Nova Scotia university enrolment drops 3.3% as federal international student caps take toll
Enrolment across Nova Scotia's 10 universities fell by 1,544 students between October 2025 and October 2026, driven largely by federal caps on international student permits. Cape Breton University was hit hardest, losing 25 per cent of its overall student body and projecting multi-million dollar deficits.
Total enrolment at Nova Scotia’s 10 universities fell from 47,302 to 45,758 students as of Oct. 1, 2026, a decrease of 1,544 students, or 3.3 per cent, compared with Oct. 1, 2025. The decline is largely attributed to changes introduced by the federal government in January 2024 that capped international student permits. In September 2024, the federal government further reduced international student intake by 10 per cent and expanded the cap to include graduate students.
The policy shifts have significantly reduced the number of international students studying in the province. There were 2,024 fewer full-time visa students at Nova Scotia universities in fall 2026 compared to fall 2025.
Cape Breton University experienced the most severe impact. Overall enrolment at the institution fell by 1,223 students, a 25 per cent drop, from 4,895 to 3,672. The university’s international student population declined from a peak of nearly 7,000 in fall 2023 to about 1,400 in fall 2026. Full-time visa students at Cape Breton University fell from 2,531 last year to 1,388 this year.
The sharp reduction in student numbers has forced significant operational changes at Cape Breton University. Over the past two years, the institution has lost about 160 employees through layoffs, retirements, and position eliminations. Financial reserves are nearly exhausted, and the university projects a deficit of $8.7 million for the current year and $5.4 million for the next year.
While international enrolment has fallen, universities across the Atlantic region recorded an increase of 451 full-time, first-year post-secondary students. Institutions are shifting their focus toward domestic recruitment and new global markets to offset losses. However, officials warn that without changes to federal immigration policies, universities will continue to face financial difficulties. Visa refusal rates for Atlantic Canada remain higher than for other regions, such as Ontario.