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international students in Canada at all levels of study at the end of 20251

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Please note, unless otherwise stated, the study permit data provided below is a tally of all study permit holders in Canada (new and extensions) at the end of 2025. Overall, between 2023 and 2025, the number of total international students in Canada declined by 33%.

What are the top overall sending countries?

India 31%

100%

China 12%

38.70967742%

Nigeria 5%

16.12903226%

Philippines 5%

16.12903226%

France 3%

9.67741935%

At the end of 2025, Canada hosted 11% of globally mobile international students.2

Where did NEW students come from in 2025?

At what level are the international students studying?

University – Graduate 14%

33.33333333%

University – Bachelors 26%

61.9047619%

CEGEP/College 30%

71.42857143%

K-12/QC Vocational 24%

57.14285714%

What are the top fields of study for international students?

STEM 42%

100%

Business 31%

73.80952381%

Social Sciences 14%

33.33333333%

Hospitality/Tourism 3%

7.142857143%

Fine Arts 3%

7.142857143%

Trades/Vocational 2%

4.761904762%

ESL/FSL 1%

2.380952381%

Where do international students go?

Top three reasons international students choose Canada3

1

High-quality education

2

Internationally recognized degrees

3

Professional opportunities postgraduation

70% of international students plan to apply for a post-graduate work permit4

53% of international students plan to apply for permanent residence in Canada5

1 Unless otherwise specified, CBIE uses Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data.
2 Project Atlas 2025, Project Atlas: Global Student Mobility Data | IIE
3, 4, 5 CBIE International Student Survey, 2025

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