Real Diversification Means Going Deeper: A Ground-Level Guide to Vietnam, Colombia, and Brazil
The conversation about international enrollment diversification has been happening for years. But most of it has stayed at the surface level: broad gestures toward "Southeast Asia" or "Latin America" without the specific market intelligence that actually drives recruitment decisions.
This article goes deeper. Specific cities. Specific demand profiles. Specific visa realities. And specific strategic recommendations for institutions ready to move beyond the headline markets.
Why this moment is different
Vietnamese students were issued 20% more F-1 visas in the first half of 2025, becoming the third-largest student population by F-1 visas issued — a remarkable counter-trend at a time when seven of the US's top eight student markets were experiencing downturns.
Colombia saw double-digit growth in F-1 visa issuances in the same period. Vietnam grew 49% in US enrollment year over year in 2024-25. These aren't coincidences. They're the early signals of a structural shift in global student mobility, and the institutions paying attention are building relationships now, before these markets become competitive.
VIETNAM: The Market Moving Fastest in the Right Direction
Vietnam is the clearest strategic opportunity in international education right now. The data is unambiguous.
Vietnamese students grew 49% in US enrollment in the 2024-25 academic year compared to the previous year; the fastest growth rate of any major source market. F-1 visa issuances rose 20% in the first half of 2025 even as the overall market declined. Vietnam moved into third place among all countries by F-1 visas issued, behind only India and China.
The structural foundations driving this are strong and durable. Vietnam has a population of nearly 100 million, a median age of just 31, a rapidly expanding middle class, and a deeply embedded cultural emphasis on education as the primary vehicle for economic mobility. GDP has grown consistently at 6-7% annually, producing a generation of Vietnamese families with both the aspiration and the financial capacity to invest in international education.
The cities that matter
Vietnam's outbound student population is no longer concentrated only in its two major cities, but they remain the primary recruitment hubs.
Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam's commercial capital and the country's largest city with over 9 million people. It generates the largest share of outbound students and is home to a dense concentration of international schools, test preparation centers, and education agents. Students from Ho Chi Minh City tend to be more commercially oriented, stronger interest in business, finance, supply chain, and technology programs. The city has a strong entrepreneurial culture and students here are often specifically interested in career outcomes and post-graduation employment pathways. For US and UK institutions, Ho Chi Minh City should be the first priority for recruitment presence.
Hanoi is Vietnam's capital and political center. It produces a slightly different student profile, more academically oriented, with stronger interest in research, graduate programs, and government-adjacent fields. The Vietnamese National University system is centered here, and students from Hanoi often have stronger academic credentials and a higher appetite for graduate study. For institutions with strong research programs or graduate offerings, Hanoi is essential.
Da Nang is an emerging third city worth watching. Vietnam's third-largest urban center is growing rapidly and producing a new generation of middle-class students who are increasingly looking outward. It's significantly less competitive as a recruitment market than Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi, meaning earlier-moving institutions can establish brand presence at lower cost.
The visa reality
The US F-1 visa situation for Vietnamese students is more favorable than most institutions realize. Vietnam's visa processing has historically been more stable and less politically fraught than India or China, and US-Vietnam diplomatic relations have been on a strongly positive trajectory since the two countries elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023. When the broader summer 2025 visa freeze hit, Vietnam's decline was 17% compared to 78% for India and 33% for China, a meaningful difference that reflects the stronger bilateral relationship.
For UK institutions specifically, the opportunity is even clearer. The UK has historically captured only about 6% of outbound Vietnamese higher education students despite strong brand recognition, significantly below Australia, Canada, and the US. With Canada tightening enrollment caps and the US facing reputational headwinds, the UK's Graduate Route visa and stable policy environment represent a meaningful competitive advantage that is currently underutilized.
What works in Vietnam
Vietnamese students and families are highly agent-dependent. The majority of recruitment decisions involve education agents or consultants, particularly in Ho Chi Minh City. Building a trusted agent network is not optional, it's the primary distribution channel. Direct outreach to students without agent relationships tends to underperform significantly.
Parents are deeply involved in the decision-making process. Any recruitment strategy that doesn't account for parent engagement, through information sessions, Vietnamese-language materials, and clear communication about career outcomes — will leave significant conversion on the table.
