The Post-International Student Market: Why Working Learners Matter Now

Canadian universities know how to recruit high school students. For years, they built systems and teams around attracting international students. But there’s a third audience most institutions have never really prioritized: domestic adults who need recognized credentials, but can’t quit their jobs or relocate to campus.

With international enrolment declining rapidly and no intervention in sight, that overlooked audience is now your most viable path to sustainable revenue.

Domestic Adult Demand Is Rising, But Most Universities Aren’t Capturing It

The international student decline has been well documented. What’s less discussed is what’s happening on the domestic side: demand is rising while supply remains constrained.

The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario projects that their province will need 225,000 additional postsecondary seats by 2046, with the majority needed in the university sector. But the part that matters most for financial sustainability is that a growing share of demand is coming from working adults, not 18-year-olds.

While formal participation rates for adults over 30 remain modest, evidence points to shifting demand patterns that favour working professionals. Statistics Canada reports that students aged 26 and older make up a growing portion of the post-secondary student population, particularly those returning on a part-time basis to upskill. Meanwhile, Statista attributes Canada’s online education growth to “the increasing demand for flexible learning options” from Canadians “looking for ways to enhance their skills and knowledge without having to commit to traditional classroom-based learning,” combined with “the rise of remote work and the need for continuous professional development.”

Economic pressure is accelerating this shift. Unemployment rose to 6.8% in December 2025, while nearly 30% of core-aged Canadians completed training outside the regular education system in the past year, with the vast majority pursuing job-specific skills. As the labour market tightens, more workers are seeking credentials that differentiate them and protect their employment prospects.

The opportunity is significant. Working professionals in healthcare, business, education, and social work are seeking advancement. Mid-career adults are navigating a competitive job market. People in rural and remote communities want university credentials but can’t commute to campus. These adult students often pay full tuition, have employer support, and bring career motivation that drives completion.

Continuing Education Shows Appetite, But Is Not Meeting the Real Need

The Canadian Association for University Continuing Education reports that continuing education enrolment grew 16% from 2022 to 2024, reaching nearly 500,000 enrolments across 33 institutions. That growth signals genuine appetite. But most of these offerings were mostly intentionally designed as non-credit microcredentials, and don’t always deliver what working adults are looking for or need.

The problem is recognition. A HEQCO survey found 59% of employers were “not familiar at all” with microcredentials, and only 10% had a good understanding of what they represent. Research from the Future Skills Centre confirms that employers “overwhelmingly still trust traditional credentials first” and lack hiring systems that recognize or account for short credentials. Microcredentials can be useful during talent crunches but not for hiring decisions, promotions, or assessing employee qualifications. Across provinces, efforts remain fragmented with no coordinated approach to assessment or recognition.

Meanwhile, sustained student demand for flexible learning options continues to drive growth in online and hybrid programs. According to the 2024 Pan-Canadian Report on Digital Learning, working adults increasingly seek programs that accommodate employment, caregiving responsibilities, and geographic constraints, with flexibility consistently cited as a primary driver of enrolment decisions.

A young professional in New Brunswick seeking licensure as a social worker needs a master’s degree. A cybersecurity specialist in Ottawa who needs immersive learning experiences to understand the latest threats and digital infrastructure protection methods can’t rely on a short certification workshop. A teacher in rural Alberta who wants to move into educational administration can’t relocate for a two-year program. A parent with a decade of work experience isn’t going to uproot their family for the school that’s the best fit.

There’s a massive opportunity to build on what continuing education does well, including employer relationships, speed, and flexibility, by extending it into online, for-credit programs that reach learners across Canada.

Yet, right now, private universities and American institutions are leading this space in our country. The window for public Canadian universities to claim this ground is narrowing.

Working Adults Want Graduate Credentials. Start There.

The Canadian universities that emerge strongest will act strategically, starting with programs where demand is proven, such as graduate and professional credentials in health, community, engineering, education, and business.

These programs share common traits. They serve students already working in the field who need credentials to advance. They have regulatory or employer requirements that drive enrolment. They can be delivered flexibly. And they generate revenue that doesn’t depend on government funding or immigration policies.

For many institutions, moving quickly will require external expertise in online program development, market intelligence, and national student recruitment. That’s why some institutions, like the University of New Brunswick, are turning to external partners like Boreal who specialize in online program management. The right partnership adds capacity, reduces upfront risk, and brings market intelligence that helps institutions prioritize the programs most likely to succeed.

Done well, these partnerships let universities move faster and more effectively without adding permanent headcount.

The Domestic Adult Market Is Waiting

The international student decline is revealing a structural gap that existed all along: Canadian universities have strong foundations for adult education, but haven’t extended them into the online, for-credit programs domestic adults need.

This market is growing. Economic uncertainty is pushing more adults to seek credentials that differentiate them as career changers need pathways into new fields. Parents and caregivers need flexible options. Meanwhile, rural and remote learners need programs that come to them. These pressures aren’t temporary.

The audience is there and expanding. The question is which Canadian universities will build the programs to serve their unique needs.