Canadian international school enrolments hold firm

The Canadian Association of Public Schools – International (CAPS-I) has just released its enrolment report to The PIE News. Long-term enrolment totalled 28,500 students during the last school year, from September 2024 to June 2025.

That’s down about 3% compared to the 29,600 students who attended the previous year for at least a semester. Short-term enrolments were up by 153 students, reaching 4,645 last year.

However, the number of students enrolling this month may be down compared to last year, says Bonnie McKie, executive director of CAPS-I.

“While CAPS-I doesn’t collect enrolment data until the end of each academic year, anecdotally it seems many members in the largest urban centres have experienced a decline in enrolment of between 10 and 15 percent for fall 2025,” she told The PIE.

She cited a number of factors for the enrolment dip. “Increasing competition, combined with economic instability and uncertainty around the globe, has had an impact on the decision-making of families looking to send their children abroad,” McKie said.

Some English-speaking countries have stepped up their welcome to international students. New Zealand, for example, recently launched a marketing campaign to encourage people to study in the country.

Meanwhile, the Canadian government is doing little to promote the country as a study destination. Ottawa has been turning its back to international students, imposing a study permit cap in 2024 and blaming students at least in part for a shortage of housing.

“Part of the decline can be attributed to uncertainty and confusion caused by recent immigration policy changes in Canada,” McKie says.

However, she emphasised that international students can make a smooth transition by graduating from a recognised school district program and then enrolling in a Canadian post-secondary institution.

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) now allows these international students to begin their post-secondary studies while their application for a study permit extension is processed – as long as it was submitted while the K-12 study permit was still valid.

Part of the decline can be attributed to uncertainty and confusion caused by recent immigration policy changes in Canada
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China continues to be the top source country for students at school districts, accounting for more than 9,000 of the total enrolments. Germany had less than one-third as many students with just 3,000. The two countries were followed by Japan, South Korea, Brazil and Vietnam.

McKie is fully aware of the need for diversification of source markets. “CAPS-I continues to lead members on three or four trade missions every year to key and emerging markets,” she said.

“CAPS-I regularly attends agent workshops and conferences around the globe in order to meet with education agencies about the opportunities and advantages of studying in Canadian public schools.”

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