Admissions

Coverage of higher education admissions, including access, selection, recruitment, and enrollment trends worldwide.

Study in Lujiazui, Shanghai
China

China strengthens position as global study destination with 380,000 international students

· By H. Yang

China hosted 380,000 international students from 191 countries in 2024–25, reinforcing its growing role as a global study destination with strong engineering and postgraduate enrollment growth.

Fujiyoshida, Japan
Japan

Japan proposes closing 40% of private universities amid demographic crisis

· By H. Yang

Japan plans to close or merge 250 private universities by 2040 as demographic decline drives enrollment shortages and forces major restructuring across higher education.

Sorbonne University, France
France

France redefines international tuition: a strategic shift with global implications

· By H. Yang

France is raising tuition fees for non-EU students to €2,895 (bachelor’s) and €3,941 (master’s). Despite the increase, it remains cheaper than major study destinations like the US and UK. The change supports France’s “Choose France” strategy to attract talent in key fields like AI and engineering.

St. Paul's Co-educational College
Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong students increasingly stay local as overseas study falls to 14-year low

· By H. Yang

Only 2,671 Hong Kong Secondary 6 graduates studied outside the city in 2025, the lowest level since 2012. Most students stayed in Hong Kong for higher education, supported by strong local universities, subsidized tuition, diversified study options, and changing student demographics, with mainland China now the top external study destination.

Students Studying in Library Hall
China

China’s study abroad curve: from expansion to equilibrium under structural pressure

· By H. Yang

China’s study abroad is shifting from growth to stability. In 2025, outbound students (570,600) stay below the 2019 peak. Drivers include mass domestic higher education (9.922 million admissions), improving university quality, weaker ROI, rising costs, geopolitical friction, and declining demographic pressure expected after the 2034 Gaokao peak.

CrossRoads Sign
China

Choosing the “in-between” option: why students opt for international branch campuses in China

· By H. Yang

International branch campuses are often analysed as instruments of global higher education strategy. Less attention, however, has been paid to how students themselves arrive at the decision to enrol in them.

University of Nottingham Trent Building
China, United Kingdom

China’s international branch campuses: engines of opportunity – or inequality?

· By H. Yang, M. Wu

China’s international branch campuses are expanding rapidly, promising global pathways and English-medium degrees. But new evidence suggests they disproportionately serve urban, affluent students, with family income emerging as a decisive factor in access. Rather than widening participation, these institutions risk reinforcing existing inequalities within Chinese higher education.