Canadian postsecondary enrolments and graduates, 2024/2025
Released: 2026-10-01
628,524
2024/2025
+2.7% 
(annual change)
1,172,976
2024/2025
+1.8%
(annual change)
266,508
2024/2025
-7.7% 
(annual change)
266,874
2024/2025
-6.1%
(annual change)
In the 2024/2025 academic year, there were 2.3 million enrolments in public colleges and universities, up slightly (+0.1%; +3,174) from the previous year. This followed a larger increase of 5.8% (+129,276 enrolments) from 2022/2023 to 2023/2024.
The 2024/2025 academic year was the first to reflect the year-over-year effects of federal policy changes announced in January 2024, including a temporary cap on new international study permits. International student enrolments declined by 6.9% (-39,582) in 2024/2025, marking a shift from the growth observed in the past decade. During that period, increases in international student enrolments were a major contributor to overall enrolment growth at public postsecondary institutions. In 2024/2025, domestic student enrolments increased by 2.1% (+37,626).
International student enrolments decline following federal policy changes
The decline in international student enrolments was more pronounced at colleges (-22,323; -7.7%) than at universities (-17,259; -6.1%) in 2024/2025. Colleges experienced faster growth in international student enrolments in the years leading up to 2024/2025 and were more affected by the 2024 cap on new study permits. In 2024/2025, Canadian student enrolments increased at both colleges (+16,647; +2.7%) and universities (+20,976; +1.8%), partially offsetting the decline in international enrolments.
Among the provinces, Ontario recorded the largest declines in international student enrolments at both colleges (-28,875; -13.6%) and universities (-7,455; -6.7%) in 2024/2025. British Columbia recorded the second-largest decline at universities (-5,346 enrolments; -10.6%), while Manitoba had the second-largest decline at colleges (-732; -13.4%).
The decline in international enrolments in 2024/2025 was largely accounted for by declines among students from India (-26,550; -11.9%), followed by China (-4,368; -6.6%) and the Philippines (-3,654; -18.6%). Enrolments among students from China had already been declining since 2020/2021, before the federal policy changes announced in 2024. Together, students from these three countries accounted for more than four-fifths (83.4%) of the overall decline in student enrolments in 2024/2025.
Chart 1
International student enrolments by institution type, 2014/2015 to 2024/2025
Field-specific decline in enrolments for international students
With a few exceptions, there was a decline in international student enrolment in most fields in 2024/2025. Health care was a notable exception, with increases at both colleges (+1,524 enrolments; +6.9%) and universities (+309; +3.0%). This contrasted with 2023/2024, when international student enrolments rose across all fields of study.
The largest decline in 2024/2025 was recorded in business and administration, where international enrolments fell at colleges (-16,089; -12.7%) and universities (-5,283; -8.2%). This was a sharp reversal from 2023/2024, when international student enrolment growth in business and administration outpaced that of all other fields of study. In 2024/2025, significant declines were also recorded in engineering and engineering technology at colleges (-4,677 enrolments; -17.6%) and universities (-4,416; -10.0%) and in arts and humanities at colleges (-2,250; -12.7%) and universities (-2,442; -8.1%).
In contrast, Canadian student enrolments continued to grow across most fields of study in 2024/2025. At universities, the largest increases were in engineering and engineering technology (+6,327 enrolments; +6.5%) and mathematics and computer and information (+4,794; +7.2%). At colleges, the largest increases were in health care (+6,117 enrolments; +7.7%) and trades, services, natural resources and conservation (+5,505; +4.3%).
International student graduates lead overall growth
In the 2024 calendar year, the number of students who graduated with a credential, such as a certificate, diploma or degree, from a Canadian public postsecondary institution increased to 724,071, up 9.2% (+61,197) from 2023.
The increase in 2024 was driven by international student graduates from colleges (+44,328; +31.3%). At the same time, the number of Canadian graduates increased for the first time since 2021 at both colleges (+6,534; +3.8%) and universities (+651; +0.2%). Increases were recorded in every province, with Ontario posting the largest gains in both college (+37,977; +20.5%) and university (+5,097; +3.7%) graduates.
By level of education, graduates from short-cycle tertiary programs (289,530) outnumbered those from bachelor's or equivalent programs (229,176) for the second year in a row in 2024. The concentration of international graduates in short-cycle tertiary programs was particularly notable: they accounted for more than half (55.5%) of graduates at this level in 2024, up from 7.5% in 2009. This pattern is consistent with previous findings from Statistics Canada, which found that short-cycle tertiary programs that can be completed in one year may offer international students a faster path to Post-Graduation Work Permit eligibility than longer bachelor's or master's programs. This faster path contributed to their increased popularity among international students over this period.
Chart 2
Graduates from postsecondary institutions by level of education, 2014 to 2024
Note to readers
Administrative data on Canadian postsecondary institution enrolments and graduates are obtained from public colleges and universities using the Postsecondary Student Information System. The counts exclude students enrolled in apprenticeship programs. Enrolment and graduate counts for certain institutions are preliminary or based on estimates.
The number of enrolments presented is not meant to represent a complete enumeration of all students at postsecondary institutions during the 2024/2025 academic year. Instead, they are based on students enrolled in postsecondary institutions at the time of the fall snapshot date, that is, a single date chosen by the institution that falls from September 30 to December 1. Therefore, students who are not enrolled during this period are excluded. This has a greater impact on colleges as they have a continuous intake of students and offer shorter programs.
Enrolments are based on program counts and not on student counts. If a student is enrolled in more than one program as of the snapshot date, all their programs are included in the count.
Graduate data are published based on the calendar year.
Colleges can offer some programs at the bachelor level and above.
All numbers, including the totals, have been rounded; therefore, sums of the values may not match the total counts. Percentage changes were calculated using rounded values. The data are subject to annual revisions. These revisions are applied to include new data submissions from 2004, any updates to classification standards and changes in concepts.
The International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) is the reference classification for organizing education programs and related qualifications by education levels and fields.
Upper secondary education programs are typically designed to complete secondary education in preparation for tertiary education or provide skills relevant to employment, or both.
Postsecondary non-tertiary education refers to college-level programs that lead to trade certificates and career, technical or professional training programs which typically require six months to two years of study. This category also includes certificates of apprenticeships.
Short-cycle tertiary education includes college diploma programs that typically lead to specific career paths, as well as academically focused programs that prepare students for entry into bachelor's degree programs. These programs are mostly offered by colleges and occasionally by universities. They usually have a duration of two to three years.
Products
To further explore 2024/2025 postsecondary enrolment and graduation data in a visual format, refer to the comprehensive data visualization tool "Elementary to Postsecondary Student Education Dashboard: Enrolments, Graduations and Tuition Fees."
This comprehensive data visualization tool combines information from three surveys: Tuition and Living Accommodation Costs, Elementary-Secondary Education Survey and the Postsecondary Student Information System. Each survey is released separately, and information includes the cost of tuition, an overview of total enrolment and graduation counts, characteristics of students and programs, as well as details on new enrolments by gender, age group and student status, which will be released on a separate date.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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