Chinese Students in Canada: Some Numbers
Until 2018, 25% of international students in Canada were Chinese. According to Statista, in 2022, over 100,000 Chinese international students held study permits. Most of them choose schools in British Columbia and Ontario.
Most students from China choose Canada to pursue post-secondary education. However, faced with intense competition for post-secondary education and job opportunities in China, a growing number of students opt to study abroad at their high school level. As of 2019, Chinese students were the largest international demographic in high schools in Canada, the US, and Australia.
When deciding which international school to attend, Chinese students research online across various platforms, including Baidu, Bilibili, Google, WeChat, YouTube, and Zhihu.
Many Chinese students indicate that competition for education and jobs in China is a factor in their decision to study abroad. Increased job opportunities and affordable education are also major motivators for Chinese international students.
As of 2023, the most recent data shows that Chinese students who wish to study abroad are most likely to pursue the United States, the UK, Canada, and Australia.
Attracting Chinese Students to Canada – Opportunities
International students are searching for information. Is your institution easy to find? Are students finding the information they are searching for?
When developing content for your school or university, take into account the right keywords and type of information that is most likely to generate leads. Be present on the right social platforms and invest in paid campaigns – including key opinion leaders (KOLs). Did you know that 80% of Chinese consumers have purchased a product endorsed by a KOL? KOLs are social media influencers who can drastically increase awareness of your institution on social media platforms such as RED.
Accessibility and Inclusivity for Chinese International Students
In addition to offering incentives for international students, it is important for educational institutions to remain accessible and inclusive digitally and on campus. Providing resources in Chinese students’ native languages and featuring this content on relevant Chinese platforms, like WeChat or RED, can make a big difference in your marketing. Remember that Mandarin and Cantonese are spoken in China. While Mandarin is the most widely spoken language, honing in on what areas of China you would like to target your marketing in will help you decide which regional dialect to choose for your marketing materials.
Chinese students are also more likely to use social media channels such as WeChat and RED. Building a presence on these Chinese social media platforms will increase your visibility and trustworthiness among Chinese international students. Writing about topics that are important to Chinese students and parents, including safety abroad, immigration questions, and more, will also help you stand out from the crowd.
Get Listed! – On EducationCanada.cn 加拿大名校
LAT Multilingual wants to help Chinese students discover all that Canada has to offer in terms of quality education. Going beyond the larger and better-known institutions typically visible to prospective students, LAT created a directory that features the best colleges, universities and private schools in Canada, from coast to coast to coast. Education Canada 加拿大名校 encompasses a comprehensive range of institutions in each province and features each with a Chinese description. Traffic to the site is growing rapidly – thanks to our informative blog articles, helping prospective students learn more about life in Canada, and get tips about their upcoming adventure as international students.
Did you know that it is free to add your education to our directory? Simply fill out our Get Listed and our team will take care of everything, including the Chinese translation.
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