Canadian schools are expected to enroll record-high numbers of international applicants this year.

There was an early indicator: This past winter, Google searches for "applying to university in Canada" skyrocketed to their highest level in the last decade.

And now, schools nationwide are reporting their international applications have increased at least twenty-five percent, especially at the graduate level.

Meanwhile, 2/3 American MBA programs queried by GMAC this spring have received fewer international applications this year than last.

What we know

Some early numbers reported in The Globe and Mail this month include:

  • The University of Toronto has doubled the percentage of U.S. students.
  • Queen’s University’s international student enrollment is up 40 percent.
  • Brock University is anticipating a more than 33 percent increase in international students.
  • The University of Alberta is seeing a 27 percent increase, overall, in international applicants accepting offers from last year. The school saw an increase of approximately 82 percent in applications from graduate students from abroad.

Political uncertainty, in the form of President Trump’s extreme and unpredictable policies in the U.S., and the Brexit vote in the U.K., have made Canada more desirable for higher education, according to both experts and prospective students.

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