New data comparing online search need in late 2025 and early 2026 has shown declining need for master’s degrees in the US, UK and Canada, while New Zealand, India and Sweden taped soaring growth in relative demand.
Together with the continued expanding of search beyond the ‘big four’, the figures from Keystone Education Group show rising interest in regional and regional alternatives.
“The second-fastest growing location in search is India, and we understand that a lot of this is driven by Indian students themselves,” stated Mark Bennett, Keystone’s VP of research and insight.
“It’s a surprise, but possibly it shouldn’t remain in a world in which traditional ‘source’ countries are keen to retain talent within their own college systems, where TNE is more of a strategic focus and, of course, where policy and financial barriers hinder conventional research study abroad journeys.”
Source: FindAMasters, Keystone Education Group
. Significantly, the above search information omits search from domestic trainees. It is drawn from over 350,000 total searches in each time period.
The striking growth in interest for New Zealand reveals audiences are picking up on the nation’s continual favorable messaging around international education and post-study work, said Bennett, with the federal government set to introduce a brand-new graduate work visa later on this year.
For Indian trainees specifically, interest in India increased by a tremendous 94% while the UK held stable with a modest 2% rise.
The photo was more complicated for Canada (-6%), the US (-37%) and Australia (-42%), with significant drops in the latter 2 locations showing policy turbulence and decreasing visa approvals obstructing United States and Australian deals.
In the United States, the information enhances current figures from IIE’s 2026 spring snapshot, which discovered that 61% of American colleges recorded a fall in Indian applications for the 2026/27 academic year.
Experts have stated visa uncertainty is driving the trend, with United States research study visa issuance to Indian trainees plunging by 62% in 2015.
On the other hand, Indian trainees are particularly conscious changes to post-study work opportunities, with Bennett highlighting the effect of continued unpredictability over Optional Practical Training (OPT) on the appeal of the US.
Indian trainees, who made up nearly one third of America’s overall worldwide student body in 2024/25, comprised just under half of all OPT individuals.
Conventional’ source ‘countries are eager to maintain skill within their own higher education systems
Mark Bennett, Keystone Education Group
Elsewhere, Bennett said the 4% need drop for the UK was most likely due to the government’s shortening of the graduate route and “ongoing stories of visa rejections and withdrawals”.
It comes as UK home office information saw the worst Might of the post-Covid duration for study visa issuance, with the variety of visas released in Q1 2026 down by almost a third compared to the previous year.
On the other hand, regardless of a decrease in Indian trainee interest in Australia, total need for the destination grew after a “poor” 2025, stated Bennett, while interest in Canada steadied off.
The development of India as an education center rather than sole sending out market has been driven by the government’s National Education Policy 2020, unlocking to an increase of branch campuses and TNE endeavors in the nation.
Last week, Prime Minister Naarendra Modi went to Australia as it was exposed that Flinders University would end up being the current to open a branch school in Bengaluru, India.
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