Australia named leading go-to country for Filipino college students studying abroad

MANILA, Philippines —  Australia has been hailed as the go-to country for most Filipinos studying in college overseas, a global consulting firm for students who want to study abroad, reported.

"The Land Down Under" was found to be the the leading destination for Filipino students pursuing their tertiary education abroad with nearly 15,000 enrollees, according to the International Education Specialists (IDP) Philippines.

In 2022, a global IDP research found that 25% international students named Australia as their second-most preferred destination after Canada which garnered 27%.

Australia is particularly popular among students from the Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

The Emerging Futures research was conducted among 11,000 prospective students, applicants and then-students in August 2022. It explored "the perspectives of current versus prospective students about studying in Australia."

Meanwhile, the IDP estimates that about 49,000 Filipino students are taking their studies overseas.

Data from the Commission on Higher Education revealed that the number of Filipino college students studying abroad has doubled, from about 8,000 in 2008 to more than 16,000 in 2018. 

Growing Filipino community

One of the premier universities in Australia with a growing Filipino community is Monash University, which recently landed in the top 50 of the 2024 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Ranking.

Monash, a research-intensive university based in Melbourne, soared 15 spots to No. 42 in the ranking's 2024 edition, up from No. 57 in the previous year.

Professor Margaret Gardner AC, president and vice-chancellor of Monash, attributed the university's success to the growing number of international students.

"This strong performance reflects our strong commitment to quality education and our success in attracting international students and academics to study and work across our global campuses, which creates an inclusive environment where the diversity of our community is respected and celebrated," she said in a release.

Monash presently hosts nearly 150 Filipino students in ten faculties, including Business and Economics, Education, Engineering, Information Technology, Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences. —Intern, Eduelle Jan Macababbad