2025

StateofStudentRecruitment

Master’sstudents

Master,sstudentsrecruitment

trendsin2025

www.keg.com

TheStateofStudentRecruitmentin2025

Intoday'scompetitiverecruitmentlandscape,understandingwhatdrivesstudentdecisionsisn'tjusthelpful—it'simperative.That'swhyI'mexcitedtoshareKeystoneEducationGroup'smostextensivestudentanalysisyet,drawingonresponsesfrom42,000prospectivestudentsacross150countries,including13,361Master’sstudents.

Datafrom:

13,361

students

interestedinMaster’sstudy

Thisisn'tjustanotherdataset-it'saroadmapforuniversitiesinanevolvingeducationmarket.

Our2025StateofStudentRecruitmentreportrevealswhatdrivesstudentdecisions,andhowtheseinsightscaninformyourmarketingstrategiesandmake2025/26yourmostsuccessfulrecruitmentyearyet.

BySabaDavenport

ChiefMarketingOfficer

KeystoneEducationGroup

01Topstudydestinations

TopinternationalstudydestinationsforMaster’sstudentsin2025

UnitedKingdomUnitedStatesGermany

Italy CanadaNetherlands Australia Spain FranceLuxembourg

24%

12%

7%

6%

6%

4%

3%3%3%

2%

0%5%10%15%20%25%

WhenwelookatourStateofStudentRecruitmentdataacrossallstudy-levels(including

BachelorandPhD)itshowsgrowingdiversificationininternationaldestinations.WhiletheUK,US,Australia,andCanadaremainpopular,theyarelosinggroundtoEuropeanandAsian

countries.

However,atMaster’slevel,theUKhas‘extendeditslead’overtheUSsince2024,whileCanadahasdroppedtwoplacescomparedtolastyear.Australiahasalsodroppedfrom6thto7th.

LuxembourgispopularatMaster’slevelbutdoesn’tmakethetop10whenlookingatallstudylevels-showingacertainappealwithMaster’sstudents.

Master’sstudentspreferfull-time,oncampusstudy

73%

ofMaster,sstudents

wanttostudyfull-

time

comparedto

68%

ofBachelor,s

HowMaster’sstudentsprefertostudy

202578%12%10%

202477%12%11%

Campus/InpersonOnlineHybrid/Mixed

02Topsubjectsin2025

Business&EconomicstopsinternationalMaster’sinterest

SteadyinterestinBusiness&Economics

Business&EconomicsisthetopsubjectatbothMaster’sand

Bachelor’slevelsin2024andagainin2025.

Topsubjectchoices20242025

Business&Economics

20%

20%

Clinical&Health

13%

14%

Engineering

13%

12%

Arts&Humanities

10%

12%

SocialSciences

9%

9%

LifeSciences

7%

7%

ComputerScience

8%

7%

Education

7%

7%

ComputerScience

6%

6%

Psychology

5%

5%

ComputerScienceisn’taspopularatMaster’slevelstudyasanticipated.Only7%wanttostudyComputerSciencein2025atthislevel,comparedto11%ofBachelor’sstudents.

OurdatashowsyoungeraudiencesaremoreinterestedinArts&Humanities,withinterestdecliningtheolderthestudentis.

Subjectinterestbasedonage:

ComputerScienceBusiness&EconomicsClinical&HealthArts&Humanities

20%

17%14%14%

Under18

20%20%

16%

9%

10%

7%

10%14%14%8%16%12%

35-44yearolds

18-24yearolds25-34yearolds

03Studentmotivations

Studentmotivations

Master,sstudentsaremotivatedtogointohighereducationtoprogressintheirexistingcareermoresothanotherstudyIeveIs-39%ofstudentssaidthiswastheirtopreasontostudyaMaster,scomparedto23%ofBacheIor,sstudents.

IHavinganadventure,isaIsoagreatermotivatingfactorforMaster,s(29%)andBacheIor,s(34%)students/comparedtoonIy22%ofPhDstudents.

TheoppositecanbesaidaboutstudyingItochaIIengemyseIf,.Master,sstudentsaretheIeastmotivatedbythisfactor.

TopreasonsMaster’sstudentswanttostudy

1Todevelopmyskills

2Toprogressinmycurrentcareer

3Toqualifyforfurtherstudy

4Toqualifyforaspecificcareer

5Tohaveanadventure

Topreasonsallstudentswanttostudy

1Todevelopmyskills

2Toqualifyforaspecificcareer

3Toqualifyforfurtherstudy

4Toprogressinmycurrentcareer

5Tohaveanadventure

ThemostimportantfactorsinaMaster’sprogram

AffordabIefees

WorkpIacementsorinternships

AvaiIabiIityof

accommodation

64%

51%

29%

IWorkpIacementsandinternships,are

mostimportantforMaster,sstudents/withoverhaIfcitingthemasthemost

importantfactorinaprogram/comparedto44%atPhDand49%atBacheIor,sIeveI.

