by DIRK MULDER

Prospective students like the look of the United States now the president has changed

 IDP Connect asked more than 900 prospective international students across 40 countries interested in studying in the US how they felt after the election. It reports 76 per cent have improved perceptions of the country since the presidential election and 67 per cent are now more likely to study there.

Among survey participants with a self-declared “high-awareness” of US politics, 86 per cent reported a more favourable perception of the US since the last first Tuesday in November.

With a 75 per cent positive among Indians, the largest group undertaking the survey, this is a red white and blue warning flag for Australian providers. Given the volatility of the Chinese market, India is the only possible source of big growth. (CMM 15 Feb).

Other destinations also rated in the survey. Canada, widely reported to be doing the best of the big five anglophone destinations (CMM 1 Feb), had a 50 per cent approval rating, while the UK was at 41 per cent.

But only 28 per cent of the survey sample, are considering Australia as an alternative. This will not improve while the border is closed and all that providers can offer is on-line study in students’ home countries.

Dirk Mulder is CMM’s international education correspondent