Are Business Schools Becoming Less International?

Applications from domestic students to business schools are booming, while more international students are deferring their studies. So are business schools becoming less international?

International flux rather than decrease

A move towards domestic-focused business education isn’t the same story everywhere.

Canada saw far higher growth in international students than it did with domestic students—a 31% increase compared to just a 6.5% growth for domestic students. This is likely down to Canada’s comparatively low COVID-19 infection rate, as well as a continuing trend of certain international groups opting for Canada over the US.

The Asia-Pacific also saw a decline in what is normally a strong domestic business school market. This corresponded with an increase of Asian applicants to Europe, who comprise around two-fifths of total international applicants.

Here, we can see a global flux rather than a move away from international talent migration, which is unsurprising given COVID-19. “This substantial uptick in domestic applications is reflective of uncertainty that both candidates and schools were facing when it comes to how they were making decisions,” notes Rahul, who adds that he's confident international demand will come back over time.

In the US, a knee jerk reaction to Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric and visa regulations was unsurprising, and a Biden presidency is expected to usher in a significant change in direction.

As COVID-19’s threat diminishes, some normality with regards to international talent mobility will resume. If anything, increasing domestic applications show how candidates continue to place value on a business school degree, in the face of travel restrictions, and regardless of where that degree comes from or how it is delivered.