More students than ever are choosing health studies, as health care job vacancies swell worldwide. It appears a shift away from business is the result.
ApplyBoard’s newly launched 2023 Student Pulse Survey twice invited (once in Spring and once in Fall) prospective students to share their views on studying abroad.1 This research is a vital tool for understanding how tomorrow’s graduates think, so we can strategize today to meet their evolving needs.
Read on for insights into students’ program interests, preferred destinations, labour market knowledge, and much more.
Key Insights at a Glance
- Interest in health studies programs rose across surveys as interest in business fell. This may signal greater awareness of destination job market needs among respondents.
- Ireland, which made major investments in recruitment during 2023, received significantly more interest from students in the Fall edition than in the Spring edition.
- Historically influential factors on students’ decisions to study abroad fell in importance from Spring to Fall. It’s possible that other variables, such as earnings potential, have become more salient.
Interest in Health Programs Rises as Business Interest Falls
This year’s two Pulse Survey editions show shifting program interests among the world’s students.2 Although business maintained its position as the most popular program through 2023, other subjects, including health, saw increased attention.
As noted in our 2024 Trends Report, 23% of respondents to the Fall Pulse Survey indicated they were interested in studying health, an increase from 14% in Spring. It appears interest in business waned as health increased: only 36% of Fall respondents showed an interest in the field, compared to 47% earlier in the year. Still, the persistent popularity of business will be a trend worth watching in 2024.
Student awareness of in-demand jobs in destination countries, including Canada, may be growing. For example, the number of job vacancies in Canada’s health care and social assistance sector increased by nearly four times from 2015 to 2022.3 Further, the global shortage of health care workers is projected to persist through the next decade.
This corresponds with internal ApplyBoard platform search data shared in the 2024 Trends Report. Student searches for health science programs ticked up from 11.5% of total share in 2022 to 11.9% in October 2023. ApplyBoard findings from 2022 internal data also showed health’s appeal rising, but still lagging behind swelling labour market demand.
Health care is a top job vacancy in every destination market. The Fall edition results may indicate an increasing alignment between students’ program interests and in-demand careers.
When students shared their familiarity with destinations’ job opportunities in the Fall edition, only Canada and the United States’ shares of “Extremely familiar” and “Very familiar” totalled more than 50%. This will be a key statistic to watch in the coming years, as students look beyond studies to their post-graduation careers.
“My parents are getting old, and I am eager to give them the life that they deserve. So, I plan to pursue nursing abroad and work there after my studies.” – Filipino Survey Respondent
Ireland’s Popularity Grows Among International Students
Over the course of 2023, our survey found an increase in student interest in Ireland. In the Fall edition, 64% of respondents indicated they were “Extremely,” “Very,” or “Moderately” interested in the Emerald Isle. Only 52% of Spring edition respondents reported the same levels of interest, and its most popular response was “Not at all” interested.
Ireland, the European Union’s fastest-growing economy, showcased its recruitment ambitions in 2023. The Irish government unveiled the International Education Mark program requiring domestic institutions to assure their quality before recruiting internationally;4 it unlocked funds to ease the campus housing crunch;5 and a global marketing campaign saw officials promote Irish institutions in Africa,6 South Asia,7 and Southeast Asia.8
Perhaps these extra efforts are paying off. 2022/23 set a new all-time high for the number of international students studying at Irish universities. There were 33,480 international students enrolled at Irish universities last year, an increase of nearly 12% compared to 2021/22.9 This year-over-year increase was the highest single-year increase Ireland has seen in the past six academic years outside of the post-pandemic recovery year of 2021/22.
Ireland has staked its claim as a genuine contender in the international education space. Through domestic and global efforts, the country has positioned itself well among historically more popular markets, such as Canada and the United States.
In a Pulse Survey question exploring students’ professional ambitions, one student responded, “[I’ll take] any job that will fit me.” “I don’t have a set preference,” explained another. “I’m open to pursuing a career that is highly paid.” If Ireland can convince students that its institutions will support their goals, then it seems students will give the growing nation a chance.
How Are Students’ Motivations for Studying Abroad Changing?
While governments and institutions attempt to woo prospective international students to their nations, the Student Pulse Survey showed historically motivating factors losing their influence over respondents.
Students viewed studies abroad with more nuance through the year. Every factor influencing students’ study abroad choices decreased in the “Extremely influential” category and increased in the “Very influential” category between Spring and Fall.
These findings may point to another variable becoming more salient, such as long-term earnings potential, which we hinted at but didn’t ask about explicitly. This highlights institutions’ responsibility to explain how their programs’ costs will help students earn more in the future.
It’s difficult to estimate if we’re seeing the start of a long-term trend. Regardless, institutions, governments, and recruiters must remain focused on creating accessible study abroad experiences for the world’s students. This means addressing local and international influences like rising housing prices and programs’ unique utility in regional job markets.
Key Takeaways
Students are reacting to changes in the global economic and political order. Governments and institutions cannot expect students to continue pursuing the programs and careers of earlier study abroad cohorts. Instead, technology and services must meet students where they are—or risk being forgotten.
Here are our recommendations for stakeholders looking to leverage these findings in their strategic planning:
- Careful consideration of evolving program preferences must dictate recruitment strategy in 2024 and beyond. This requires flexibility in both the messaging and the execution of institutions’ offerings.
- Recruiters should tailor their offerings to the desires of students. If Ireland looks more appealing, then either promote Ireland or identify Ireland’s strengths and market other destinations’ potential accordingly.
- Students who are aware of destinations’ job vacancies should be supported; those who are unaware should be informed. Thus, all parties in the recruitment space must align their products and services to students’ career success.
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FOOTNOTES:
1. Sent via email to prospective international students. The Spring edition ran from April 21, 2023, to June 3, 2023; the Fall edition ran from Oct. 20, 2023, to Nov. 1, 2023.
2. The Spring edition respondents hail from 24 countries; the Fall edition respondents hail from 56 countries. Notably, South Asian and Southeast Asian respondent engagement grew significantly between Spring and Fall.
3. Canadian data courtesy of Statistics Canada, adjusted for seasonality.
4. The PIE, Ireland’s new International Education Mark to ‘strengthen quality assurance’. November 2023.
5. Government of Ireland, Cabinet agrees extra measures to get more homes built more quickly. April 2023.
6. The PIE, Ireland universities in African drive. March 2023.
7. The PIE, Ireland to drive outbound study and build capacity; launches India campaign. July 2023.
8. Government of Ireland, Taoiseach and Government Ministers travel to Korea for Team Ireland Trade Mission Week. November 2023.
9. Data courtesy of the Irish Higher Education Authority (HEA).
