Choosing a degree abroad is also choosing a job market. A new report by consultancy Nous Group and the study search platform Studyportals, University as a Connector 2026, compares what students look for with what employers ask for in the four largest English-speaking destinations. ICEF Monitor summarised it on 3 November 2026.
How the comparison works
Student interest comes from Studyportals search data, employer demand from job advertisements collected by Lightcast, both for 2022 to 2025. Between those years the gap between the two grew in business, engineering, health, digital technology, education and nursing.
Where students are missing
- Business and engineering show the biggest shortfall of student interest compared with job offers. Employers seem to want specialised skills, for example analytics and finance, so the specialisation matters.
- United States: demand outpaces supply most in nursing, accounting, finance and engineering; the report calls the health care gap the most worrying.
- Canada: employer demand is strong in business, health, engineering and computing, while student interest in engineering and business fell.
- Australia: employers wanted more business and health professionals, yet student interest in both declined.
Where interest is higher than demand
In the UK, engineering, education and health sciences are well matched, but student interest is greater than what the job market absorbs in biological sciences, IT, physical sciences and environmental fields. In Canada, biological sciences, mathematics and statistics, communication and journalism, and IT show more interest than openings. Overall, Australia and the UK are the best aligned of the four, Canada and the US less so.
Why it matters
A programme in a field employers are short of can make work after graduation, and the visa that depends on it, easier to reach.
Key points
- Report compares student searches with job adverts in Australia, Canada, the UK and the US (2022–2025).
- Gaps widened in business, engineering, health, digital technology, education and nursing.
- US demand outpaces supply most in nursing, accounting, finance and engineering.
- Australia and the UK are the best aligned; Canada and the US show bigger mismatches.
Not sure which field gives you the best job chances after graduation? Book a consultation with us and we will match programmes to your goals and handle the application for you.
Source
- Are students choosing university programmes aligned with the skills employers need most?ICEF Monitor · Nov 3, 2026Based on the report University as a Connector 2026 by Nous Group and Studyportals.
Written by the Study and Work Abroad team in our own words from the sources above. Rules change often: before you apply, ask us to check the current rules for your case.
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