ApplyBoard releases first annual report on top trends and opportunities in international education industry

KITCHENER, ONTARIO, CANADA, Nov. 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ApplyBoard, the edtech platform revolutionizing the international student journey, launched their first annual trends report on the future of international education. 

To help shape recruitment plans and improve global access to education around the world, ApplyBoard gathered data to uncover the latest trends in sector recovery, key factors motivating student decision-making, emerging markets for student recruitment, and predictions for the next decade. The report is designed to inform and guide international students, recruitment partners and higher education institutions.

“As we head into 2022, we’re seeing lots of excitement and pent-up demand from international students eager to study abroad. The pandemic has led to shifting interests among international students who are paying closer attention to lower tuition prices, access to post-graduation work opportunities, and in-person learning opportunities,” says Meti Basiri, Chief Marketing Officer and co-founder of ApplyBoard. “Despite the challenges the industry faced during the pandemic, the data shows that international students are more interested in studying abroad now than ever before, and our team is doing everything we can to help them achieve their dreams.”

ApplyBoard has assisted more than 250,000 students with their educational journeys and was co-founded by three brothers who were all international students themselves: Martin, Meti, and Massi Basiri. During the pandemic, ApplyBoard helped transform the international education recruitment and application processes through its intuitive digital platform. Today, the platform is home to over 1,500 schools and is used by over 10,000 recruitment partners, which makes it simple for international students to discover and apply to the country, school, and program best suited to their needs. 

“ApplyBoard is building an education revolution, and this report puts everything that has happened during the pandemic into perspective so that we can build in 2022 and the years to come,” says Jo Johnson, Chair of the ApplyBoard Advisory Board. “Grounded in in-depth research, the report identifies key trends unfolding in the higher education industry whilst demonstrating ApplyBoard’s deep industry expertise and knowledge.”

Read the full report online. Notable findings from the report include:

Application Data Shows Pent-Up Demand From International Students

• According to data from the ApplyBoard Platform, student application volumes are booming across the world. From March to October 2021, UK student applications on the ApplyBoard Platform rose by more than 300%, Canadian applications grew by over 200%, and US applications spiked by 750% compared to the same period in 2020. 

New Factors Influencing the Student Decision-Making Process 

• As we move past the pandemic, international students are increasingly looking for lower tuition prices and access to post-graduation work opportunities. They are also considering alternative destination markets. Prior to the pandemic, most students browsing programs on the ApplyBoard Platform searched for programs with tuition fees up to C$100,000 per year. During the first 10 months of 2021, more than half of all students chose to view only programs with annual tuition fees of C$30,000 or less. 

Prioritizing Student Diversity 

• Major players India and China will remain large source markets for the future of recruitment. But economic and demographic shifts point to a number of smaller markets primed to capture growing shares of the international student market. ApplyBoard modelling and industry data has identified Nigeria, Kenya, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, and Indonesia as high-growth potential markets.