DHSZ UCC Empowers Non-Traditional Paths

Each year DHSZ has students applying around the world and this year was no different with 14 countries or regions being chosen by the wonderful 2025 graduates. Whilst 39% of students are choosing to attend UK university and 29% of students have decided to matriculate to the US, the remaining students offer a smorgasbord of destinations – each one for a specific, personal reason.

Canada – 5%

Australia – 14%

Hong Kong (China) – 6%

Japan, China (Mainland), New Zealand, Malaysia, Hungary and the Netherlands – 9%

The number choosing the US-UK route is down 18% this year and most had already been chosen before recent political changes. Indeed our students generally apply to - and receive offers from - at least 2 countries and we are always intrigued by how students will finally decide their personal destination.

We asked our dedicated UCC team to explore some of the students who have chosen to attend some of the wonderful universities in the rest of the world.

Mark Coyle  - Head of Counselling:

“This year I’ve seen both the growth of places for applications (up to 14 regions this year) and students who have offers at top QS ranked universities choosing to attend in countries with lower ranked universities. This shows a growing maturity of our students and community to look beyond the numbers and plan for the future.

My student Angus W, who starred in our video conversation (click here), explained to me that he has a solid plan for the future in education. Despite getting an amazing UCL offer, he is keeping his dream alive by taking a combined BA/MA course that will set him up perfectly in Australia.

Many of the art students this year received huge scholarships as they applied by the Early Action deadlines (normally November 1st) with excellent portfolios. These scholarships totaled more than 2million USD and can help change the student destinations. This tells us that the students are in demand around the world.”

Australia

Australian universities, with their high global rankings, excellent programme quality and relatively lenient entry requirements, have become the third most popular destination for our students this year.

Ms Sophia Chen noted: “My student Luke targeted the Engineering programme at the University of New South Wales from the very beginning and plans to enrol this September.”

Hong Kong, China

Ms Sophia Chen shared: “Thanks to its geographic advantage, strong academic reputation and relatively better cost-effectiveness, Hong Kong remains the top choice for some students once offers have been secured. This year, we have seen an increase in offers from Hong Kong institutions compared to last year. Notably, three of our students received offers from the University of Hong Kong:

A Malaysian student was offered a place at every Hong Kong university to which they applied.

A student holding a Hong Kong Identity Card was admitted to HKU’s Medical School for Biomedical Science with A*AA grades.

A Mainland Chinese student was offered a place to study Law at HKU.

Although Hong Kong has doubled its intake quota for non-local students, competition remains fierce for Mainland Chinese applicants with A Level results.”

Ms Rain Xie added: “The entry threshold for HKU is still quite high, but universities have not relaxed their merit-based scholarships at all. This year, the highest scholarship our students received covered four years of tuition fees, although the requirement was equally demanding: four A* grades.”

Canada

Canada is among the most favored application destinations for our students, second only to the UK and the US. In the 2025 application cycle, 25% of our students applied to Canadian universities, securing 36 offers from the University of Toronto (QS 25), 9 from the University of British Columbia (QS 38), and 1 from McGill University (QS 29). Notably, Tina Z, Jessie W, and Avery W are admitted by Rotman School of Management—one of the most selective business schools in Canada. A preeminent institution in North America and globally, Rotman has retained its top position in Canada's 2024 *Maclean's Magazine* business school rankings.

Japan

This year, we have seen growing interest in studying in Japan. Many Japanese universities offer English-taught programmes, and some even provide generous scholarships for international students. For instance, Ms Rain Xie mentioned that one of her students received a scholarship covering 50% of tuition fees.

Malaysia

Malaysia offers an excellent range of options for students wishing to study close to China. Monash University, the University of Southampton, the University of Reading, Heriot-Watt University, Curtin University and the University of Nottingham all operate campuses in Malaysia. Tuition fees are approximately RMB 100,000 per year, offering outstanding value for money, and upon completion of three years of study, students receive the degree certificate from the corresponding UK or Australian campus.

New Zealand

In recent years, New Zealand has become an increasingly popular destination for international students, owing to its favourable visa policies and high-quality teaching resources. Admissions for the 2024/25 academic year increased by 70% year on year. Mr John Coffey pointed out that this remarkable growth mainly stems from the advantageous student visa conditions: New Zealand allows international students to work up to 20 hours per week part-time, complete internship placements, and grants a three-year work visa upon graduation.

Ms Serena Shi shared a student case: “One of my students originally intended to apply to universities in the US, but during the application process, he discovered that New Zealand’s Sport Science programmes enjoy a strong global reputation while having relatively lower entry requirements. He felt they offered better value for money, and so ultimately chose to study in New Zealand.”

Singapore

Singaporean institutions also provide high-quality and affordable options for art students. Curtin University and James Cook University both have campuses in Singapore. Meanwhile, Lasalle College of the Arts and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, leveraging Singapore’s multicultural environment, have become especially popular choices for those pursuing the arts.

Against the backdrop of increasingly diverse global study-abroad trends, we have always adhered to finding the ‘BestFit’ universities and pathways for our students, helping each student gain a deep understanding of the characteristics and application requirements of different countries and institutions, and to precisely align with their personal development goals. Whether the traditional UK and US universities or the emerging institutions in the Asia-Pacific and Europe, we offer one-to-one guidance, resource connections and support in securing scholarships. In the future, we will continue to help our students explore and realise their own multifaceted study-abroad aspirations.