2025 is around the corner - are you ready? 

It’s time to turn the volatility of the past few years into an opportunity for growth. With market shifts, unprecedented policy changes, and evolving landscapes, the key to success lies in a data-driven strategy. Let’s harness the power of targeted insights to boost your international enrollments!  With that in mind, consider the 3 W’s of international student recruitment:

What students want, why they want it, and when you should give it to them.

• What do students want? They crave diverse program options, flexibility, and a blend of speed and optimism in the application process.
• Why do they want it? To ensure their education aligns with career aspirations and life goals, providing them with a clear path to success.
• When should you give it to them? Timing is everything. Strategic, data-backed insights can pinpoint the optimal moments to engage and convert prospective students.

This edition explores the crucial role of approaching different markets with a data-driven strategy, ensuring your recruitment efforts hit the mark.

What to expect:

🗞️ News: Discover the right balance of international enrolment in post-secondary education.

✉️ Spotlight: Dive into giving international students what they really want with program options, flexibility, and a timely, optimistic process.

📚 Quick read: Get insights into Gen Z and what they’re like as students.

🌍 Resource: Explore three Gen Z student personas from Africa, India, and the UAE coming to the UK.

Ready, set, go! 

Shameless plug-in?

We’re offering 3 FREE marketing audits to universities and educational institutions across the UK this quarter. This includes a no-strings-attached exploratory call, audit, and recommendations from our team here at Pink Orange. Interested? Click below to register your interest!

<a href="https://www.pink-orange.co.uk/contact" class="finsweet-edvertise-cta" target=“_blank">Request your 2025 strategy</a>

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If Australia and Canada are anything to go by, the balance sits between 30 and 35%. 

In January 2024, Canada announced a two-year cap on international enrollments, distributing student visa applications to provincial and territorial governments, and then to individual institutions. Australia is following suit with a cap starting January 2025, and Dutch higher education leaders have also voluntarily agreed to limit international student intakes.

These caps stem from a political push to limit inbound migration, driven by inflation, rising living costs, economic uncertainty, and housing shortages. While the merits of such caps are debatable, the conversation is ongoing worldwide.

Beneath these broader questions lies a critical issue for HE institutions: finding the optimal balance of domestic and international enrollments. This balance varies by study level, institutional setting, and research portfolio. Institutions with extensive research programs may attract more international students to offset funding gaps.

The social license for international education—community support for welcoming international students—is also crucial. Economic struggles and housing crises can test this support. Each university must balance these factors, ensuring community support for higher education as a public good.

Ultimately, there needs to be more than a one-size-fits-all answer to the right mix of international and domestic enrollments. Even a slight shift in this balance can significantly impact institutions and their social license.

<a href="https://monitor.icef.com/2024/07/what-is-the-right-balance-of-international-enrolment-in-post-secondary-education/" class="finsweet-edvertise-cta" target=“_blank”>Read the article</a>

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Understanding what international students truly desire is key to crafting effective recruitment strategies.

From diverse program options to flexible learning opportunities, and the need for speed and optimism in the application process, it’s essential to address their priorities.

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And now for why these students are studying abroad 

• 64% of students look forward to earning their own money
• 38% look forward to being in control of their decisions 
• 37% look forward to building a career
• 36% look forward to travel
• 30% look forward to living on their own
• Only 16% look forward to specialist fields

<a href="https://www.pink-orange.co.uk/blog/global-markets-spotlight-student-recruitment-data-for-uk-universities" class="finsweet-edvertise-cta" target=“_blank”>Learn more</a>

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Gen Z is reshaping the higher education landscape with their unique perspectives and priorities.

Understanding what drives their decisions is crucial for effective recruitment.

Here's a snapshot of what you need to know about Gen Z students:

• One-third of Gen Z chooses traditional 4-year degree programs.
• 62% worry about affording higher education expenses.
• 29% think robots will enhance their learning efficiency.
• 69% believe the admission process is too competitive.
• 18% are more likely to drop out than Millennials.
• 72% consider college debt the main reason for choosing professional certification programs.

In 2023, agents found that international students prioritize several key factors when choosing where to study. The most important issue is the cost of studying and living abroad, which ranked first among 41% of respondents. Other top priorities include employment opportunities, immigration opportunities, and visa support. Additional considerations include institutional ranking (38%), visa application support (44%), visa processing times (37%), cost of tuition (67%), and work/immigration opportunities (52%).

<a href="https://pink-orange.webflow.io/international-student-recruitment-insights" class="finsweet-edvertise-cta" target=“_blank”>Get more insights</a>

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🫰🏼 Need a hand?

Feeling overwhelmed by the complexities of student recruitment and communication challenges? The Pink Print© is your ultimate solution. This innovative marketing research and strategy guide, crafted by Pink Orange’s expert education marketing team, offers fresh insights and precise tactics. Say goodbye to uncertainty—The Pink Print© is your definitive roadmap to confidently reaching new markets.

<a href="https://www.pink-orange.co.uk/contact" class="finsweet-edvertise-cta" target=“_blank”>Request yours</a>

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Aaaand that’s a wrap! 

Let us know how we did by leaving us a message on

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Until next time, 

Your friends in marketing

Jayde & Ridhima