The world of college admissions is ever-changing and for students with top university ambitions, it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest developments. This week US News put out a report on the best countries for studying abroad and the United States topped the list, followed by the United Kingdom. Check back next week to see what’s new and noteworthy in university admissions!

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United States Tops List of Best Countries to Study Abroad

English-speaking countries topped the list of Best Countries to Study Abroad, according to the US News & World Report. The top five countries this year were the United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain for students to study outside of their home country.

The Best Countries to Study Abroad rankings are drawn from a global survey of more than 17,000 people and highlight countries according to their perception among more than 7,400 respondents aged 35 and under. The list is based on how respondents viewed various countries in light of whether they are culturally accessible, fun and have many cultural attractions, as well as whether they would consider attending university there and if they believe the country has top-quality universities. The same global survey, encompassing dozens of additional country attributes, is used to compile the overall 2022 Best Countries rankings from U.S. News.

Japan, Canada, Germany, Australia and Mexico rounded out the top 10 for Study Abroad rankings.

Switzerland topped the Best Countries list which surveyed 85 nations worldwide on a set of 73 attributes, including Quality of Life, Entrepreneurship, Agility, Open for Business, and Power, among others. All the participating countries had to meet four benchmark criteria to be considered for the survey.

While the United States ranked first for Best Country to Study Abroad, it moved back into the top 5 this year after jumping in overall rankings from No. 7 to No. 6 in the 2021 rankings. The country is at or near the top of several subranking lists: It’s No. 1 for both power and agility, No. 2 for entrepreneurship and No. 3 for cultural influence.

Many of the same names were in the top 10 Best Countries as the Best Countries to Study Abroad list. Germany, Canada, the US, Sweden, Japan, Australia, the UK, France and Denmark rounded out the list.

Other top stories in admissions news this week:

1. In a sign of changing trends, CoinDesk released its rankings for the 50 Best Universities for Blockchain 2022. Hong Kong Polytechnic University topped the list, followed by National University of Singapore, University of Zurich, UC Berkeley and Cornell. The money information platform ranked universities based on who had the biggest impact on Blockchain in the past year. They examined each of 240 schools based on metrics that include the number and influence of its research publications, the number of courses, degrees, conferences, clubs and industry partnerships or grants, where graduates get jobs, its reputation and many other measurements.
2. The Associated Press reported that US President Joe Biden kept the nation’s cap on refugee admissions at 125,000 for the 2023 budget year, despite pressure from advocates to raise it even higher to meet the need after falling far short of that target this year. Refugees advocates have been pushing the Biden administration to do more to restore the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. The program suffered deep cuts under the Trump administration, which slashed admissions to a record low of 15,000. Biden raised the cap to four times that amount, but so far fewer than 20,000 refugees have been admitted this budget year, which ends Sept. 30.
3. The Canadian government has released a new strategy to extend opportunities for transition for temporary to permanent residency, the PIE News reported. This could provide further avenues for international graduates to remain in the country. The proposal includes five pillars to help boost “permanent labour supply”. Canada has been a popular destination for students looking to gain immigration options following their studies. The new strategy will make things easier for a lot of these students.