Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF

Swedish students seek “life experiences”

It's essential for international education professionals to analyse global mobility trends, looking at how many students worldwide are travelling for an education experience, what they are studying and where. A healthy international student recruitment plan will include a good mix of origin countries, rather than simply relying on a few larger markets. Educators looking to explore new markets might consider Sweden, where students are actively searching for opportunities to go abroad. ICEF Monitor recently spoke with Anders Akerlund, Managing Director of Avista, a Stockholm-based recruitment agency that sends Swedish students of all ages around the world to study, learn and work. He spoke about his 30 years’ experience with the outbound Swedish market, noting changes in the industry and giving insight into a Swedish student’s decision making process. Mr Akerlund says he’s noticed students have a greater interest in going abroad for a wider variety of reasons now than when he started the business in 1980. Back then, many language travel companies offered only language learning courses, but now Avista and other similar student recruitment agencies need to offer a wider range of products to meet students’ needs. Not only are Swedish students going abroad to study languages, but also to volunteer, work and get a degree.

Proficient English speakers

As Mr Akerlund says in the video, only about 25% of students on Avista language programmes are learning English. In general, Swedish students have a high level of English, which they learn at secondary school. So then why are they going abroad to learn a language? The majority travel overseas to learn another (perhaps third or fourth) language which adds value to their CVs. Many of them are 18 years old and just graduated from high school; they are looking for a “life experience.” The ease of international travel makes going abroad to learn a language all the more attractive. In the 2013 Henley & Partners Visa Restriction Index, Sweden came out on top as the nation which can travel visa-free to most countries.

It’s my decision!

In Sweden, it’s most often the student who is the decision maker on where and what to study, unlike in many other countries where parents and other family members have influence. Swedish students are entitled to a loan from the government to pay for their education, so they choose how to spend it. Therefore, experience has taught Mr Akerlund to market Avista’s programmes directly to the student, a tip which could be useful for any institution keen on recruiting Swedish students. In the interview, Mr Akerlund also discusses which programmes are most popular with the Swedish market, and his answer might surprise you. Community colleges in the US are a favourite choice because of the low fees and the opportunity to transfer to university to complete a degree.

Home sweet home

After completing their studies and experiencing invaluable time abroad, Swedish students typically return home to put their newly learned skills to good use. By all accounts, the economy is growing and Sweden will be a good place to build a career. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index (which is determined by how innovative a country is, among other things), Sweden is the 6th most competitive nation in the world. Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum has said, “Innovation becomes even more critical in terms of an economy’s ability to foster future prosperity.” As a destination for incoming international students, Sweden is attractive – despite the introduction of fees for international students (see the 2012 ICEF Monitor article “Sweden on the rebound from tuition fee fallout”). Safe, prosperous, innovative, and a good quality of life – this is what draws people to Sweden and keeps them there.

Most Recent

  • US institutions bracing for a challenging enrolment outlook for 2025/26 Read More
  • How the UK’s Agent Quality Framework will shape the future of agent training Read More
  • Dutch government walks back controversial measures to constrain English-taught degrees Read More

Most Popular

  • Which countries will contribute the most to global student mobility in 2030? Read More
  • Research shows link between study abroad and poverty alleviation  Read More
  • Beyond the Big Four: How demand for study abroad is shifting to destinations in Asia and Europe Read More

Because you found this article interesting

US institutions bracing for a challenging enrolment outlook for 2025/26 The Institute of International Education’s (IIE) twice-yearly snapshot surveys are always required reading for international educators. That is...
Read more
How the UK’s Agent Quality Framework will shape the future of agent training This article was originally published in the ICEF Academy Knowledge Hub and is reproduced here with permission. International...
Read more
Dutch government walks back controversial measures to constrain English-taught degrees In a 3 July 2025 letter to the Dutch parliament, Education Minister Eppo Bruins explained that the government...
Read more
New Zealand announces strong foreign enrolment growth along with a new international education strategy Following a post-pandemic surge in 2023, Education New Zealand (ENZ) announced this week that the country’s international student...
Read more
The surging demand for skills training in a rapidly changing global economy With more than 175 million users, Coursera is the largest online learning platform in the world. It currently...
Read more
US issues corrected student visa data showing growth for 2024 while current trends point to an enrolment decline for 2025/26 In April 2025, we reported that foreign enrolments in the US had declined by -11% between March 2024...
Read more
Survey finds US institutions expanding agency engagement and focusing on new student markets AIRC (The Association of International Enrollment Management) and BONARD have just released a second edition of the State...
Read more
Canada’s language sector buffeted by policy changes in 2024 Amid reports of mounting job losses and programme cuts across Canadian education, the country’s language education providers are...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links