February 2025

Welcome to Studyportals Higher Ed Data into Insights - data and market insights for international higher education professionals.

In this month's edition:

• We take a peek at what happened to student demand during President Trump's inauguration week
• We explore the latest trends for sustainability-focused Master's degrees
• And we bring you insights from the Middle East and North Africa as the region emerges as a global hub for international education

What happened to student demand during President Trump’s inauguration week???

By Karl Baldacchino and Cara Skikne

Bump in demand from the US for Studying abroad?

After the US election results were announced, Studyportals saw a five-fold increase in daily US student searches for studying abroad. We have observed a smaller but still significant bump in pageviews in the week of President Trump’s inauguration.

Pageviews from the US for programmes abroad were 112% higher than average for January.

US student searches for studying abroad in the UK rose by half from the previous week and by two thirds compared to the same week last year. Searches for studying in Ireland rose 70% compared to the previous week and by over 100% compared to the same week last year. US student demand for Germany, the Netherlands and France also increased.??

International student interest towards the US?

Meanwhile, demand from international students for US degree programmes was 20% lower in Inauguration week compared to the same week last year.??

Compared to the same week last year, Interest from Pakistan was up by 30% while Interest from India fell by half. Interest was also lower from Nigeria, Iran, Ghana and Nepal.?

Student interest in sustainability surges

By Ameena Ali

Sustainability remains a hot topic in higher education, with universities worldwide expanding their offerings in this field. But where is student interest strongest? Which countries and disciplines lead in "sustainable" programme supply? And does the keyword itself impact demand?

We examine the latest trends in Master's programmes, revealing key insights into programme performance, student demand by country, and programme supply

??Read more about trends for sustainability Master's programmes here

Exploring international education in the MENA region: Growth markets and regional trends?

By Mathias Falkenstein and Karl Baldacchino

The Middle East and North Africa region is emerging as a significant global hub for higher education, driven by ambitious investments, innovative strategies, and robust regional collaboration. ?

Based on the last 24 months of Studyportals data, there are 78 institutions across 12 destinations in the region that offer either a Bachelor, Master, or PhD English-taught programme. However, as the visual below details, the demand (i.e. pageviews) generated by prospective students is strongly focused on the United Arab Emirates.

From January 14-16, 2025, Director of Higher Education Development for the Studyportals` @Analytics and Consulting Team, Dr. @Mathias Falkenstein, attended the following events in Dubai:?

• The AACSB Middle East and North Africa Conference;?

• The Times Higher Education Business School Showcase at the University of Dubai;?

• A report launch event by 英国文化协会 at Middlesex University Dubai.?

These events underscored the pivotal role of data-driven insights in navigating this dynamic landscape and identifying opportunities for growth and innovation.?

??Read more about his insights on the region here.

Thank you for reading! Let us know which data insights you'd like us to explore by emailing [email protected]

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