Last year, overall international student numbers climbed, highlighting these students’ determination for a world-class education even amid rising costs and often less hospitable policy environments. In 2026, student pathways continue to be meaningfully shaped by government updates, affordability concerns, and broader social movements. Our 2026 Trends Report highlighted a number of shifts informing the sector. Below, we’re leveraging the latest information available to build off of this report and give you the insights you need to effectively support student success this year.
Here are some of our top international education sector predictions for 2026.
Key Insights at a Glance
- Investments and focus on transnational education (TNE) opportunities will increase in 2026. These initiatives will drive mobility among a potentially more diverse student body.
- The growing cost of international study will meaningfully shift more student journeys: in a fall 2025 survey, only 12% of students noted affordability wasn’t affecting their plans.
- Student inflows to non-Big Four destinations are likely to continue rising, particularly with new American travel bans affecting several international student populations.
- A softer global economy is making it harder for many graduates to find work. This will heighten pressure on institutions to deliver stronger career outcomes.
1. International Education Will Remain in the Spotlight
We expect immigration to remain a top-of-mind issue in many Anglophone destinations in 2026, and for it to continue to affect international education policies in these countries.
International enrolments are projected to reach 8.5 million worldwide by 2030.1 Preparing for these outbound students is a growing priority for institutions and governments in many destinations, whether in the form of building adequate student housing, revising course options to align with student demand and job market needs, or providing support services on campus.
Institutions across the sector are hopeful that the increased level of public attention on post-secondary education will translate to increased funding or more sustainable funding models. In many study destinations, colleges and universities are collectively lobbying for major increases in operating funding after years of frozen tuition and constrained public funding led to budget cuts, layoffs, and program reductions.2 This isn’t unique to any single geography; many institutions are weathering increased student demand with less funding, or are restricted by investment tied to specific initiatives.
2. Evolving US Policy Environment Shifts Student Inflows
Despite a mid-year pause in visa processing and highly publicized visa revocations in 2025, many international students’ resolve to study in the US remains. However, as these news stories were shared, some students’ outlook on the US shifted: in ApplyBoard’s Fall 2025 Pulse Surveys, 17% of students and 18% of international student advisors strongly agreed the US was an open, safe, and welcoming destination for international students.
If the current volatility continues, more international students may explore alternative options for starting or completing their degree. New international student enrolment dipped by 7% year-over-year in the 2024/25 academic year,3 but many US institutions continue to offer excellent learning and research opportunities for international students, and institutional efforts are underway to stabilize enrolment in 2025/26.
Immigration Guidelines to Redirect Some International Students
Meanwhile, evolving immigration policies, such as adjustments to H-1B visas,4 also affect student outlooks. Furthermore, while the US government’s January 1 travel guidance has introduced new restrictions on the issuance of US student visas for individuals from 39 countries, it also prompts prospective students to explore a wider range of global educational opportunities.5
For instance, Nigeria, which was the eighth most common place of origin for international students in the US over the most recent academic year, is now seeking new destinations for its talented students.6 While current Nigerian students in the US will maintain their visas, prospective international students from Nigeria are poised to enrich other education systems. To illustrate just one impact of this measure, consider that nearly 22,000 Nigerian students were enrolled in studies in the US in 2024/25, and the U.S. Department of Commerce estimated the economic impact of this student population in 2024 was US$889 million.
As the enrolment number above includes students at all points in their studies, it—and the related research and innovation metrics, along with the economic support—won’t disappear from the US overnight. But, over the next few years, these students’ absence will affect the communities and campuses they would have otherwise joined.
3. Further Diversification of Popular Study Destinations
Restrictive policy shifts in major Anglophone destinations contribute to international students’ rising interest in a wider range of study countries. And whether one refers to the expanded list as the Big 12, 14, or 15, international student populations in these destinations will likely continue to grow through 2026.
For example, almost 75% of German universities welcomed equal or higher numbers of new international students over the most recent academic year.7 Additionally, survey results from the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) found that 46% of universities planned to increase the number of English-taught courses they offered year-over-year.
Common themes across other study destinations include strategic investment in their higher education sectors and responsiveness to international trends. These countries are setting ambitious goals and reaching them, sometimes ahead of schedule, as South Korea did by surpassing its target of 300,000 international students two years early.8
Other governments are facilitating student pathways to welcome students impacted by policy changes elsewhere: the EduBridge to Spain initiative allows students who are either enrolled in or planning to enrol in American universities to transfer their credits and secure acceptance into Spanish higher education institutions.9 While user data on the EduBridge program is forthcoming, targeted programs like these are often successful in attracting bright students and researchers.
These are just a few examples of how emerging study destinations are preparing for the next wave of student mobility and positioning themselves as attractive, stable options. The main takeaway here is that a large number of countries are ready to welcome the skilled students who feel turned away by restrictive policies in the major Anglophone destinations, and that the “Big Four” will likely be a misnomer within the next few years.
