American applications to Canadian universities jump as shadow of Trump crackdown spreads over U.S. colleges
Canadian universities are receiving increased interest from prospective American students in the midst of federal cuts to U.S. institutions and revocations of foreign student visas.
The University of Toronto is reporting that it received many more U.S. applications by its January deadline for 2025 programs.
“The university is seeing a meaningful increase in applications over previous recent years for the 2025-26 academic year from potential U.S. students,” a spokesperson for the U of T media relations office told National Post in an email.
Similarly, the University of Waterloo, renowned for its engineering and computer science faculties, is reporting an increase in interest from south of the border.
Some faculties such as “engineering have seen increased interest and applications from potential students. Anecdotally, we have seen an increase in U.S. visitors to the UW Visitors Centre on campus, and web traffic that originates in the U.S. has increased by 15 per cent since September 2024,” David George-Cosh, senior manager of media relations at Waterloo, told National Post in an email.
It should be noted that the closing date for programs at both universities was the end of January, shortly after the presidential inauguration and prior to the increasing crackdown of the Trump administration on U.S. universities. Therefore, any increased interest in U.S. citizens coming to Canada may not be fully realized for some time, one university official said on background.
UBC Vancouver is reporting a 27 per cent jump in graduate program applications for the 2025-26 academic year, as of March. That compares to all of 2024.
The B.C institution told the Reuters News Agency , that it reopened admissions to U.S. citizens, with plans to fast-track applications from American students hoping to begin studies in September.
Gage Averill, UBC Vancouver’s provost and vice president of academics, told Reuters that the spike in U.S. applications has been spurned on by the Trump administration revoking foreign students’ visas as well increased scrutiny of their social media activity.
In particular, he noted “the development of a centre that’s reading foreign students’ social media accounts.”
However, Canadian institutions must contend with their own challenge — the federal government cap placed for a second year on the number of international students allowed to enter the country.
There are fewer spots for international students in 2025 than in 2024. “For 2025, IRCC plans to issue a total of 437,000 study permits, which represents a 10% decrease from the 2024 cap,” said Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada in a January statement .
The IRCC has issued a breakdown of the 2025 target for study permits by province or territory. However, there are no specifications regarding how granting admissions should be distributed – to U.S. applicants or otherwise.
U of T media relations responded broadly regarding that issue, telling National Post: “Our capacity to enroll international students fits within our provincial allocation based on the federal limits.”
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