03Studentmotivations

Master’sstudentsconsidertheprogrambeforetheschool

Weasked:Whichdoyouconsiderfirst?

Program

School

Country

50%

29%

21%

Theprogramwasthetoppriorityforstudentsuntil2023,largelyduetostudentfocusonpractical,individualskills.Itsinfluencedippedslightlyin2024and2025acrossallstudylevels.

However,itremainsmostimportanttoMaster’sstudents—50%rankedithighestin2025,upfrom48%in2024—andcomparedto40%ofBachelor’sstudents.

Incontrast,Bachelor’sstudentsareplacingmorevalueontheschoolitself—40%rankeditfirstin2025,upfrom34%in2024.

ThecountryistheleastimportantoutofthethreeforMaster’sstudents,withstudentsplacinggreaterimportanceonthevalueofadegreeandthequalityoftheinstitution.

TopbarrierstostudyingaMaster’sabroad

WeaskedMaster’sstudentswhatmotivatesthemtostudyintheirhomecountryinsteadofabroadtogaininsightintotheirdecisionmaking.Thetopreasonstostudydomesticallyare:

1Studyingabroadistooexpensive55%

2Idon,twanttoleavefamilyandfriends37%

3Studyingabroadistoocomplex20%

4Idon,tseethebenefit15%

5Don,tfeeleligible(language)11%

6Iwouldn,tfeelsafestudyingabroad10%

Manystudentshesitatetoleavefamilyandfriends—especiallyDoctoratestudents,butalso37%ofMaster’sandoveraquarterofBachelorsstudents.

AscountriesliketheUK,Canada,andFinlandtightenrulesondependents,suchconcernswillgrow.Institutionscan'tchangepoliciesbutcansupportcandidatesbyclearlysignposting

requirements.

15%ofMaster’sstudentssaidtheydidn’tfeelthebenefitofstudyinginternationally-ahighnumbercomparedtojust9%ofdomesticstudents.

04Studentinfluences

Influences

Thepowerofstudentreviews

Withpeer-to-peercommunicationsontherise,weaskedstudentsiftheytakereviewsintoconsiderationintheirdecision-making,with84%ofMaster,sstudentssayingtheydid.

84%

41%

takereviewsinto

43%

takereviewsinto

16%

don,ttakereviews

saidtheytakereviewsintoconsideration

consideration‘a(chǎn)little,.

consideration‘a(chǎn)lot,.

intoconsideration.

Reviewsmattermostforolderstudents

Reviewsalsomattermoretheolderthestudentis.43%of25to34-year-oldssaidtheytookreviewsintoconsideration‘a(chǎn)lot’,comparedto38%ofthoseunder24-years-old.

LinkedInmostinfluentialforMaster’sstudents

WhileLinkedInmaynotbethetoppriorityinyoursocialmediastrategy,itdoeshaveaninfluenceinstudychoice.The‘mostinfluentialchannels’:

●

In

ofMaster,sstudents

saidsocialmedia

influencestheir

studychoice

58%

LinkedIn

YouTube

Instagram

Facebook

TikTok

Master’s

32%

24%

18%

17%

9%

Bachelor’s

14%

27%

27%

17%

15%

PhD

55%

18%

9%

14%

4%

Master’sstudents

prioritizecoursecontentandsubjectopportunities,withoverhalfsayingit

wasthemostimportantfactorforchoosingtheirstudycountry.

Topfactorsinfluencingstudyabroadcountry

Master’s

Allstudents

Subjects&studyopportunities

57%

55%

Universityfees&livingcosts

49%

46%

Post-studyworkopportunities

44%

41%

Reputation&universityrankings

37%

36%

Culture&leisureopportunities

31%

30%

05Communications

Communications

Topstudentcommunicationchannels

13%

Wanttobe

contactedvia

instantmessaging.

65%

7%

Videoconferencing

4%

Byphone

5%

Inperson

2%

Socialmedia

ofMaster’sstudentswanttobecontactedbyemail

Emailisstillthemostpopularchannelbyalongshot,howeverithasdecreasedinpopularityslightlysince2024.

Master’sstudentsfavorinstantmessagingappsoverothermethodsofcommunications,andtherehasbeena25%increaseinstudentsoverallpreferringinstantmessaging

comparedto2024.

06Applicationstage

Applicationstage

Aroundtwothirdsofallstudentswillapplyto3+universities,withinternationalstudentstendingtocastthenetwider.

Thereispotentiallyatrendofstudentsturningbacktowardsamoretargetedapproachtoapplications,withthenumberofstudentssubmittingonly1applicationincreasingby31%from2024to2025.

Howe