4. Affordability and Career-Readiness Top Concerns for Students
In ApplyBoard’s Fall 2025 Pulse Survey, we asked our network of international student advisors how they expected the sector to evolve. This response highlights students’ changing priorities and the careful balance the sector must strike:
Looking ahead, three clear shifts stand out in international education. First, the demand is increasingly policy driven. For Nigerian students, immigration rules matter far more than university rankings. Second, new destinations are emerging. Ireland, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Mauritius, and the UAE may not carry the prestige of the UK or US, but their friendlier policies make them serious contenders. Third, the financial burden is forcing more creative solutions, including a turn toward scholarships, tuition discounts, and even blended or remote programs that allow students to earn international credentials without shouldering the full cost of relocation.
Respondents to the Fall 2025 ApplyBoard Student Pulse Survey were similarly focused on affordability and flexibility:
Only 12% of students noted that affordability wasn’t affecting their study abroad plans. The remaining respondents shared that they were considering a combination of alternate destinations, different program options or durations, or employment options to afford their studies.
Graduate Outcomes Prioritized by Many International Students
Meanwhile, these students are graduating into a competitive global job market. The Job Outlook 2026 report from the National Association of Colleges + Employers (NACE) noted that 45% of surveyed US employers characterized the job market for new graduates as “fair.” This is a downgrade compared to the previous four years, when the plurality of employers ranked the job market as “good.” In the UK, employers received over 1 million applications for around 17,000 graduate vacancies in 2024. This marked the highest level of competition for graduate-level roles since the Institute of Student Employers started collecting this data in 1991.10
Intensified competition from their peers, as well as the replacement of many entry-level roles with automation, means that graduate engagement rates are becoming more than just numbers to prospective students. Graduate engagement is a measurable indicator of whether the investment required for an international education is worth spending at a specific institution. While this is only one dimension of students’ decision-making, institutions should proactively highlight offerings that can jumpstart a new grad’s career, whether it’s their graduates’ success stories, alumni support services, or industry partnerships. A sharper focus on return-on-education-investment and affordability is expected to persist through 2026.
5. TNE Promises Flexibility and Increased Access
Like international students, academic institutions are also adapting to fluctuating policy and a rising cost of living. Outdated funding models, widespread demands, and limited income sources continue to affect many institutions’ operations. For some institutions, transnational education opportunities (TNE) broaden access to international student audiences while providing more diversified funding.
TNE, which encompasses branch campuses, distance learning, joint education institutions and programmes (JEIs and JEPs), and more, is already a well-established approach. Still, it felt omnipresent in the back half of 2025, not least as Indian and Chinese governments updated their guidelines around transnational education.
Both countries increased their regulatory flexibility to allow more international universities to establish branch campuses. In September 2025, China approved a total of 50 new JEPs and JEIs, with the UK, Russia, and the US securing the highest numbers of approvals.11 Meanwhile, nearly 20 institutions from Australia, Italy, the UK, and the US announced branch campuses in India in 2025. The UK’s University of Southampton was the first of this cohort to open, last August.12
We expect to see more institutions updating what their international partnerships and learning opportunities look like in 2026. One of the highest-profile examples of TNE on the world stage is its inclusion as a key element for increasing the value of the UK’s education exports in the government’s new International Education Strategy.
Upcoming ApplyBoard Events and Insights
2026 will present many opportunities and challenges for teams across the international education sector. To effectively support student success, strategic planning and agile adaptation to the latest trends is critical. At ApplyBoard, we’re committed to helping all our partners and the sector at large build the new paths forward.
One of the most exciting ways we’ll do this will be in Delhi this March, where we’ll connect with our network of international student advisors and academic institutions at TRW 2026. This flagship two-day event is a great opportunity to learn what’s next for the sector and meet similarly-minded changemakers.
Want to join us? TRW 2026 tickets are on sale now.
We also encourage you to stay connected by following ApplyBoard’s channels on LinkedIn and YouTube. And, for direct commentary on how these trends may affect the international education sector, we invite you to follow ApplyBoard’s Co-Founder & CEO, Meti Basiri, on LinkedIn.
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FOOTNOTES:
1. The PIE, 8.5 million international students by 2030, QS data predicts. December 30, 2026.
2. Global News, “Ontario colleges, universities ask Ford government for billions in new funding.” January 21, 2026.
3. IIE, Open Doors, Fast Facts – 2025. November 17, 2025.
4. Financial Express, “H-1B Visas in 2026: What visa holders and applicants can expect this year.” January 15, 2026.
5. NAFSA, Proclamation of December 16, 2025 – Travel Ban Effective January 1, 2026. January 15, 2026.
6. IIE, Open Doors, Country and Area Facts and Figures 2025: Nigeria. November 17, 2025.
7. DAAD, Snapshot Survey Winter Semester 2025/26. December 19, 2025.
8. The PIE, “South Korea reaches 300,000 international enrolments.” October 31, 2025.
9. Language Magazine, “Spain Introduces Fast-Track in Response to US Student Visa Restrictions.” September 1, 2025.
10. Euro News, “Employment of recent university graduates in Europe: Which countries offer the best job prospects?” October 14, 2025.
11. British Council, China announces major reforms to transnational education. September 24, 2025.
12. The PIE, “Go forth: Who’s helping Western unis open their Indian campuses?” December 24, 2025.
