Study Abroad Trend OverviewTop Destinations: The UK is quickly closing in on the US as the most-desired study abroad country, with Canada close behindLet’s start with what we all want to know. Where do Latin American students want to study abroad? Australia and Sweden continue to miss reaching the top ten after ranking 7th and 10th in Latin America in 2019. However, while the top study abroad countries have otherwise remained very similar over the years, the gap is closing between the top destinations - the United States and the United Kingdom. In 2019, the top two were separated by almost 15%, and two years later the difference has closed to less than 5%. Will the UK overtake the United States as the most desired destination for Latin American students next year? At this rate, it seems so. What about language? In this primarily Spanish and Portuguese-speaking region, 71.6% are looking towards English programs. The popularity of both English and French as languages of study (8.2%) has held relatively stable since last year.
Top Programs: Interest in Master’s Programs abroad has risen by more than 6% since last yearWhen looking at preferred program length in these regions, students from Latin America show a relatively large interest in 1-5+ year study abroad programs. Programs under one year attract only 14.7% of prospective students this year as compared to 24% last year. The top fields of studies hold some interesting differences from other regions. For example, did you know that this is the only global region besides Asia where Business & Administration is the most desired subject for studies abroad? Latin Americans are also looking for creative inspiration overseas. Students in this region are more interested in Art & Design programs than in any other region in the world. Within the region, Art & Design is actually ranked first for students from South America as well as for Mexico and Puerto Rico. Another look at Mexico reveals one more surprise. Media & Communications programs have become more popular this year, reaching 4th in the top programs list this year after ranking 10th last year. Language subjects, however, have dropped from being the first most-desired study subject abroad in 2020 for Mexican students to ranking near last this year (4.7%). Looking at the entirety of Latin America tells the same story. Languages fell from 3rd on the top programs list in 2020 to 11th this year.
Student Journey: 63.7% more students are planning their overseas studies one to two years in advance than in 2020Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs are by far the most preferred program levels in Latin America, covering about 80% of students. While interest in Bachelor’s programs has held relatively stable over the years, the same can’t be said about Master’s programs. Interest in Master’s level programs has grown by 18.8% since last year. Offsetting this is a 30.7% decline in Ph.D. programs.
When do these students want to begin studying abroad? Similar to previous years, most Latin American students are planning on starting soon. However, this year there are 63% fewer students looking to start studying during the same survey year since 2019, and a 63.7% increase in the proportion of students looking at programs 1-2 years in advance in the same time period. So, while very short-term planning seems to have become less common, it still looks like the near future is full of new international experiences for Latin American students. |
Marketing InsightsTop Considerations: Finding the right program has grown by 20.9% in importance as a first consideration since 2019To learn about how Latin American students make study abroad decisions, we asked what they consider first when deciding where to study abroad. Finding the right program has become increasingly important when deciding where to study overseas with an increase of 20.9% since 2019. The study abroad school has also become more often considered first over time. In contrast, a destination country has fallen as a priority. 37.7% fewer Latin American students over the last two years chose the country as a first consideration when making decisions about study abroad. What is most important in a program to students from Latin America who prioritize a program first? The content and modules of a program reach the top of the list overall with 67.6% of students, a 56.2% increase from last year. Last year’s winner, the quality of professors and teaching, experienced a drop of 10.1% this year, though still claimed as a top program factor by over half of the prospective students in Latin America in 2021. In Central America, things are seen a bit differently. You’ll find that students here value work placement or internship opportunities the most in an overseas program (71.1%). Let’s take another inside look at how teaching quality is actually judged by those who prioritize it. In Latin America, program rankings are seen as the top indicator of teaching quality by the majority of students. What else hints at quality instruction? Many also consider the work of professors in their field as well as the general school reputation to judge teaching quality when looking at international programs.
Top Motivations: Students are finding more motivation to study abroad in order to achieve career goals this yearCompared to last year, achieving career goals and personal development have each risen a place in ranking, displacing higher-quality teaching to fourth on the list. The factor, of higher-quality teaching, however, remains a high priority to 37.4% of Latin American students, second only to African students when looking globally. Latin America also has the second-highest number of students in the world thinking about visa options to live in another country as a top factor when considering study abroad (17.6%). This number rises even higher for South American students, where visa options are at the front of about a fifth of these students’ minds. When zooming out again, you’ll see that Latin America is also the global region with the most students looking for more study options than what their home country can offer (11.9%). In the Caribbean, however, almost double that say finding more study options is a top reason to study abroad! Can you offer extra academic support for international students? Latin Americans are worried about class difficulty more than the average international student, especially in Mexico and Puerto Rico (22.2%) and South America (25.7%). However, there’s been a 14.4% decrease overall in the proportion of students concerned about not speaking the local language of their study abroad country since last year. Adding to that, these students are ready to meet new people overseas. There are 30.8% fewer prospective Latin American students nervous about making friends or fitting in this year than in 2020.
Top Influences: Virtual Open Days and Study Abroad Fairs are seen as more helpful in Latin America than averageIn Latin America, you should ensure that teachers are aware of international opportunities for their students. When making decisions about studying abroad, 21% of these students say that their teachers are a top influence, which is higher than any other global region. Where does your school have a social media presence? In 2019, we asked prospective students from Oceania how important different social media platforms were when researching study abroad options. Two years ago, YouTube was the top answer, followed by Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. What about in 2021? When we asked what students found to be the most useful to get more information about a university, 56.3% said Instagram, and 18% said Facebook. What else might influence Latin Americans to try out life as international students? Scholarship information might just do it. This region has the second-largest amount of students besides Africa that see scholarships and funding information as the most helpful towards making a decision (66.6%), taking the top spot for the third year in a row. Recommendations of family and friends, however, are seen as much less helpful than in the past when making decisions. This factor places second to last this year as compared to topping the list at second overall in 2019. Ranking also matters to students in this part of the world. Ranking lists of top schools, countries, and programs are seen as more helpful to Mexican (42.3%) and South American students (31.9%) than average. Wondering if Latin Americans are interested in virtual promotions? Our survey says they are! About 10.6% of these students say that a school’s virtual open days are helpful to them, which is double the global average. Study abroad fairs are also appreciated here +3% more than any other region (9.4%). |
