Asian study destinations are positioned to benefit as international education expands further beyond the ‘Big 4’. But how do they compare in students’ eyes?
It’s becoming increasing common to talk of a broader, more ‘multi-polar’, global education landscape that extends beyond the traditional, largely anglophone, destinations like Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA.
We see this shift in our own data, particularly as audiences respond to shifting policy, with study destinations across Europe, Oceania, and Asia benefitting from this reshaping of interest. And it’s a common topic across the sector as talk turns to a ‘Big 10’ or even a ‘Big 14’.
So, alongside Keystone’s sessions and presentations at the 2026 APAIE conference, we’ve been looking at what prospective audiences actually think of study in Asia, and how it's able to compete so well with the traditional powerhouses.
To do this we’ll leverage data from our always-on Keystone Pulse survey, tracking how thousands of prospective students actually feel about different study options and destinations.
Let's begin.
Among other things, our survey asks prospective students where they want to study, followed by a series of questions relating to how positively they perceive different factors of their chosen destinations education system. Two of those factors relate specifically to their academic offer: academic quality and distinctive subject offerings.
When viewing this data, it's vital to remember that this is not simply a 'person in the street'. It is likely to be someone who is researching their study abroad options and may have a preference for China/Japan/the UK etc. - they are therefore likely to already feel positively about their choice. That, by definition, raises the baseline for these scores, but still enables a fascinating comparison:
Traditional international powerhouses like the UK and the USA have built their educational reputations over centuries. They are both home to institutions of great heritage and esteem that benefit from greater visibility in anglophone research and, traditionally, in rankings. Yet, when it comes to perceptions of academic quality in 2026, China, Japan, and Korea compare well with the 'Big 4'. In fact, the quality of China's education ranks behind only the UK (by audiences thinking of studying there).
Similarly, when it comes to perceptions of the variety of specialisms on offer, Japan and the UK score slightly ahead of the rest, while Australia and Canada both score less than China and Korea. It isn't a definitive advantage for Asian destinations by any means, but clearly those that wish to study in China, Japan, and Korea believe that they are receiving an education comparable to that of the 'Big 4'.
As much as the quality of education is a priority for many prospective international students, there are many factors outside of the academic offer that can't be ignored. Chiefly, each student will be living in their chosen destination for perhaps years. Therefore, a large part of the decision making process is evaluating what life might look like in a new place - i.e. can you pursue hobbies, celebrate traditions, and adapt to new cultural norms - and, perhaps most importantly, can you afford to do so.
With regards to the factors of culture and affordability, we start to see Asian destinations not simply compete with the 'Big 4' but actively outscore them:
First and foremost, affordability is always going to be thought of less positively than other decision making factors. Cost is the major obstacle for most international students, and that is reflected in their perception scores. With that said, those looking to study in China clearly feel more positively about affordability than our other tracked destinations.
Japan and Korea score comparably to Canada and Australia, while the UK and the USA lag in this regards - maybe to be expected given various policy changes introduced by both in recent years.
Culturally, it is a similar, if more pronounced, story. Our tracked Asian destinations all outscore their Western counterparts, and this may reflect a wider generational shift. For over a decade, East Asian cinema, TV, and music have been growing in popularity all over the world: KPop Demon Hunters was the most-streamed movie on Netflix in 2025; Squid Game was the most-streamed, Googled, and tweeted series of 2021; and South Korean boy band BTS is the most-streamed group in Spotify's history. For a generation, these names are cultural touchstones, so it may be no surprise if culture is a relatively strong pull factor for that cohort prospective students.
To recap, international study in Asia is thought to be academically comparable to study in the 'Big 4', whilst also being seen to be more affordable and culturally more accessible to a wider audience than ever before. Given the shifting landscape of international education, it's little wonder that Asian is well positioned to benefit.