ICEF Agent Voice

The 2024 edition of the survey emerges at a pivotal time for the industry, set against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions and shifting policies affecting recruitment across all study destinations and, in particular, “the big four” of Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US.

The survey ran from April to September 2024, gathering responses from 1,021 agents across 111 countries. It provides detailed analysis of the challenges currently faced by agents globally, documenting the prevailing industry trends, and provides a forecast for recruitment beyond 2024.

The ICEF Agent Voice 2024 report, sponsored by Flywire and St George’s University, identified four key themes:

1. Student decision-making factors
2. Recruitment expectations
3. Employability
4. Agency operations

• A key driver in international student recruitment, students are increasingly focused on employability and employment options, not only in terms of post-graduate recruitment, but also work experience opportunities during their course of study.

• With the international student recruitment landscape increasingly competitive and complex, agents overwhelmingly welcome training opportunities from partner institutions, both in-person and online.