Top Global Destinations for Canadian Students: Trends & Takeaways

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With the current geopolitical uncertainty, we wanted to know if fewer Canadian students were interested in leaving the country and studying in the US and other countries. The answer is NO — the number of students is on the rise!

We compared 5,300+ student sign-ups on our platform over the past 30 days to the same period last year and we found some interesting trends.

While Canada remains the top choice for most students, international interest is rising, with countries like the US, Jamaica, Japan, UAE, China, and Mexico seeing spikes in student curiosity. From well-established favourites to emerging destinations, the data paints a clear picture: students are exploring more global options.

Key Takeaways

Top Destination: Still Home

  • Canada remains the dominant choice — with 89% of the total interest, suggesting domestic study remains highly preferred for convenience, affordability, and familiarity.

 

Notable Increases

  • United States (+21%) holds strong as the top international choice, despite ongoing travel and visa complexities — likely buoyed by academic prestige, athletic pathways, and attractive scholarships — and perhaps a case of “any publicity is good publicity.”

 

Strong Interest Across Europe and Asia-Pacific

  • Popular European countries like the UK, Germany, France, and Italy hold steady interest, while Japan, New Zealand, and Australia each saw upticks.
  • Countries like Portugal, Greece, and the Netherlands saw sustained growth, reflecting an appetite for smaller, high-quality destinations.

 

Emerging Opportunities

  • Several countries added to list recently — including Norway, Finland, Turkiye, Puerto Rico, Philippines, Romania, Taiwan, and Bangladesh  — now appear in the rankings, hinting at growing curiosity or market expansion.
  • India and Croatia were new additions in June 2025 but started with modest numbers, offering room to grow.

 

Full Country Rankings: Last 30 Days
May 25 – June 24, 2025 vs. 2024

wdt_ID Rank Destination Country 2025 2024 Y-O-Y Change % of Total (5,301)
1 1 Canada 4,719 4,662 1 89
2 2 United States 1,315 1,091 21 25
3 3 United Kingdom 714 705 1 13
4 4 Australia 534 521 3 10
5 5 Germany 529 484 9 10
6 6 France 528 504 5 10
7 7 Italy 506 472 7 10
8 8 Ireland 497 454 9 9
9 9 Switzerland 489 464 5 9
10 10 Spain  478 445 7 9
11 11 Japan  472 420 12 9
12 12 New Zealand  466 456 2 9
13 13 Netherlands  462 440 5 9
14 14 Sweden  457 446 2 9
15 15 Belgium  448 421 6 8
16 16 Norway* 447 1 0 8
17 17 Finland* 447 4 0 8
18 18 Greece  445 411 8 8
19 19 Denmark* 440 176 0 8
20 20 China  440 395 11 8
21 21 Singapore  433 397 9 8
22 22 Korea, Republic of  430 406 6 8
23 23 United Arab Emirates  426 381 12 8
24 24 Portugal  424 396 7 8
25 25 Austria  423 392 8 8
26 26 Poland  421 400 5 8
27 27 Hong Kong  418 384 9 8
28 28 Luxembourg  416 388 7 8
29 29 Saudi Arabia  409 374 9 8
30 30 Turkiye* 409 3 0 8
31 31 Mexico  407 369 10 8
32 32 Hungary  404 375 8 8
33 33 Puerto Rico* 404 0 0 8
34 34 Costa Rica  403 380 6 8
35 35 Romania* 403 1 0 8
36 36 Peru* 402 2 0 8
37 37 Russia* 401 208 0 8
38 38 Fiji  400 366 9 8
39 39 Thailand  400 371 8 8
40 40 Czech Republic  399 367 9 8
41 41 Malaysia  399 371 8 8
42 42 Philippines* 399 0 0 8
43 43 Argentina* 397 4 0 7
44 44 Georgia* 396 0 0 7
45 45 Taiwan, Province of China* 396 0 0 7
46 46 Malta* 395 2 0 7
47 47 South Africa* 394 0 0 7
48 48 Chile* 394 3 0 7
49 49 Barbados  392 367 7 7
50 50 Cyprus  392 369 6 7
51 51 Guatemala  391 361 8 7
52 52 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  391 364 7 7
53 53 Saint Lucia  391 367 7 7
54 54 Estonia* 391 0 0 7
55 55 Jamaica  390 277 41 7
56 56 Dominica  390 362 8 7
57 57 Saint Kitts and Nevis  390 363 7 7
58 58 Grenada  390 366 7 7
59 59 Cayman Islands  390 368 6 7
60 60 Liechtenstein  389 361 8 7
61 61 Sri Lanka* 389 0 0 7
62 62 Tunisia* 389 1 0 7
63 63 Israel  388 359 8 7
64 64 Lebanon* 387 152 0 7
65 65 Kazakhstan  387 355 9 7
66 66 Nicaragua  387 356 9 7
67 67 Aruba  387 359 8 7
68 68 Ecuador* 387 0 0 7
69 69 Belize* 386 105 0 7
70 70 Iran, Islamic Republic of* 384 0 0 7
71 71 Antigua and Barbuda  383 359 7 7
72 72 Bangladesh* 382 0 0 7
73 73 Anguilla  381 355 7 7
74 74 Yemen* 381 0 0 7
75 75 India^ 123 0 0 2
76 76 Croatia^ 122 0 0 2

What this Means for Recruitment

Student mobility is alive and evolving. While Canada remains the leading choice, international curiosity is growing for Canadian students — and fast. The surge in interest across both established and emerging destinations suggests students are casting a wider net and weighing more diverse opportunities than ever.

For more information on this data or for help reaching Canadian students, don’t hesitate to reach us at info@recruitincanada.com.com.

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