Detail

Executive Summary

The University/College Applicant Study (UCAS) is an annual survey that gathers insights on applicants to Canadian postsecondary institutions. A previous report using the 2024 UCAS data (Napierala, 2025) showed that many Ontario applicants do not follow the “traditional” direct-entry route from high school into postsecondary education but instead take diverse routes including prior study, delayed entry, re-entry, or movement between colleges and universities. Applying the definitional framework developed by Napierala and LaCroix (2025), this report uses the 2025 UCAS to deepen the postsecondary sector’s understanding of mobile students—those who have transitioned between postsecondary programs or have begun or resumed study after a pause in formal or informal learning.