2025
Student Recruitment Trends

State of Student Recruitment 2025

PhD Students

Understand what motivates today's doctoral candidates - and how to attract and recruit PhD students more effectively in a shifting international landscape. 

What you'll discover inside

🌎 Top Study Destinations - where PhD students want to study and how traditional destinations are holding up.

🚫 Barriers - from affordability and family separation to eligibility and safety concerns. 

📚 Application Behavior - PhD students apply to more universities than any other group. 

 💭 How to influence decisions - the growing importance of networking opportunities, social proof and video conferencing. 

Front cover of the PhD report

Download the Report [PDF]

PhD Report - Influences
PhD Report - Motivations

Who is this report for? 

  • Graduate schools and doctoral program directors
  • International student recruitment teams
  • University marketing and communications professionals targeting research-level candidates  
  • Agencies and consultants supporting advanced degree recruitment.

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