Rob Kiteley
ACCORDING to new research Canada is the most sought after destination for students in the world, with Spain in second place.
An impressive 36 different nationalities named Canada as their preferred option as a result of its friendly people, top class universities and stunning scenery.
However Spain came in second place in terms of overall popularity, with 13 nationalities preferring the Mediterranean lifestyle, and the many hours of sunshine the country offers. Students from the United States, Chile and Argentina all chose Spain as their ideal study destination.
England came in third, with 10 nationalities choosing the country for its world class universities, culture and history. Though possibly not for its weather.
The study, conducted by money transfer company Remitly, was conducted using Google search data and looked at data from across 160 countries. Jago McKenzie, who is head of the company in the UK, said: “Studying abroad allows students to broaden their horizons by exploring new cultures, languages and gaining valuable experience … it’s also wonderful to see such a variety of countries across multiple continents drawing educational talent, and whilst American universities do dominate the university search rankings, we were pleased to see Indian, Pakistani, English and South African universities are making their mark too”.
Researchers also looked at how specific universities fared in terms of popularity among students. Boston’s Harvard University came in first, whilst Englands’ University of Oxford seized the top spot among European destinations.
Whilst the United States came in sixth place overall for popularity among nationalities, it dominated the search results for specific universities, with 16 out of the top 25 destinations based in the US. The most popular location is Washington, with the state offering a number of universities, including the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington State university as well as the highly prized, sports focused, Gonzaga University.
As COVID-19 restrictions ease across the world, students are returning to campus and many are expected to study abroad.
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