The University’s 2024-25 Enrolment Report highlights a strong decrease in international students over the last two years.
Queen’s released the annual report at the beginning of February, a month earlier than the previous year. The report provides detailed information on the total enrolment numbers as of Nov. 1, 2024, including details of the incoming first-year undergraduate class and incoming graduate students.
According to the report, the University has 28,715 full-time students, with over 20,000 in an undergraduate first-degree program. In the previous issions cycle, 5,000 students were itted from a pool of more than 58,000 applicants. The number of incoming students has increased by approximately 50 students compared to the prior year, approaching the ission levels last seen in 2022.
The report indicates a slight decrease in the average incoming class average, dropping from 90.5 per cent last year to 90.3 per cent this year.
While the University currently hosts 3,381 international students from 118 countries, this number has decreased by nearly 14 per cent over the past two years.
READ MORE: Seven per cent drop in international students report says
In a statement to The Journal, the University attributed the decrease in international students to the international student cap implemented by the federal government to limit the number of international students coming to Canada over the next two years.
“[The impact of the international student cap] has limited the University’s ability to enrich our campus community with the diversity of perspectives that international students bring,” the University said.
The international student cap, introduced in January 2024, restricts the number of student visas granted for Canadian universities in an effort to ease the pressure on the country’s healthcare and housing systems.
READ MORE: International student enrolment sinks amid federal visa cap
According to the report, 2.3 per cent of first-year students identified as Indigenous compared to 2.2 per cent last year, reflecting a slight increase from the previous academic year.
The report states the number of first-generation University students compared to previous years, citing 4.4 per cent of first year students are the first people in their immediate families to go to university. This statistic has increased from last year where four per cent of students were first-generation.
Queen’s also increased their rate of students who decide to stay at the University from first to second year, highlighting they’re roughly three per cent over the average from the 15 leading research universities in Canada and have increased their own retention rate from the previous year by one per cent .
The University credits its high retention rate to the quality of students who are accepted in their programs due to their preparedness and high averages.
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