Since 2017, the number of Brazilian students seeking an education abroad has increased by 50%, from 58,000 to 89,150 according to UNESCO figures. Furthermore, ICEF estimates that in 2023/24 there were at least 110,000 Brazilian students pursuing education overseas, including those studying language courses, and with 44% of its 200 million population aged between 5 and 34 years old, the potential of the Brazilian market is vast.
74% of the 586 Brazilian education agents surveyed by the Brazilian Educational & Language Travel Association (BELTA) between February and April of 2025 said they saw on average 15% growth in students studying abroad in 2024, compared to 2023. 80% said they expected similar levels of growth for 2025 underscoring sustained momentum in the market.
As more Brazilian students seek study abroad opportunities across a wide-range of markets and programmes, the role of education agents is growing, according to the BELTA Seal Market Research Report 2025.
Crucially, nearly 60% of more than 1,700 Brazilian students surveyed separately said they used an agency to secure a place on a course abroad, making agent partnerships increasingly important to institutions wanting to recruit from Brazil. Agents are a major source of information about their destination (coming in second only to Instagram) and they rely on agents for a wide-range of services, from getting necessary insurances through to sending tuition payments.
Given these market dynamics, what should education agents and the institutions they work with understand to best support Brazilian students? Here are 5 things to consider in understanding the landscape.
1. Alternative destinations competing with the “big 4” as students consider visas and other factors
Visas granted to Brazilian students across the Big Four Destinations (U.S., U.K. Canada and Australia) and New Zealand in 2024 declined 33% over 2023, according to research from BONARD Education. The research notes that visa grant rates for Brazil remain high compared to other South American markets, and students showed growing interest in alternative destinations, such as Portugal, Germany, France, Spain and New Zealand. BELTA’s research also pointed to strong interest in Ireland, Malta and Chile.
As well as the ease of obtaining a visa, which is undeniably critical for some destinations, Factors that influence a student’s destination choice include a country’s quality of life, its natural and cultural attractions, location, as well as recommendations from friends and family.
2. Accessibility and trust critical as students rely on education agents for wide ranging services
Students said they chose agents who were easy to get in touch with, offered custom-tailored services and instilled trust.
Agents do more than just advise on courses and help with application, they also help with travel insurance, accommodation and provide assistance with visas. In turn, the vast majority of agents (91%) also make payments to schools on behalf of their clients. Specifically:
Agents pay schools by (agents could choose more than one option):
- Bank transfer (94%)
- Credit card (22%)
- 11% still use cash.
More than ⅓ do not use a payment platform, potentially introducing risk and process inefficiency into the process for all parties. Partnering with a payment provider, such as Flywire, that prioritizes security and compliance, as well as being able to streamline processes will improve student experiences.
3. Language courses remain most popular but higher education is surging
Looking to improve their prospects for higher education or employment, language courses are in high demand among students, particularly English programmes. They are the top courses sold by agents and chosen by students, followed by teen vacation programmes, high school and professional certificates. That said, interest in undergraduate and postgraduate courses is also surging, sitting at 6th and 7th position (up from 11th and 14th/16th in 2015).
4. Students still look to friends and parents for advice but social media’s impact is significant
Friends who have studied abroad and parents continue to be the top influencers of decisions, but coming in a close third is social media, specifically Instagram. Social media’s role as a source of information is also increasing. Instagram was students’ top source of information about their destination country. Agents were the second.
5. Cost is significant barrier to education and there are big opportunities to improve payments processes
According to the BELTA report, the average investment made by clients wanting to study abroad is $7,238 USD, over ten times the Brazilian average annual income. What’s more, despite over half of the students surveyed hailing from the most affluent region of Brazil, financial issues still have an impact on agents’ ability to sell courses. The top three challenges they face are devaluation of the Real, declining purchasing power, and the higher cost of education abroad regardless of exchange rates.
Fiscal difficulties impact payments from the region too. Most agents said they experience challenges when making payments with high transaction fees or unfavorable exchange rates, impacting 65% of agents. Other challenges include limited payment options or monetary support (31%), a lack of transparency in fees or exchange rates (23%), and security or reliability concerns (20%).
Cost, ease and transparency of payment erode some of these barriers.
Navigating the unique dynamics of the Brazilian outbound international education market requires an understanding of the evolving preferences of Brazilian students—from their destination choices to their reliance on agents. By addressing critical factors like the financial hurdles they face, by employing robust solutions such as Flywire to improve the cost and transparency of education payments, institutions can effectively tap into this resilient and growing market.
Find out how Flywire’s Agent Platform streamlines work for education agents and eases payment tracking and reconciliation for institutions.