What were the top student concerns when it came to studying internationally in 2022? What is the US’s reputation for offering students safety, affordability, and post-graduate work opportunities?
The ApplyBoard Pulse Survey seeks to answer these questions and more. ApplyBoard works with more than 10,000 recruitment partners (RPs) from around the world. This actively managed network allows ApplyBoard to connect with prospective students from over 125 countries. In October, ApplyBoard reached out to its network of RPs to get a pulse on the international education sector.
More than 900 RPs responded to the Pulse Survey, representing over 60 countries. The results help provide valuable insights into the top concerns of prospective international students, as well as illuminate how students and RPs alike view destination markets and institutions.
Affordability the Top Student Concern
As highlighted in ApplyBoard’s second annual trends report, affordability issues dominated the concerns of prospective students in 2022:
85% of respondents cited cost of studying as a student concern when choosing where to study, making this the most commonly occurring concern. Post-graduation work opportunities (80%) and cost of living (73%) rounded out the top three. All three of these top responses relate to affordability and return on investment. These results are unsurprising, as high inflation and rising interest rates led financial news around the world throughout 2022, and a global recession looms over 2023.[1]
Visa processing times and approval rates also rated highly as a student concern, with a 66% response rate. A steep drop followed these four concerns. A destination’s reputation as welcoming to international students was the fifth most common response with 31%, a difference of 35 percentage points from the visa processing times response rate.
Majority of RPs View the US as an Affordable Destination
If affordability is the biggest concern for prospective students, what’s the US’s reputation as an affordable market?
A combined 65% of RPs agreed that the US is an affordable destination for international students. This left a combined 35% of RPs who did not consider the US affordable.
Because affordability reigns supreme among student concerns, institutions should be sure to highlight their scholarships, resources, and work opportunities in their recruitment strategies. This is particularly true for those in the US’s many low-cost-of-living states. A lower cost-of-living could be a major difference maker for many students, thereby providing institutions in those states a competitive advantage.
Were Students More or Less Interested in International Study in 2022?
With affordability topping student concerns in 2022, have prospective students grown more hesitant to study internationally? The chart below shows surprising results:
Despite the macroeconomic conditions, prospective students grew more interested in studying internationally during the summer of 2022. 83% of RPs responded that they’ve seen a significant or moderate increase in the number of students interested in studying internationally. This aligns with the Institute of International Education’s Spring 2022 Snapshot released in June, in which 65% of responding American institutions reported an increase in applications for the 2022/23 academic year.
This increased interest speaks volumes about the opportunities and career progression offered through international study. 72% of RPs agreed that the US provides international students strong opportunities to work after graduation, while only 7% disagreed:
The US’s Optional Practical Training (OPT) program is highly popular among international students. In 2022, 185,000 international graduates worked under OPT.[2] And in January 2022, the Biden administration took steps to make OPT more accessible to international students by making 22 additional STEM sub-fields eligible for the two-year OPT extension.[3] Institutions should be leveraging their unique post-study work connections for prospective students as much as possible.
Safety a Significant Concern for Students Coming to the US
The US’s reputation trailed when it came to being welcoming and safe for international students:
76% of RPs agreed that the US is open and welcoming to students. Similarly, the US received a 77% positive response rate when it came to safety and stability for international students.
But 2023 could be a year for the US sector to make positive strides. The US dollar reached generational strength in 2022. Leveraging the strong USD to invest in student support networks like building more affordable housing, meal plans, and career services would help the US sector build bridges with prospective students around the world and grow its reputation as a student-oriented market.
What’s more, a number of pandemic-era visa changes that were initially temporary, such as the digitization of signatures on student visa documents, have recently been made permanent due to their efficiencies. These efficiencies show governmental support and progress toward streamlining the education journey for international students.
The Bottom Line
The ApplyBoard Pulse Survey is a useful tool for checking in on the international education sector. With over 900 respondents representing more than 60 countries, it helps take a pulse on how students and RPs view destination markets.
The results from this October 2022 survey show that affordability reigns supreme among student concerns. And these concerns will likely grow in 2023 with a recession looming over the global economy.
Institutions in the US should shore up recruitment strategies with these affordability concerns in mind. With cost remaining a huge factor for prospective students, institutions should be stressing the value of an education from their programs and what unique institutional factors will help students succeed and gain employment after graduation.
Stay tuned to ApplyInsights, which will run the survey again in the spring.
ABOUT APPLYBOARD
ApplyBoard empowers students around the world to access the best education by simplifying the institutional search, application, and acceptance process. By connecting international students, academic institutions, and recruitment partners on a single online platform, ApplyBoard drives qualified student applicants and diversity to more than 1,600 campuses across Canada, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. ApplyBoard has helped more than 400,000 students along their educational journeys.
To learn more about ApplyBoard, please visit applyboard.com.
[1] The World Bank, Risk of Global Recession in 2023 Rises Amid Simultaneous Rate Hikes. September 15, 2022.
[2] Data courtesy of Institute of International Education (IIE) Open Doors Report.
[3] The White House, “FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Actions to Attract STEM Talent and Strengthen our Economy and Competitiveness.” January 21, 2022.