Cambridge Future Conference - Where can Cambridge take your students? Exploring university pathways and progression - 16 June 2026 Schools July 2026 - ready: learners to thrive

Oct 23, 2026

Upload by Mia

Cambridge Future Conference presentation explores where Cambridge can take students through evolving university pathways and progression. It reviews global factors shaping destination choices, including tighter visa rules, wider study options, affordability and ROI pressures, and sustained interest in career-aligned degrees such as STEM and health. The talk highlights changing student behaviour, geopolitical tensions influencing decisions, and a growing preference for credible domestic education, driven by stronger local universities and expanding English-taught programmes and branch campuses.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time1 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Where can Cambridge take your students?

Global factors

Changing student behaviour and demand

Executive summary: Changing destinations

Executive summary: Improving domestic education

Cambridge Future Conference, preparing Where can Cambridge take your students? Exploring university pathways and progression Roshan Walkerley, Petra Olsson & Sam Twells 16 June 2026 Schools July 2026 -ready: learners to thrive Presenters Roshan Walkerley Head of Global Recognition Cambridge International Education Petra Olsson Senior Recognition Manager (UK, Ireland & Northern Europe Cambridge International Education Sam Twells Regional Manager (Europe & Central Asia) University of Exeter Cambridge Schools Conference, July 2026 Future-ready: preparing learners to thrive Global factors Cambridge Schools Conference, July 2026 Future-ready: preparing learners to thrive Structural shifts and policy changes Visa and immigration policies: • Tighter visa rules, caps and financial requirements. • Visa reliability: a decision factor for some students. A broader range of global study destinations: • From big 4 to big 14. • Increasing interest in Europe and Asia. • Branch campuses and education hubs. • 2 + 2 programmes. Study in Malaysia – welcome centre Cambridge Schools Conference, July 2026 Future-ready: preparing learners to thrive Changing student behaviour and demand Affordability and ROI: • Students prioritise cost, employability and post-study work. • Increasing price sensitivity due to inflation/currency fluctuations. Overall demand still growing but uneven: • Global student numbers still growing towards ~ 9 million studying HE abroad expected by 2030 (5 million in 2018 and 7 million in 2025) . • Sustained interest in career aligned degrees including STEM and health. Sources: ICEF Monitor, British Council, ETS, Study Portals Cambridge Schools Conference, July 2026 Future-ready: preparing learners to thrive Destination survey Cambridge Schools Conference, July 2026 Future-ready: preparing learners to thrive | |
90%
progressed to university
Cambridge Schools Conference, July 2026
Future-ready: preparing learners to thrive | | --- | --- | | |
40%
progressed to university abroad
Cambridge Schools Conference, July 2026
Future-ready: preparing learners to thrive | | --- | --- | | Executive summary

Changing destinations
Schools report a clear cooling towards the
US, driven by visa difficulty, politics and safety concerns, alongside diversification into Australia, continental Europe and Asian hubs such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Türkiye.
Multi-destination and back-up applications are now the norm, with Brexit continuing to steer European students away from the UK.
|
Geopolitical instability
For the third year running, we have seen geopolitical
tensions cited as an influence on student destination.
Global tensions, wars, unpredictable immigration regimesand safety and racism fears (the US most often) are both redirecting students away from specific destinations and making parents more cautious overall, with many now favouring an undergraduate degree at home and overseas study only later for postgraduate study. | | --- | --- | | Cambridge Schools Conference, July 2026
Future-ready: preparing learners to thrive | | | Executive summary

Improving domestic education
Home-country higher education is increasingly seen as a credible alternative, thanks to stronger and better-ranked universities, new private and interdisciplinary institutions, foreign branch campuses opening locally (notably in India), and the growth of English-taught programmes that offer global exposure without relocating.
|
Financial reasons
Cost is the most cited factor overall: rising tuition and living costs in destination countries, compounded by weak local currencies and limited scholarships, are pushing students towards local options.
Many families now judge a shorter, later master's abroad better value than a full undergraduate degree overseas. | | --- | --- | | Cambridge Sc

FAQs

How do visa and immigration policies affect student destinations?

Tighter visa rules, caps, and financial requirements reduce destination confidence, making visa reliability a decision factor for some students and contributing to shifts away from certain countries.

What demand trends are described for international higher education?

Global student numbers are still growing toward about 9 million by 2030, but demand is uneven. Interest remains strong in career-aligned degrees, including STEM and health.

Why are more families considering domestic or later overseas study?

Geopolitical tensions, safety and racism fears, and more unpredictable immigration regimes make parents more cautious. Many now prefer an undergraduate degree at home, with overseas study later for postgraduate study, and some see domestic options as a credible alternative.

Oct 23, 2026

Upload by Mia