The top study abroad destinations for international students in 2026 are Canada, the UK and the US, while Malta and the UAE are rising fast. About 64% of users who searched on ApplyBoard in the last 100 days looked at Canadian programs, followed by the UK (50%) and the US (30%). Spain, Malaysia and Singapore are new on ApplyBoard this year.
How Did Destination Searches Grow?
- Canada: +8% ApplyBoard users searching.
- UK: +4% ApplyBoard users searching.
- US: +5% ApplyBoard users searching.
- Ireland: +7% ApplyBoard users searching.
- Germany: +5% ApplyBoard users searching.
- Malta: searches by ApplyBoard users nearly tripled.
- UAE: strong early interest as a new destination.
- Spain, Malaysia and Singapore: new destinations on ApplyBoard this year.
Frequently Asked Questions
On ApplyBoard, Canada, the UK and the US are the destinations ApplyBoard users search most this fall, with Malta and the UAE rising fastest.
Malta is an English-speaking EU country and one of the fastest-rising destinations in ApplyBoard searches this fall.
Ready to Apply?
Every program above is open to apply on ApplyBoard. Students can check eligibility, compare intakes and apply in one place, and recruitment partners can do the same for every student they support.
About this data: These trends come from program searches on ApplyBoard between 10 Jul 2026 and 17 Oct 2026, compared with the 100 days before. They are a snapshot of what ApplyBoard users were exploring at that moment, not a ranking of institutions or a statement by any institution. Programs, tuition, intakes, deadlines and immigration rules change often: always check the program page on ApplyBoard and official government sources for the latest before applying or advising a student.