EduData – Colleges closing the international student enrolment gap

Almost every year since 2002, international student enrolment has increased in Ontario’s publicly-funded colleges and universities. Although the university sector used to recruit the large majority of international students, the rate of college enrolment growth has generally surpassed that of universities in the past decade. In 2001, one in five international students attended college, but by 2013, the number had increased to one in three. The rate of college enrolment growth peaked in 2010, likely due, in part, to the introduction of the Student Partners Program (SPP) in 2009. Developed by Citizenship and Immigration Canada in cooperation with the Association of Canadian Community Colleges, the SPP expedites the Canadian study permit process for citizens of India and China. International students provide a larger pool of skilled applicants and bring an important diversity of ideas and culture to Canada, which are valuable in today’s global economy.