New research: Career goals take precedence over soft skills for international students

Career development opportunities remain the most influential factor determining where international students pursue global education, according to new research conducted by international education specialist IDP Education in March 2025.

The Emerging Futures 7 – Voice of the International Student research, which collected responses from more than 6,000 students from over 100 countries, shows a growing number of students are linking graduate employment prospects with their definition of high quality of education.

According to the research, students’ understanding of whether an institution provides ‘high-quality education’ is now largely based on its ‘graduate employment rate’. This outranked ‘institution ranking’, ‘facilities available to students’ and ‘quality of academic staff’, showing that students are seeking tangible outcomes from their studies.

The research also identified that ‘Job outcomes from the institution’ was the top non-academic factor when choosing an institution for 58 percent of international students.

Simon Emmett, Chief Partner Officer at IDP Education, stated that these findings underscore the mutually beneficial relationships between international students and host countries.

"We know that international students choose their study destination based on factors that help them become job ready, with access to post-study employment being the key influence,” said Emmett.

“Simultaneously, we observe that international students are increasingly able to address essential skill shortages in the destination workforces.

"The research serves as a timely reminder for governments and policymakers to embrace international students, who go on to fill vital skill gaps and foster long-lasting diplomatic ties between their home and host countries,” he said.

While the research showed that there were positive sentiments among students, it also revealed they are struggling with study-related costs and increasing cost of living.

“Financial considerations, such as the cost of visa, and savings requirements are weighing on students’ minds. One in two students told us they would consider switching to another destination country if it had lower savings requirements,” said Emmett.

“Additionally, two thirds of students cite tuition fees, living costs and extra expenses as their biggest worry.”

Despite the varying external pressures impacting each study destination, international student preferences for first-choice destination remained steady. Australia still holds the top spot, followed by the US, UK and Canada respectively. Australia has seen a five percentage point increase since March 2024, while Canada has continued to see a drop in the number of students choosing it as their first-choice destination, down six percentage points since March 2024.

Phebe Joshua, former international student from Nigeria who is now working as a Recruitment Services Coordinator at University of Alberta, brings ambition and drive to the Albertan workforce.   

When asked what international students hope to gain from their experience in Canada, Phebe said, "Many international students come to Canada with a desire to make a difference and contribute meaningfully to their communities. By bringing our cultures, ideas, and experiences, we enrich Canada’s diversity and help shape campuses into global villages where mutual respect and collaboration thrive. It’s more than earning a degree, it’s about making a difference and giving back". 

While the research showed there were many positive sentiments among students, it also revealed they are struggling with study-related costs and increasing cost of living. 

More information on the research is available at https://partners.idp.com/emergingfutures 

About IDP Education  

IDP is a global leader in international student placement and a proud co-owner of the world’s most popular high-stakes English language test (IELTS). 

IDP is listed on the Australian securities exchange (ASX:IEL) and has 6500 employees across more than 60 countries. Our websites attract 100 million visits a year.  

We specialize in combining human expertise with digital technology to help people get accepted into their ideal course, take an English language test or learn English in their schools. Our teams work side-by-side with our customers, at every step from course search through to starting their dream course or career.  

We partner with more than 1000 quality universities and institutions across Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Our data insights are relied upon by organizations around the world to help ensure policies are informed by the diverse needs, challenges and motivations of students.   

Most of all, we are proud of our people, who are trusted by our customers to help them realize their global study or career goals. 

Media contacts:

Annie Collison – Porter Novelli

acollison@porternovelli.com.au

+61 406 080 356