According to a recent study, in 2021, 81 percent of students planned to pursue their education through in-person classes at international campuses. However, this year, there has been a decline in the number of students planning to attend offline classes. This indicates a shift in preferences away from traditional in-person education.
The survey outlined distinct preferences among students regarding online education: 18 percent leaned towards studying in their home country online, while 17 percent opted for online courses at institutions abroad. Additionally, there was a slight but noticeable increase in the proportion of students (from 10 percent in 2021 to 11 percent in 2023) who preferred entirely online studies.
Migration prospects, post-graduation work rights, and cost considerations played important factors in students’ decisions to pursue education. Students are attracted to the combination of leveraging international degrees for migration and post-study work rights, as well as the lower tuition fees offered by domestic universities.
Another striking finding was the rising preference for local campus education. The percentage of students favouring local campus education options is increasing from 10 percent in 2021 to 17 percent in 2023. Additionally, a separate study emphasised the popularity of entirely online or hybrid course formats. The switch attributes this trend to the education sector’s adaptation to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
In the United States, while there was a surge in online course enrollment among college students during the pandemic (76% in 2020), there was a subsequent decrease to 60% by 2021. This suggests a gradual return to more traditional educational approaches as the effects of the pandemic subside.
Various factors, including global events, economic considerations, and the evolving nature of education delivery modes, influence these shifts in student preferences.
