popular countries for international students
According to the latest Campus France study, which brings together data from UNESCO, the OECD and Eurostat, global student mobility has increased by 4% between 2019 and 2020 and by 32% over five years. In 2020, there were 6.4 million international students. Most of these students move to the United States (957,475). The world's leading power was already the top student destination in 2015, and it remained so in 2020. But the US is losing ground (-2% of international students between 2019 and 2020) as other countries catch up. The American giant has lost some of its attractiveness after the Covid; the same goes for Australia and its very strict anti-Covid policy. Australia also retains its position (3rd) but is falling sharply, with 10% of international students between 2019 and 2020. In the middle is the United Kingdom, which also maintains its 2nd position. But unlike the United States and Australia, and despite Brexit, the British state records +13% of international students between 2019 and 2020. Germany ranks 3rd, being another popular destination for international students, followed by Canada (5th), France (6th), China (7th - including Hong Kong and Macao) and Japan (8th). The number of international students in the United Arab Emirates (9th) is declining slightly but is rising sharply in Turkey.
Turkey, which ranks 10th in the list of countries favored by international students, saw the most significant increase in 2019-2020. However, the study points out that not all countries collect their data in the same way. For example, China and the United Arab Emirates do not report the country of origin of international students, which limits the analysis. Other countries, such as the United States, Canada, Turkey, Argentina (12th) and South Korea (13th), include all international students, not just those on mobility programs, thus overestimating the number of international students.
Where do international students come from?
Chinese students were already the most mobile in 2015, and they remained so in 2020, despite slower growth between 2019 and 2020 (+2%). There were 1,067,165 mobile Chinese students in 2020 (including Hong Kong and Macau). India also remains in second place, with 516,238 students worldwide. However, the increase between 2019 and 2020 is significantly higher than that of China (+12%). With +6% of its nationals going abroad to study between 2019 and 2020, Vietnam jumped to 3rd place in 2020; it ranked 11th in 2015. German students are somewhat less mobile: Germany ranked 4th, one place lower than in 2015. American students are more mobile. The country moved up to 5th place (8th in 2015), followed by France (6th), South Korea (7th), Nepal (8th), Kazakhstan (9th) and Brazil (10th).
Again, the global health crisis explains part of the observed slowdown, with student mobility slowing or even stopping in the early stages of the pandemic. This slowdown is particularly noticeable in China, India and Vietnam, which showed slower growth in 2019-2020. Nevertheless, the Asia-Oceania region remained the leading departure region for international students (44% of mobile students in 2020). It remains ahead of Europe (27%), North Africa and the Middle East (11%), the Americas (10%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (8%).
Student mobility: Geopolitical contexts and national policies
Geopolitical contexts can also partly explain the strong growth of certain student mobility trends. In 2020, Syria (11th) had 87,057 nationals studying abroad, a 16% rise over the 2019-2020 period. The increase is even more impressive compared to the 2015-2020 period (+126%). The war in Syria has prompted many students to continue their education abroad, mainly in Turkey.
The country's internal reforms may also account for some of the decline in student mobility. Saudi Arabian students, for example, are less mobile. They were 7th in 2015. In 2020, they ranked 20th, with 58,936 students abroad. In other words, a decline of 12% in 2019-2020 and as much as 32% in 2015-2020. In 2019, the Saudi government announced an investment of $500 million in education. That was a massive plan to improve university infrastructure and build new ones for students. It's worth noting that students in Saudi Arabia have long benefited from an internationalized environment, with many foreign teachers and Saudis trained abroad (mainly in English-speaking countries).
In 2020, more than $51 million were invested in education to support "young talent". In 2022, the Saudi Minister of Education encouraged partnerships between Saudi and American universities. All of these plans are part of Saudi Arabia's vast modernization program called "Vision 2030". This modernization may explain the decline in the number of mobile students. At the same time, in March 2022, Saudi Arabia announced a plan to send 70,000 of its students to top foreign universities.
The takeaway
Against a backdrop of labor shortages and demographic decline in many countries, international student mobility remains a major economic and social challenge. According to UNESCO, there could be 9 million internationally mobile students by 2025. Governments are stepping up their plans to attract and, more importantly, retain students. The United Arab Emirates, for example, offers a Golden Visa specifically designed for talented high school and university students. Doctoral students are also eligible for the Golden Visa. In April, Japan launched "J-Find," a visa reserved for graduates of "prestigious universities." Germany, with its new immigration plan, aims to become the new top destination for foreign talent. The 4th most popular country for foreign students wants to become the country with the "most modern immigration system in Europe".
