Institutions in smaller metro areas see increased number of international students

A new article from ApplyBoard discusses changes in the locations that international students study in Canada. According to IRCC data, students have increasingly been applying to postsecondary institutions in smaller metro areas, a change which the article argues is connected to the cost of living and housing availability. Metro areas that saw increased growth in study permits issued between 2016 and 2021 included Sault Ste Marie (890%), Kitchener (545%), Mississauga (474%), and Windsor (412%); but smaller areas such as Sarnia, Trois-Rivières, Moncton, and Sydney also tripled their number of international students since 2016. ApplyBoard recommends that institutions in smaller Canadian metro areas take these changes into account when recruiting international students and ensure that potential students know about cultural communities in the area that can support their transition to Canada. ApplyBoard Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.