Our March 2025 survey of 1,200 education agents, the largest in higher education, reveals two key themes dominating agent concerns.
- Affordability – more than ever before, students, particularly in China are choosing much more carefully as global economic conditions soften.
- Visa challenges (availability, denials, or delays)
These issues, exacerbated by recent U.S. policy disruptions, are reshaping student decision-making globally.
These concerns are reshaping global student flows in real time – have a look at our interactive student visa charts to see more. In China, long the bedrock of most institutions’ international student cohort, students are exploring options to make the most of their investment by taking part of their program at home – or exploring study in Malaysia, Korea and Hong Kong both of which have experienced massive increases.