Times Higher Education: Chinese Student Flows Tipped To Peak Within Five Years

The number of Chinese students pursuing degrees abroad will likely “peak within five years, and then enter a track of stagnation or even slight decline”, a study by Oliver Wyman says.

The largest sending country for overseas learners, China has experienced robust growth in recent decades, fuelling demand for university degrees in countries such as the US and the UK – with some institutions leaning heavily on international student fees. But Western countries could soon see demand from Chinese students drop, despite a trend towards easing border restrictions.

Although student flows have recovered somewhat since Covid-19 severely limited international travel, analysts are pessimistic about the likelihood of student mobility figures continuing to climb much further.

“Even with the rebounds seen from the easing of restrictions, these enrolment numbers are unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels,” write Claudia Wang and Monique Zhang, co-authors of the study and analysts at the consultancy Oliver Wyman.

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