For the 2024-25 academic year, Queen’s accepted students from 85 countries, totalling 400 international undergraduate students entering the halls.
This marks a sharp decrease from 2023-24, when 1,829 international students from 119 countries attended the University. In part, this is a result of the federally imposed cap on student visas put into effect earlier this year.
“The cap on international student enrolment and the process for distributing enrolment in Ontario has created challenges in attracting talented young individuals to post secondary institutions, including Queen’s, and this limits the University’s capacity to expand revenue through international student enrolment, thereby restricting a source of potential revenue growth,” said the University in a statement to The Journal.
The University explained they’ve maximized the number of offers made to international students based on the distribution of spaces from the provincial government and will be continuing to make offers of ission for a January start.
Queen’s, providing the metric for the 2024-25 academic year, highlighted this number doesn’t include students who are coming to the University this year on exchange or international graduate and professional students.
In a statement sent to The Journal, Queen’s international student Yu-Han (Edward) Chiu, Sci ’27, shared that when choosing between numerous offers extended from Canadian universities for his undergraduate studies, he chose Queen’s direct-entry Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering program due to the University’s collaborative and friendly environment, and the specialized AutoDrive group.
Chiu itted he hesitated to choose a Canadian university for his post secondary education as he wasn’t sure about its international reputation.
“It’s not very well known in my country,” he said.
Steve Orsini, president and CEO of the Council of Ontario Universities, shared in a statement to The Journal the changes to the nation’s immigration policy set in Ottawa has
“Led to a significant decline in Canada’s reputation for higher education.” So much so, that the nationwide enrolment did not even meet the federally imposed cap on student visas. These changes, Orsini stated, will “exacerbate the financial challenges already faced by universities.”
A statement from the University ensured they will continue to make efforts to attract international students—by conducting outreach from Canada and by sending recruiters
overseas to speak to prospective students, families, and guidance councillors.
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