IDP student survey shows more study options considered, AI tools in use

The eighth edition of IDP Education ’s regular Emerging Futures research, released this week at the Australian International Education Conference (AIEC), is based on the responses of 7,922 prospective and applied international students.

First-choice destinations: As with the previous edition of the survey in February, Australia remained the first-choice destination for 28 per cent of respondents, while the UK was second with 22 per cent (up one percentage point over the previous survey) and the USA, down three points to 19 per cent.

First-choice destination in the IDP Emerging Futures 8 survey. Graphic source – IDP Education.

Canada, previously the most popular destination in the IDP surveys before the introduction of study permit caps, was in fourth place on 14 per cent, up one point, followed by New Zealand on five per cent.

The USA remained the number one destination in terms of perceptions of quality of education among respondents, but was a clear last among the six destinations profiled in terms of ‘safety and welcoming’, post-study work visa policies and international student policies.

Australia was rated top for safety, graduate employment opportunities and post-study work visa policies, while the UK was slightly ahead on international student policies, perhaps reflecting the relatively settled policy environment there for higher education compared with changes in Australia, Canada and the USA over recent months.

Multiple destinations: A clear majority of prospective students (85 per cent) are considering more than one destination, the authors found, with 35 per cent looking at options in four or more countries.

Among the alternative non-English destinations, Germany was being considered by six per cent, followed by France (three) and Singapore (two).

Artificial Intelligence (AI): IDP said that the intent among student to use AI tools such as ChatGPT in the decision-making process has increased by 20 percentage points in the last year.

Perceptions of the major English-speaking HE destinations in Emerging Futures 8. Source – IDP Education.

The authors found that 54 per cent intended to use AI to decide their student institution. Students from China were the most likely to state their intention to use the tools at 63 per cent.

Simon Emmett, Chief Partnerships Officer at IDP Education, said, “While students are still turning to counsellors and universities for advice, many are telling us that AI is becoming part of their decision-making toolkit. As a result, AI is shaping the early stage of students’ journeys.”

Vaishali Jain, Senior Education Counsellor at IDP Education, said, “We’re seeing a growing number of students using AI tools like ChatGPT to explore study options before they even speak to a counsellor.

Number of destination countries being considered by prospective students. Source – IDP.

“AI is helping students clarify their interests, compare institutions, and come to us with more focused questions, while still having the support and guidance of counsellors to keep them on track until the visa has been granted. When used thoughtfully, it helps students take more control of their learning journey.”

Nonetheless, students were still reliant on the counsellors and university websites as sources of information, IDP said.

Australia-headquartered IDP Education has more than 6,500 employees across 60 countries and partners with 800 higher education institutions across the major English-speaking higher education study destinations. The company also co-owns the IELTS English language test.