There has been a spike in student accommodation traffic, with a 2.5X increase up to May 2022 and a 4X increase till August 2022 when compared to the same time last year, as per a survey by the global student housing platform University Living. The report further states that apart from the regularly popular countries like the UK, the US, Canada and Australia other study destinations like Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, and UAE have emerged as surprise destinations for students.
While Germany and Portugal have seen a 7X increase in international students, Spain, France, and the UAE have registered 6.8X, 5.5X, and a 2X increase, respectively. The report’s findings also showed that approximately 5.67 percent of Indian students heading overseas had chosen the aforementioned countries as their study destinations.
Furthermore, conventional countries continue to grow in popularity. A total of 90,669 Indian students were issued visas in the 12-month period ending in September 2021. Compared with the year ending in September 2020, there was an increase of 45,677, marking a 102 percent increase in student visas issued to Indians, according to the data shared by the UK home office. As for the USA, the student accommodation platform has witnessed a 42 percent spike in student inquiries.
The survey-based report gives interesting insights into multiple aspects, including countries that are now emerging as popular choices, the increase in traffic for student accommodation booking, how the post-pandemic era has changed the study abroad scenario, and many more.
According to the survey, the study abroad scenario has significantly transformed in the post-pandemic world, several new courses have become popular among students to help them pursue which has seen an increased need for qualified professionals.
Students are also being more calculative in terms of the study destinations they choose. Additionally, student well-being, mental health, and safety are now being considered priorities besides their academic performance and participation in extracurriculars, the survey added.
The report shows that its website has registered a whopping 178 percent increase in overall traffic from January to May 2022, as more and more students moving abroad are approaching the platform seeking student accommodation. There has been a surge in the number of students from tier II and III cities, indicating that students from non-metros are also now more aware of the options available to them.
Mayank Maheshwari, Co-founder & COO, of University Living said, “Every so often, at University Living, we conduct surveys from which we garner data about the study abroad scene and relevant aspects. Our latest survey report contains several interesting insights about studying abroad. It shows how the pandemic has impacted students wanting to move overseas and the current trends. It focuses on the emerging study destinations that students are now choosing apart from conventional countries like the UK, USA, Australia, and Canada.”
