The application rate of Americans to Canadian universities has significantly increased. This is analyzed as being influenced by U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to utilize federal subsidies to abolish progressive policies and control anti-Israel protests.
On the 15th (local time), CNN reported that "more students living in the U.S. are applying to Canadian universities or showing an intention to study north of the border," noting that "this is a result of President Trump's cuts to federal university budgets and cancellations of foreign student visas."
The Vancouver campus of the University of British Columbia (UBC) announced that the number of American graduate school applicants for the 2025 academic year increased by 27% compared to the previous year, as of the 1st of last month. While undergraduate applications from Americans increased by 2%, the number of requests for campus tours from U.S. students surged by 20%, indicating a high likelihood of an increase in undergraduate applicants.
Canada's largest university, the University of Toronto, did not disclose specific figures for the 2025 academic program, but reported that the number of American applicants has risen as of the January deadline. The University of Waterloo in Ontario stated that the number of website visitors from the U.S. has increased by 15% since September last year, and that the number of students visiting the campus from the U.S. has significantly grown.
The reason for the increase in Canadian university applications by Americans is cited as President Trump's 'war on universities.' Since taking office, President Trump has demanded that U.S. colleges respond to anti-Israel sentiments, abolish diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, and change policies regarding mask-wearing during campus protests.
As universities resisted President Trump's demands, he initiated efforts to discipline them by threatening to eliminate federal subsidies. Harvard University, for example, froze $2.2 billion (approximately 3.1 trillion won) in subsidies and $60 million (approximately 85.4 billion won) in contracts for several years. Additionally, President Trump threatened on social media (SNS) to revoke Harvard's 'tax-exempt status.'
Kiyoshi Avery, the president of UBC's Vancouver campus, stated that the number of American applicants surged due to the cancellation of foreign student visas and increased monitoring of social media activities, saying, "Currently, American universities are under tremendous pressure from the government, which is concerning."
It is questionable whether the trend of American students traveling to Canada will continue. According to CNN, Canada has limited the number of international students this year, and there is a high likelihood that the quotas for admission from the U.S. and other countries will be reduced. The Canadian Immigration Department noted that each province and region allocates the quota of international students within a set limit.