The 2026 China Study Abroad White Paper, released by EIC Education, one of China’s major study-abroad consultancy and international education service providers, provides fresh insight into shifting preferences in one of the world’s largest outbound student markets. It examines changes in destination choices, fields of study, and decision-making factors.
Drawing on internal client data and a survey of around 1,500 prospective students, the report is part of the agency’s annual tracking of China’s outbound mobility trends.
Its findings point to a more strategic and career-oriented generation of students, who are increasingly weighing geopolitical risks, return on investment, and employment prospects when choosing where, and what, to study.
In 2025, the proportion of respondents favoring the U.S. fell sharply from 30.9% to 21.2%, with visa uncertainty and high costs cited as major deterrents. The country now ranks fourth, behind the United Kingdom (56.8%), Hong Kong (40.2%), and Australia (37%).
“In the future, Chinese students’ choices for studying abroad will show more pragmatic, diversified and employment-orientated structural changes,” an EIC spokesperson told University World News.
The white paper also highlights rising cost sensitivity, with more affordable and geographically closer destinations gaining popularity. “Families are becoming more rational … moving away from solely relying on rankings and instead evaluating costs, program duration and job prospects,” the consultancy noted.
Students are seen at The University of Hong Kong, January 2026. Photo from the university’s Facebook page |
Policy developments have also influenced demand. In May 2025, the U.S. State Department announced plans to “aggressively revoke” visas for certain Chinese students, alongside increased scrutiny of new applications.
Since last year, Chinese study-abroad agents have reportedly been encouraged to steer students away from the U.S., amid concerns over deepening educational and geopolitical decoupling.
A separate 2026 Report on Chinese Students’ Overseas Study by the New Oriental Education and Technology Group also names the United Kingdom and Hong Kong as the top two destinations for mainland Chinese students in 2026.
The report notes that the U.K. has retained the top position for seven consecutive years, supported by stable education quality, flexible visa policies, and well-structured support systems for international students. Hong Kong ranks second, driven by geographic proximity, safety, and linguistic similarities.
By contrast, the U.S. has fallen to third place for the first time, after ranking first from 2015 to 2019 and second from 2020 to 2025.
The survey of 6,904 students and parents attributes this decline to an increasingly unstable policy environment in the U.S., which has made families more cautious.
Data from the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors Report further shows that although the U.S. still hosts the largest number of Chinese students globally, with 265,919 enrolled in the 2024-2025 academic year, this figure represents a 4% decline, marking a continued downward trend for five consecutive years, falling from a peak of around 370,000 in 2019-2020.
Beyond visa restrictions, changing student behavior is playing a central role in reshaping global flows.
Charles Sun, founder of China Education International, told The PIE News that shifting priorities among Chinese families may be “perhaps the most important” factor, with families increasingly prioritizing return of investment, safety and career prospects rather than “chasing prestige”.
“This more rational, outcomes focused mindset is leading many to choose destinations closer to home – Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia – or to adopt ‘multi country application’ strategies to spread risk,” he said.
Individual student choices reflect these broader trends. Guo Yuqi, 24, a master’s student in artificial intelligence at Lingnan University, told China Daily that holding Hong Kong residency would give her future children better access to educational resources. She also noted that opportunities to stay and work in the U.K. or U.S. are now “almost impossible” due to strict visa policies.
Another student, Zhao Mengyuan, 23, chose to pursue a master’s degree in business economics at Goethe University Frankfurt, citing Germany’s tuition-free education model, with only a few hundred euros (100 euros equal US$117) in administrative fees per semester. Her total annual living cost is around 100,000 yuan ($14,641), significantly lower than in English-speaking countries, according to China Daily.
Zhao plans to return to China after graduation. She believes an international degree will give her a competitive edge in the domestic job market, although she has not yet set specific expectations regarding salary or career path.
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