Career outcomes are the dominant decision driver. Vietnamese families make significant financial sacrifices to fund international education and expect a clear return on that investment. Programs with strong employer partnerships, internship pathways, and post-graduation employment data will consistently outperform those that lead with rankings or campus experience.
COLOMBIA: The Latin American Market Building the Most Momentum
Colombia reached its highest enrollment total ever in US higher education in 2024-25, even as the overall international market declined. Colombian students at US colleges and universities grew 13% year over year. F-1 visa issuances to Colombian students posted double-digit growth in the first half of 2025.
Colombia is a country in genuine economic and social transformation. After decades defined by conflict, the country has experienced sustained economic growth, rapid urbanization, and a dramatic expansion of its middle class. The tertiary enrollment rate has more than doubled since 2004. And crucially for US and UK institutions, the Colombian government spends more on education as a percentage of GDP than any other country in Latin America, producing a population that values education deeply and increasingly looks outward for opportunities that domestic universities cannot yet provide.
The cities that matter
Bogotá is Colombia's capital and by far its largest city, home to over 8 million people and the country's most concentrated population of university-aspirant students. Sometimes called the "Athens of South America" for its density of universities and libraries, Bogotá is the essential first market for any Colombian recruitment strategy. The city is home to Colombia's most prestigious universities — Universidad de Los Andes, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana — producing a student population with strong academic preparation and clear international ambitions. Students from Bogotá's elite secondary schools are increasingly competitive applicants for US and UK universities.
Medellín is Colombia's second-largest city and its most economically dynamic. Transformed over the past two decades from one of the world's most dangerous cities to a celebrated model of urban innovation, Medellín has a young, entrepreneurial, internationally connected population. Medellín students tend to have strong interest in technology, innovation, business, and entrepreneurship programs — making it an ideal recruitment market for institutions with strong programs in these areas.
Barranquilla and Cali are secondary markets worth including in a mature Colombian recruitment strategy. Barranquilla, Colombia's Caribbean port city, has a more commercially oriented student population with strong interest in business and trade-related programs. Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, is growing rapidly and producing an increasingly international-minded student population.
The visa reality
Colombia's US visa processing environment is generally favorable. Colombian students face lower structural visa denial rates than students from many other emerging markets, in part because of Colombia's strong diplomatic relationship with the United States and relatively stable economic profile. The US Embassy in Bogotá has actively invested in improving the student visa experience, including technology partnerships to support virtual advising and improve processing efficiency.
For UK institutions, Colombia represents a significant underserved opportunity. The UK captures a small share of Colombian outbound students despite strong brand recognition. Colombia's growing professional class is highly receptive to UK postgraduate programs, particularly in business, law, and public policy.
What works in Colombia
The single most important thing to understand about Colombian recruitment is that it is a relationship market. Generic digital campaigns and mass outreach consistently underperform. What works is presence, showing up at the right fairs in Bogotá and Medellín, building long-term agent relationships, and demonstrating sustained institutional commitment to the market.
Addressing English proficiency concerns through Spanish-language materials and virtual advising platforms has been specifically identified as a driver of increased applications from Colombia. Institutions that assume English-language marketing will be sufficient in this market consistently underperform those that invest in localization.
The market responds strongly to scholarship messaging. Colombian families are increasingly able and willing to fund international education but are highly price-sensitive. Merit scholarships and clear financial aid communication are among the most effective conversion tools available.
BRAZIL: The Giant That Rewards Long-Term Investment
Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America and the fifth-largest country in the world by population. Close to 90,000 Brazilian students are studying abroad, with the US among the top three destinations alongside Argentina and Portugal. Brazilian enrollments at US institutions have risen 14% since 2015 and continue to grow.
Brazil's structural drivers for outbound mobility are strong. Public research universities, most of which are concentrated in the state of São Paulo, have limited numbers of seats, creating a large pool of qualified students who cannot access top-tier domestic programs and look outward. The labor market premium for internationally educated workers is substantial. And the Brazilian real has strengthened against the dollar in recent years, improving the affordability calculus for Brazilian families.
