Canadian university study linking higher earnings to international students could provide roadmap for program’s future

International students who graduate from the University of Waterloo earn more, on average, than their Canadian-born counterparts, according to a new study, and transitioned to permanent residency at nearly twice the national rate.At a time when Canada’s international student program is under fire, Waterloo economist Mikal Skuterud and co-authors Joel Blitt and Ruiwen Zhang have produced research about their institution – described as “the MIT of the North” in their paper’s title – that offers ideas for getting the program back on track.The authors argue Canada should adopt a “quality over quantity” approach to attract top students from around the world and encourage them to stay. When selecting new permanent residents, they say, the process should consider the school the applicant attended and their field of study.