Record number of foreign students helps drive enrolments in Canadian universities to all-time high

Enrolment in Canadian universities again surpassed the 1-million mark for the second consecutive year during the academic year 2005-06.

A recent Statistics Canada study, based on the data obtained by Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS), shows that an estimated 1,047,700 students were registered in classes for the academic year 2005-06 that is 3 per cent higher than 2004-05.

This upward trend in university enrolment, as examined, is primarily driven by growth in the number of foreign students and young Canadian adults following urbanization, immigration, labor market demand, demand for graduate education, financial returns, socio-economic status and parental influence.

It has been determined that a record 80,200 students from other countries (foreign or international students) enrolled in programs at Canadian universities in 2005-06, up 6.0 per cent from the previous year. These foreign students represented 7.7 per cent of the total registrations, nearly double the proportion a decade earlier. Half of them were from Asia, where only China accounted for 46 per cent of these Asian students.

A number of factors account for the continued strength of foreign registrations. These include strong economic growth in leading Asian countries, such as China; new university marketing strategies to counter competition from institutions in other countries; changes in immigration policies; and provincial agreements with other countries to attract foreign students.

Provincially, Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec attracted almost 78% of international students. Numerically, the largest increases of international students occurred at universities in Ontario, where the gain was 1,400 and those in British Columbia, where the increase was 2,500.

Asian students accounted for the majority of the total increase in foreign students. Registrants from China rose 7% to a record high 19,200; the growth in students from China accounted for 28% of the gain in enrolment among international students. Canadian universities also continued to register significant numbers of students from India, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong, all of which increased in 2005-06.

Women have accounted for about 45% of all international students since 1999. In 1992, the proportion was about 39%.

Among foreign students, enrolments increased in all but two fields of study. The biggest decline was in the field of mathematics, computer and information sciences, where foreign enrolment fell by almost 4%. In the other fields of study, the numbers increased. The rate of growth had exceeded that of the prior year for three fields of study: education; humanities; and health, parks, recreation and fitness.

Another survey reported that just over 65 per cent of total foreign students, who are admitted to Canada annually to study, are intending to remain in Canada to embark on careers or pursue further studies.

A 2007 survey by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) showed that 69 per cent of schools offer scholarships targeted toward international undergraduate students and 62 per cent for international graduate students pursuing masters or doctoral degrees. This survey also found that 356 programs with an international focus offered at 61 niversities in 2006.