The cities that matter
Approximately 80% of Brazilian students who study abroad come from Brazil's southern and central-eastern states — São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Minas Gerais, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul, and Paraná. This concentration makes Brazil unusually targetable compared to larger markets.
São Paulo is the non-negotiable starting point for any Brazilian recruitment strategy. Brazil's largest city and economic capital, with over 22 million people in the metropolitan area, São Paulo generates more outbound students than any other Brazilian city by a significant margin. The city has a large, diverse, internationally connected middle and upper-middle class with strong appetite for US and UK credentials. São Paulo is also home to Brazil's strongest private secondary school sector — the feeder schools that produce the most internationally mobile students. The Salão do Estudante international student fair, held twice yearly in São Paulo, is the single most important recruitment event in Brazil and should be on the calendar of any institution serious about the market.
Rio de Janeiro is Brazil's second most important recruitment market. Students from Rio tend to have strong interest in business, hospitality, design, and arts programs in addition to the STEM and business preferences dominant in São Paulo. The city's international profile, global events, tourism, cultural exports, produces a student population that is strongly internationally oriented. The Salão do Estudante also runs in Rio, making it efficient to combine both markets in a single recruitment trip.
Brasília, Campinas, and Curitiba are secondary markets that increasingly reward dedicated attention. Brasília, as the capital, produces strong interest in public policy, law, and international relations programs. Campinas, home to the prestigious Universidade Estadual de Campinas, produces a highly STEM-oriented student population. Curitiba has a large European-heritage middle class with strong international orientation.
The visa reality
Brazil's US F-1 visa environment is generally manageable. Processing is available through US consulates in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Recife, and Porto Alegre — meaning appointment availability is generally better than in markets served by a single consulate. Brazilian students are less affected by the current administration's geopolitical visa concerns than students from Asia or Africa, and Brazilian student F-1 issuances have shown steady growth over time.
For UK institutions, Brazil presents a specific opportunity in postgraduate recruitment. A significant 32% of Brazilian students in the US are studying at the graduate level, suggesting strong graduate program appetite that UK master's programs are well positioned to serve.
What works in Brazil
Brazil rewards physical presence and long-term commitment above almost everything else. Institutions that show up consistently, at the Salão do Estudante in São Paulo and Rio, at high school visits, at agent events, build the brand recognition that drives applications. Institutions that rely on digital-only outreach tend to struggle.
Addressing English proficiency concerns through pathway programs, pre-sessional English offerings, and clear English support resources is a significant conversion driver for Brazilian students, who often have strong academic credentials but limited English confidence. Institutions that offer clear pathways from English preparation into degree programs convert at significantly higher rates.
Brazilian students are highly responsive to alumni networks and peer testimonials. Connecting prospective students with current Brazilian students or recent graduates at your institution is one of the most cost-effective recruitment tools available in this market.
The strategic framework: What these three markets have in common
Vietnam, Colombia, and Brazil are very different markets culturally, linguistically, and structurally. But they share several characteristics that make them the right focus for institutions building diversified enrollment strategies right now.
First, visa processing is more manageable than in the disrupted primary markets. All three have functional consular relationships with the US and UK that are significantly less exposed to the current policy environment than India or China.
Second, demand is growing and structurally supported. All three markets have expanding middle classes, strong cultural emphasis on education investment, and structural gaps between domestic educational capacity and student demand.
Third, they reward relationship-based recruitment. Unlike mass markets where volume-based approaches can work, these markets are built on trust — with students, families, and agents. Institutions that invest in relationships early build durable pipelines. Those that arrive late with generic campaigns find the market already occupied.
Fourth, career outcomes are the primary decision driver. Students and families in all three markets are making significant investments with clear expectations of return. Institutions that can demonstrate employment outcomes, employer partnerships, and credential value will consistently outperform those that lead with rankings or brand prestige alone.
The institutions building in these markets today are not doing anything exotic. They are applying basic principles of market development, earlier entry, relationship investment, localized engagement, to markets that the broader sector has underserved for years.
That window is still open. It will not be open indefinitely.
Lindsey López is the founder of Global Education Advisory Group, a senior advisory practice working with universities and education organizations to build international enrollment and revenue strategies for the new landscape. Learn more at globaleducationadvisorygroup.com
