Healthcare Grads Lead STEM, Business Peers In Study-to-Immigrate Success

A new national study shows healthcare graduates enjoy the best career success among international students who settle in Canada as permanent residents.

The report, by researchers Youjin Choi and Li Xu, found that healthcare graduates are more likely to work in jobs related to their field of study than those in business or STEM programs. The research looked at foreign nationals who became permanent residents between 2011 and 2021.

Study Highlights Strong Job Alignment

Healthcare graduates had the highest “study-to-work” alignment rate at 56.7%, compared to 43% for STEM and 35.2% for business students. This means healthcare students often find jobs that match what they studied.

Students who earned healthcare degrees at the bachelor’s level saw the strongest results. In contrast, STEM and business students at lower education levels had the weakest job match.

The study found a clear link between education level and job match. The higher the education, the stronger the connection between studies and career — especially when students completed their highest degree in Canada.

Canadian Education Makes a Difference

Graduates who finished their education in Canada had better results overall. STEM students showed the biggest improvement, with a 16% higher alignment than those educated abroad.

Healthcare graduates saw only a small difference, which means their skills transfer easily to Canadian jobs regardless of where they studied. Business graduates showed moderate improvement when educated in Canada.

STEM Grads Still See Strong Job Outcomes

Although STEM graduates had lower alignment, they recorded the lowest unemployment rate among all groups. Many STEM graduates found work in other well-paying fields.

For example, even when STEM graduates worked outside their field, they were more likely to work in medium-skilled positions than in lower-skilled jobs. Healthcare graduates working outside their field were equally split between high- and medium-skilled roles but slightly more likely to hold lower-skilled positions than STEM peers.

Business Grads Most Likely to Switch Fields

Business and administration graduates showed the weakest alignment. Almost half worked in jobs outside business, STEM, or healthcare. Many moved to unrelated occupations, often because those jobs were easier to access quickly.

Interestingly, business-related jobs attracted graduates from other fields. Around 8.5% of STEM and 4.4% of healthcare graduates switched to business roles after graduating.

Education Level Shapes Job Results

Higher education led to better outcomes for STEM and business graduates. For healthcare graduates, bachelor’s degrees performed best, while higher degrees saw a slight drop in alignment.

Students who studied in Canada before gaining permanent residency also had far better alignment than immigrants without Canadian education.

The study paints a clear picture — healthcare remains the most reliable path for international students hoping to build their careers in Canada. STEM programs still offer solid job opportunities, while business students face tougher challenges finding jobs closely related to their studies.