For decades, international education has been shaped by academic prestige, institutional rankings, and research excellence. But as global labour markets evolve and artificial intelligence reshapes the nature of work, a new priority is emerging in student decision-making: employability.
At Voyage, real-time student data reveals a clear shift in decision-making. Prospective students are increasingly prioritising employability and career outcomes over academic reputation alone, reflecting changing expectations in an AI-driven labour market.
A shift in student decision-making
When I migrated to New Zealand back in 2017, I took up an international recruitment role at the largest institute of technology and polytechnic in the country. An institution and sub-sector whereby vocational and applied learning were the guiding principles of the student’s experience. Referencing the institution's focus on developing work-ready graduates was central to recruitment messaging in conversations with students, parents and agents.
Naively, I assumed that this was a unique selling point of the vocational sub-sector. However, as I transitioned to the university sector a few years later, I noticed that employability outcomes continued to consistently make up a significant portion of the value proposition.
This made me wonder, is the international education industry experiencing a shift in student decision-making factors, from a reliance on academic reputation and research outcomes, to a desire to increase professional capital? I find this a particularly pertinent question, given the relatively recent and wide adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in professional settings and what this may mean for our graduates entering the workplace.
Since joining Voyage, I’ve been interested in exploring the validity of my own anecdotal understanding of students’ decision-making journeys and investigating this perceived shift in real-time.
Drawing on hundreds of thousands of real-time student conversations from Voyage’s Social Source, this analysis reveals the global sentiment trends shaping students’ decisions and what they could mean for offshore study destinations and the future of international education.
What are prospective students discussing?
When analysing the volume of prospective student sentiments in 2025 across digital conversations by theme, education outcomes make up the highest volume of these conversations (28%), outweighing conversation themes on student services and support (20%), community & social licence (17%), living and logistics (16%), government and policy (12%) and the quality of the education experience (6%).
Upon reviewing the sentiments of these conversations on education outcomes (which is made up of sub-themes including; graduate employment and career outcomes, international recognition and career pathways and work-readiness and global competency among others), we see that these mentions were also rated most positively across all themes (52%).
These conversations are peppered with students discussing employability options post-graduation, such as these students below:
What does it mean to be a work-ready graduate in an AI-world?
An added challenge for education providers is how to manage the changing nature of the work environment in an increasingly AI-driven world. The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is significantly reshaping graduate employability, particularly by reducing traditional entry-level opportunities.
As AI increasingly performs routine tasks such as coding, data analysis, and document drafting, roles that were typically considered appropriate for graduates with limited work experience are declining.
This shift is diminishing the standalone value of traditional degrees in AI-driven fields while increasing demand for practical proficiency in AI tools such as prompt engineering and machine learning.
This isn’t something that’s lost on students and highlighted in peer-to-peer student discussion boards like the below:
To remain competitive, education providers must prepare their graduates with a balanced skill set that combines technical AI capabilities with human-centric skills including creativity, critical thinking, complex problem-solving, and emotional intelligence
The competitive edge lies in listening
In a global market where every destination is competing for the same students, listening is the new differentiator .
Voyage's Social Source empowers institutions and governments to do just that - capturing a high volume of authentic student conversations across open and closed platforms, from Reddit to Weibo, and translating them into actionable insights.
By grounding strategy in evidence and empathy, study destinations can move beyond reactive policymaking - and lead again on trust, inclusion, and student experience.
In the noise of global competition, those who listen to students will lead.
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Interested in what's shaping student experience and sentiment in Australia?Get a first look at our latest insights with the Destination Australia Sample Report Q4 2025, offering a clear snapshot of the pressures, concerns, and community moments influencing how students feel about living and studying here. |
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Curious about what’s driving student's choices in an AI-driven world?Get a sneak peek into our latest insights with the free Q4 2025 Destination Australia Sample Report. It covers trends, work-readiness priorities, and how AI is shaping students's career expectations. |
