Destinations for international education: analysis and factors for the US, the UK and Canada

Choosing a country as a destination for international education is a complex process which takes into account personal preferences, education quality, and career prospects. The current study is aimed at finding the most preferred countries and universities for international education and factors influencing students’ choices. The research was conducted in 2025 in two steps. First, the analysis was pursued with the following methods: literature and statistical data analysis (identifying the most popular countries for foreigners and the top universities with the highest percentage of international students) and induction analysis (identifying the factors influencing students’ choices). Second, the authors formulated conclusions through the apperception of key ideas. It is concluded that the most popular destinations for international education are the USA and the UK (with the steady growth for both countries in the number of international students) as well as Canada (with the most notable growth of the number of international students). The analysis of the top 200 universities ranking showed a range of international student number in 64 UK universities (from 25.8 % to 71.8 %), 18 US universities (from 25.9 % to 43.6 %) and 9 Canada universities (from 26.9 % to 34.6 %). It is also concluded that students choose to study in American, British and Canadian universities primarily because of the high education quality, high reputation of universities, career opportunities and cultural aspects. The results can be useful for university administration and personnel in developing a strategy of internationalization and attracting international students in order to remain competitive in the global educational environment.