ApplyBoard says English-speaking study destinations are losing ground

ApplyBoard’s new 2027 trends report says Canada and the UK are still seeing falling student demand, while Germany, South Korea and Japan keep growing. The report also finds AI is now part of how most students research study options, but not how they make final decisions.

Why it matters: - Big English-speaking destinations are losing share just as aging populations in those countries increase pressure to attract international students. - The shift could reshape where students apply, where institutions recruit, and how governments communicate study and visa policy. - The report says the market is moving toward 2030, and destinations that make policy easier to understand may have an edge in rebuilding demand.

What happened: - ApplyBoard released Top Trends in International Education for 2027 and Beyond on Nov. 2, 2026. - The report focuses on where students want to study and how technology is changing their search behavior. - ApplyBoard said the report uses government data, third-party research, and its Fall 2026 surveys of student advisors and students. - CEO Meti Basiri said the annual report is meant to help institutions and policymakers plan ahead as policy changes and student goals redraw the map toward 2030.

The details: - Canada processed about 92,000 new post-secondary study permit applications from January through July 2026, down 28% from the same period in 2025. - The pace of Canada’s decline slowed from March to July. - The UK received more than 303,000 study visa applications from main applicants from January through September 2026, down 20% from the same period in 2025. - Nearly three in four student advisors surveyed this fall said their students are interested in a destination outside the Big Four: Australia, Canada, the UK and the US. - Germany, South Korea, Japan and Malaysia gained popularity among international students, based on the latest available source data. - Japan reported more than 408,000 enrolled international students. - South Korea reported more than 307,000 enrolled international students. - Across the European Union, nearly 600,000 international students received a first-time education permit in 2025. - Germany hosted about 517,000 international students in 2025/26. - Spain, Malta and Hungary are each building a distinct appeal for international students. - In Asia, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia are strengthening their international student programs.

Between the lines: - The report frames the Big Four’s challenge as both demographic and messaging-related. - Each of the Big Four has an aging population, with at least one in five residents expected to be 65 or older by 2030. - The report argues that clearer, student-facing communication about policy could help restore confidence in 2027. - AI is becoming a research tool, not a replacement for human guidance. - 57% of international students surveyed by UCAS used AI to explore study options. - Only 7% trusted AI for important decisions. - ApplyBoard says students still rely on people for choices they do not want AI to make.

What's next: - ApplyBoard says the report closes with five strategies for institutions preparing for 2030. - Those strategies include making information easy for AI tools to find accurately. - The report also urges institutions to keep advisors reachable for final decisions. - The full report and a launch video from Meti Basiri are available here. - Meti Basiri is available for comments and interviews.

The bottom line: - The international education market is shifting away from the traditional English-speaking leaders, and AI is accelerating how students research destinations without changing who they trust to decide.