International Student Barometer for Canadian institutions

Providing global benchmarking, evidence-based insights for policy and strategy, and tools to improve Spain’s international student competitiveness and reputation.

Canada’s international education advantage is no longer be defined by how many students arrive, but by how well they are supported, how successful they become, and how confidently institutions can evidence that success.

The International Student Barometer (ISB) gives Canadian institutions:

Credible, comparative insight
Evidence aligned to policy and public expectations
A practical tool for protecting reputation while improving experience

Running the International Student Barometer (ISB) will deliver a range of benefits aligned to the nation's and individual institutions' international strategy:

Global Benchmarking and Competitiveness: The ISB enables member institutions to measure their performance against international standards, strengthening their position alongside leading higher education institutions and boosting global reputation.
Evidence-Based Strategy and Policy: The survey delivers robust, comparable data on the international student experience across the full student journey, helping both CBIE/BCCIE and member institutions to shape effective strategies to attract, retain, and support international students.
Continuous Improvement and Collaboration: By providing actionable insights and tracking progress over time, the ISB fosters targeted improvements in services, enhances the student experience, and promotes national cohesion among member institutions.

Download the ISB Survey Questions Overview: The standard and optional question blocks that form the basis of the survey. Please note: We can run the Student Barometer for international and domestic students - in both English and French. (Download)
Download the ISB Essential Information: How to take part in the next survey, including the scope and timings of the survey itself and what your institution can expect from participating. (Download)
Hear from your counterparts at participating institutions. Read about how other institutions in North America and globally are enhancing their position on the global higher education stage. (Access Impact Stories)

"The International Student Barometer has been an invaluable partner for us for the past 13 years. Its robust, comparable data and national benchmarking enable us to track trends, celebrate strengths, and target improvements with confidence. ISB insights directly inform our decisions across recruitment, student services, campus life, and employability supports, ensuring our international students voices drive measurable, data driven enhancements. Participation over more than a decade has helped continuously refine the student experience and better support academic success and career readiness.”

- Director of International (CAN)

PLEASE NOTE: CBIE has arranged for all members to receive a 10% discount on the published price of running the ISB in 2026, with an additional 5% discount for those signing up before 31st May this year.

University lecture hall

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Informing resourcing decisions at Nova Scotia Community College

“Our institution has been so impressed by the quality of the ISB data and the fact that it's benchmarked, which gives the results that all-important context, something not necessarily available from other surveys of this kind. This, and the ability to slice and dice the data to interrogate it across many different contexts, is why myself and the senior leadership at the college choose to focus our time and resources on the ISB survey over the alternatives out there.”

University students gathered for group selfie photograph

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The benefits of meaningful analysis of the student experience at Colorado State University

“We want to authentically understand the genuine experience of students here, and the ISB has been a fabulous tool in helping us explore that, and also uncover how this varies across our different student populations. Using the ISB to focus on student satisfaction, student success and the student experience can have both near-term and long-term positive impacts on international student enrollment and retention.”