94% Study Abroad Aspirants Rank Canada as Top Destination; Survey

Canada Leads Among Popular Study Destinations: Survey

According to the recent Student Pulse Survey Spring 2025 by ApplyBoard, Canada is still unfazed and leads study abroad preferences. 94% of the students who responded to the survey have shown some level of interest in studying in Canada. Also, the survey reveals that 65% of the respondents are only interested in studying in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, UK, and US.

In this particular survey, candidates still preferred the US as a study abroad destination. On the contrary, Canada overtook takes US as higher percentages of respondents had higher interest at the very and moderately levels, with only 6% who are not interested at all.

Although Canada remains the top choice for international students, they also prefer US, UK, Australia, and Germany as the top 5 study abroad destinations in 2025. The study abroad preferences of the aspirants were Canada at the top, followed by US, UK, Australia, Germany, and Ireland.

Source: Apply Board

Why Canada is Still Popular in 2025

Although Canada imposed visa restrictions and a study cap on Indian students, making it harder for them to obtain a study permit, they still prefer Canada as one of the attractive countries to pursue studies abroad.

Numerous reasons tend to make Canada still a popular study destination. A few of the reasons why Canada leads study abroad preferences despite a diplomatic dispute with India include:

• High-Quality Education Top Canadian universities are globally renowned for their academic excellence and are often recognised under QS and THE.

• Better Career Prospects: Lucrative career opportunities with competitive salaries in the global market after graduating from Canadian educational institutions.

• Work Opportunities in Canada: Post study prospects in the Canadian industry with the work visa options

• Good ROI: Although the cost of studying in Canada is typically higher in 2025, it's still considered a good return on investment for Indian students.

• Survey Says It is Popular: This has been recently reflected in a survey where 94% of candidates still selected Canada as a preferred country for academics.

Related Reads:

• Canada vs India: Which is Better

• Pros and Cons of Study in Canada

• US vs Canada

Canada’s Visa Restriction Impact On Indian Students

The recent statistics reveal that Canada has imposed tightened visa requirements and restrictions on Indian students through changes in their previous immigration policies. Here are the factual data showing the impact of India-Canada diplomatic tensions on Indian students.

In late 2023, a diplomatic issue between India and Canada led to a sharp decline in educational exchanges, i.e studying in Canada from India. The number of Canada study permits issued dropped from 108,940 to 14,910 which is around 86%, in the last quarter.

In early 2024, a student cap for international students was issued, cutting new permits by 35% to about 364,000. They also doubled the financial requirements for international students in Canada in that year to 20,635.

In 2025, Canada further introduced some new visa policies and changes, including increased border security, stricter visa regulations, new study visa caps, rigorous work permit requirements, the end of SDS program, and many more.

This has eventually made it harder for middle-class Indian families to get a Canadian student visa, as obtaining larger education loans became even more difficult, On this note, Canada and the US still account for 72% of Indian students studying abroad. This shows that even amid a diplomatic rift between India and Canada, students are still choosing Canada as one of their top study abroad preferences.

Conclusion: Canada Leads as Most Popular Study Destination

Canada is still preferred as a study abroad destination even with the recent policy changes in that country that have led to numerous challenges for international students. Benefits such as top notch education, post study work opportunities, and global exposure have ensured Canada’s appeal in the world. Along with Canada as a top choice, students are also becoming more diversified in their choices for countries like Germany, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, and Nigeria because of affordability.