Number of BU’s international applications drops

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This article was published 17/03/2025 (189 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon University has witnessed a sharp decline in international student applications and admissions, the lowest between 2021 and 2025, president David Docherty said.

He attributed the downturn to significant changes in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) international student policies.

In his report presented to the Board of Governors on Saturday, the president explained international applications are down 70 per cent, the lowest of the five years covered by the report, and admission offers are down 86 per cent compared to the same time last year, also by far the lowest point of any of the five years in the report.

“Applications from Nigeria, which has historically been our primary international feeder country, have dropped very significantly (-72.7 per cent) over the same point last year,” he stated. “Where Nigerian applicants have, in recent years, constituted more than half of our total international applications, at this point, they comprise 41 per cent of current international applications.”

Similarly, applications from Ghana, the university’s second-largest source of international students, have declined by 85.4 per cent, reaching the lowest level in five years. Docherty added that these two West African countries combined still account for 57.3 per cent of the total international applications received.

The decline is also evident in other key international markets, with fewer applications coming from India, Zimbabwe, and Jamaica. In terms of discipline preference, applications from international students have dropped across all faculties. “Arts (-77 per cent), Education (-31 per cent), Health Studies (-29.2 per cent), Music (-27 per cent), and Science (-26.7 per cent),” he added.

Faculty of Arts dean Gregory Kennedy urged the board of governors to advocate for government action regarding the decline in international student enrolment. While presenting a report about the faculty to the board, he acknowledged concerns about past issues with bad actors elsewhere, but insisted the university is well-equipped to support its students.

“I think the message needs to get out and tell the government that we know there were some bad actors, but we’re well positioned to support the students that we get,” he told the board. “If this continues, it is going to hurt us, it’s going to hurt us big time — not just in terms of numbers and tuition dollars, but because of the richness that we get from that diverse student experience.”

He stressed the need for advocacy and policy efforts, calling the situation “unjust” and saying, “It needs to shift.”

Docherty stated that overall applications to the university have decreased by 33 per cent compared to the same period last year, marking the lowest application volume in five years. Admission offers have also fallen by 21 per cent in the same timeframe, he said.

Despite the downturn in international applications, domestic interest in the university increased. Docherty reported that domestic applications are up three per cent compared to last year, marking the highest level in five years.

Admissions offers for domestic students have also increased by 18 per cent. Applications from Manitoba have risen by five per cent, with those from Brandon specifically up by 4.2 per cent. Winnipeg applications ranking as the second highest in five years.

Docherty further explained that applications from out-of-province students, while initially strong, have now declined by 15.7 per cent compared to last year, marking the lowest level in five years. He also provided a breakdown of faculty-specific trends among domestic applicants, noting an increase in applications for Education (10 per cent), Health Studies (10 per cent), and Music (23 per cent), while Arts (minus one per cent) and Science (-9.2 per cent) saw slight declines.

Indigenous applications have also seen a modest decline of four per cent but remain the second-highest in five years. Admission offers to Indigenous students are down by one per cent. Faculty preferences among Indigenous applicants have shown mixed trends, with notable increases in Health Studies (71.4 per cent) and Music (80 per cent) but significant declines in Science (-72.4 per cent) and Arts (-25 per cent).

As the university navigates these shifting enrolment patterns, Docherty emphasized that IRCC’s ongoing policy changes will continue to have long-term implications. He suggested that, barring further policy shifts, international student numbers might stabilize in future admission cycles.

The university’s recruitment partnerships have yielded 57 applications, and 14 admission offers to direct degree-seeking students, with the majority coming through ApplyBoard.

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