Canada requires international students more than ever
In the 2019-2020 academic year, international students made up 18 percent of Canada’s post-secondary enrollment, up seven percentage points from 2015-2016. 1 This data illustrates that international student enrollment has continued to be critical to Canada’s post-secondary education’s expansion and success. Improved access to global education helps Canada and the globe become stronger and more successful.
According to a new study from Ontario’s auditor general, domestic student enrollment at Ontario’s colleges has decreased by 15% during 2012-2013. 2 However, the most recent data from Statistics Canada shows that Ontario is not alone in this tendency. This new data set sheds light on the numbers behind many of the international studies patterns we’ve seen around the country.
Total Enrollment in Canada
The overall number of domestic students enrolled in Canadian post-secondary schools fell by 1% in 2019-2020, after hovering around 1.8 million for several years. At the same time, approximately 388,000 overseas students enrolled in Canadian universities and colleges, indicating a 14 percent increase year over year. Over the five-year period, the rapid growth of international student enrolment has captured a bigger percentage of Canada’s total enrollment.
In 2019-2020, there were 159,000 more international students enrolled in Canadian post-secondary schools than in 2015-2016, a 70 percent increase. From 2016-2017 through 2019-2020, year-over-year growth in international student enrollment topped 10% each year. As domestic student enrollment dwindled, this growth was critical to the success of Canada’s post-secondary industry. It also demonstrates Canada’s international strength in attracting and educating students from all around the world.
Enrollment in Canada, Province by Province
The stacked bar charts below indicate which provinces increasingly relied on international student enrollment to keep their post-secondary schools growing from 2015-2016 to 2019-2020.
Enrollment at the University Level
International student enrollment at universities increased by 40% from 2015-2016 to 2019-2020. During this time, domestic university enrollment remained steady, growing by less than 1%. The following graph compares the total percentage of foreign and domestic student enrollment at university level by province from 2015-2016 to 2019-2020.
Enrollment at the College Level
In comparison to universities, colleges in Canada have seen more fluctuation in international and domestic student enrollment. The chart below compares the total percentage of foreign and domestic student enrollment at the college level by province from 2015-2016 to 2019-2020.