Canada’s international student enrolment has dropped sharply following federal immigration caps and policy changes, with new preliminary data from Statistics Canada showing student numbers have now fallen back to levels seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Statistics Canada, the number of full-time international students enrolled in public post-secondary institutions declined by four per cent during the 2024-2025 academic year and is projected to fall another 26 per cent in 2025-2026.
The federal government introduced limits on international student permits in January 2024 as part of broader immigration reduction measures aimed at easing pressures on housing, healthcare and public infrastructure.
The new data shows the impact has been especially severe at public colleges across Canada.
International student enrolment at colleges dropped by three per cent in 2024-2025 before plunging by 40 per cent in 2025-2026. Overall, college enrolment among international students has now fallen 42 per cent since the 2023-2024 academic year.
In 2023, public colleges had surpassed universities in international student numbers, enrolling more than 288,000 international students compared to approximately 284,000 at universities.
Statistics Canada noted that international student growth had expanded dramatically over the past two decades, increasing eightfold between the 2003-2004 and 2023-2024 academic years.
However, the latest figures indicate the country’s international student population has now returned to levels last seen during the 2021-2022 academic year, when pandemic travel restrictions disrupted global education and student mobility.
The federal government has defended the caps as necessary to manage rapid population growth and pressures on housing and services. Critics, however, warn the decline could have major financial impacts on colleges and universities that have become heavily dependent on international tuition revenue.
Education leaders and institutions across Canada have already raised concerns about potential program cuts, staffing pressures and long-term financial instability as international enrolment continues to decline.