It’s ironic that student conversion is becoming so much more difficult as the world becomes increasingly connected via new technological developments.
While data shows us where prospective students are – for example, QS’s Global Flows report drives mobility right down to 2,500 cities and towns around the globe – universities are apparently unable to meet them there.
Of course, this is a continuous challenge as new online spaces vie for attention. LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, WeChat, TikTok (which 20% of prospective students now use when making study decisions compared to 3% in 2020), Reddit or other internet forums – universities are at pains to ensure they are omnipresent and available to respond to queries. Not to mention AI-driven information libraries such as ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity.
For many, this is an almost impossible task.
While student fairs and connecting with prospective students at in-person events remain key there is no getting away from the fact that traditional international student recruitment strategies are no longer enough. It is time to acknowledge that the days of volume are over for many. Bums on seats was never a sustainable strategy. Focus is rightly increasingly on quality and retention.
Some factors are nigh on impossible to control for student recruitment professionals – visa wait times, geopolitical uncertainty and economic fluctuations driving up costs for students, but the new Global Student Flows report outlines three possible scenarios for 2030. The key takeaway: there are options for international educators to plan.
1. AI in student conversion and strategic priorities
Intuition and passive marketing may have worked in the past but data-informed strategies and offer-holder engagement is now the name of the game.
From propensity modelling and lead scoring to conversational chatbots and avatar-driven interactions, higher education needs to catch up with the digital marketplace. Used well, AI can save time, personalise outreach, and give institutions an edge, especially when human resources are stretched.
Australia, like many popular study destinations, continues to face a turbulent policy landscape. Like in the UK, where government has recently stated that it will tighten the Basic Compliance Assessment to ensure 95% of international students a university sponsors must turn up and enrol for their programmes, applications for places at Australian universities are precious. With enrolment limits still a reality, prioritisation is critical.
And yet, institutions can maximise high-quality leads while maintaining inclusivity.
During a panel session at the IEAA Marketing and Recruitment Forum in June, Sarah Stark, Executive Director, ANZ Operations at QS, emphasised that AI is transforming conversion strategies, from propensity modelling and lead scoring to conversational chatbots and avatar-driven interactions.
2. Advocating for international students
However, the rise of AI must not be to the detriment of personal contact. Everyone working in international education should be driven by one thing – to help students succeed. As a mission-driven organisation, QS works to empower motivated students across the globe to fulfil their potential.
In the QS latest international student survey, 52% of students interested in Australia said welcoming to international students was the most important factor when choosing a study destination, followed by 51% pointing to the country being home to universities with high quality teaching.
The QS World University Rankings 2026 continue to see Australian universities punch above their weight, with six institutions in the top 50 globally for the Academic Reputation indicator. However, with many institutions cutting back staffing numbers, including academic positions, how should the country’s institutions continue to ensure students have access to the very best teaching?
Some 72% of New Zealanders see international students as a benefit for their country, while in the UK, some 60% say they agree that international students bring a significant benefit to the British economy. While this level of support has been declining slightly in recent years, Australia has faced challenges regarding its social license.
While Australian institutions have historically placed highly in QS rankings, the latest iteration indicates that a majority of institutions dropped. They need to sharpen their focus on quality, international engagement, and graduate outcomes to stay globally competitive.
3. Employability as a differentiator
Some 45% of prospective students say that university careers services are extremely important and 56% say proven graduate outcomes and good records for getting students into the careers they want are top of mind when choosing where to study.
Throughout their studies, these future graduates need to have a breadth of opportunities to develop the wide range of skills that employers want.
“It’s not enough to say your graduates are job-ready, you have to show how your programs develop the skills employers want,” Gordon Scott, Managing Director of employability platform Successful Graduate, noted during the session.
With students increasingly asking how a degree translates to career success, universities must demonstrate this clearly, early, and often.
In the 2023 Graduate Outcomes Survey, 38% of all employed undergraduates indicated that they were working in jobs which were not fully utilising their skills and education.
As the QS World Future Skills Index, released earlier this year, demonstrated, the demand for future skills such as AI, green and digital expertise is still outpacing the supply coming from universities.
Micro credentials offered through Successful Graduate shows strong links to increased offer conversion, retention and student satisfaction. Opportunities such as these equip students with practical skills from day one.
There is also an advantage here for recruitment teams. At one UK-based university where QS recently led a pilot for its 1Mentor employability platform.
While the average acceptance rate stands at 68% among applicants, for a cohort that engaged with 1Mentor, the average acceptance rate rose up to 94%.
