Sunrise’s Trends in Chinese International Education 2024 White Paper
Sunrise’s Trends in Chinese International Education White Paper is now available. This White Paper aims to review key trends in the Chinese education landscape in 2023 and to offer predictions for 2024. Sunrise International supports overseas education institutions and companies in engaging the Chinese market, and our team is pleased to share our analysis of China’s rapidly evolving international education industry as it affects global higher education mobility.
Click here for a full version of the White Paper. Some highlights include:
Enrollment of Chinese students remains steady in many study destinations, ending the decline in Chinese enrollments during the pandemic. A recovery to 2019 levels is elusive for most countries, but 2024 numbers are likely to stay steady, with opportunities for incremental growth from the lows of 2022.
The pace of China’s economic recovery in 2024 will influence the size of the study overseas market for students in the middle class. In 2023, China continued to struggle with the lagged effects of a slowdown in 2022. Observers should watch whether China can meet its 4.6% GDP growth target and drive a recovery in its property sector in 2024. Overseas recruiters will need to speak more to employment outcomes and ROI on tuition spending.
International schools will continue to grow, but at a slower pace: Despite strict regulations on private schools, 21 new international schools opened in China in 2023, up from 17 in 2022.
A new batch of small-scale agencies and IECs are coming: With more regulatory certainty and unmet demand for tutoring services, China saw newly established agencies grow by 119% in 2023 compared to 2022 and by 242% since 2021.
Diplomatic relations between China and major study destinations will remain fluid, but China will probably insulate student exchanges from disagreements over other issues. Chinese leaders have expressed an interest in bringing back bilateral student exchanges and inbound study abroad in China.
Overseas universities will feel more pressure to resume recruitment travel to Tier 2-3 cities, as pandemic barriers to travel to China have ended. Universities might have been forgiven for “pausing” extensive recruitment in China during the pandemic, but students will increasingly expect to be able to engage with university representatives in 2024. Useful tools include digital marketing campaigns in China as well as recruitment tours for graduate and undergraduate levels.
We welcome you to reach out to Sunrise with any questions about the white paper or our recruitment toolkits for institutions! Please reach out to contact@sieconnection.com!