For a generation growing up surrounded by conversations about climate change, social responsibility and ethical consumption, sustainability is not simply another item on a university website. For many young people, it is becoming part of the way they judge whether an institution reflects their values.
This matters for international education agents. When students ask about a university, college or language school, they are increasingly interested in more than tuition fees, rankings and accommodation. They may also want to know how an institution manages its environmental impact, whether its sustainability claims are backed by action and what opportunities students have to make a difference themselves.
The expectations of Gen Z are already influencing international education, while Gen Alpha is likely to push these expectations even further as it becomes a larger part of the student market.
The numbers suggest that sustainability is moving closer to the centre of educational decision making.
According to QS research published in 2025, 88% of prospective students consider sustainability to be moderately, very or extremely important. Almost half said they would prefer a sustainable university to one ranked in the global top 100, while more than two thirds would choose a sustainable university over one ranked in the top 500 or top 1,000.
That is significant for agents advising students on international study.
Academic quality will always matter. So will affordability, employability, safety and location. However, sustainability can increasingly become a deciding factor when several destinations or institutions appear to offer similar academic opportunities.
QS research has also found that more than half of students interested in studying in the UK were actively researching university sustainability strategies and efforts as part of their decision making.
For agents, this means sustainability should not be treated as a niche question. It can form part of the wider student counselling conversation.
Students do not experience sustainability only inside the classroom. They experience it through the city they live in, the transport they use, the food they eat, the accommodation they choose and the wider policies of their destination.
A student considering two similar institutions may look at public transport, access to green spaces, cycling infrastructure, recycling facilities, renewable energy, environmental policies and the destination's wider approach to climate action.
There is also a growing awareness of the environmental impact of international mobility itself. Research into international student mobility has highlighted the tension between the benefits of global education and the environmental impact associated with overseas travel.
This creates an opportunity for education agents to have more meaningful conversations with students. Rather than simply asking where they want to study, agents can explore what kind of environment they want to live and learn in.
Is public transport important to them? Do they want access to outdoor activities? Would they value a campus with strong environmental initiatives? Are they interested in sustainability related careers?
These questions can help agents build a much more complete picture of what a student is looking for.
One of the biggest changes in student expectations is the growing gap between saying something is sustainable and proving it.
A website filled with photographs of trees, reusable coffee cups and green spaces is unlikely to convince students on its own. Younger generations are accustomed to researching organisations, checking reviews and comparing information online. They can quickly move beyond a marketing message to look for evidence.
This expectation is particularly important because students increasingly want sustainability to be part of everyday institutional life.
A 2025 survey at the University of Oxford found very high levels of concern about environmental issues among students and staff. It also identified a gap between grassroots activity and visible, institution led change, with more than 70% of respondents linking observed change primarily to individual action. The findings pointed towards a need for greater transparency, visibility and institutional impact.
For education providers, the lesson is straightforward. Sustainability claims need substance.
Instead of simply stating that a campus is sustainable, institutions can show students how much energy comes from renewable sources, how waste is reduced, what happens to food waste, how biodiversity is protected and what progress has been made against environmental targets.
The same applies to social sustainability. Students may want to understand how an institution supports inclusion, local communities, fair employment and responsible partnerships.
Transparency builds credibility.
Young people are not simply waiting for institutions to tell them what sustainability means. They are increasingly asking questions, organising campaigns and influencing decisions.
University students have been involved in campaigns around fossil fuel divestment, ethical investment and institutional climate policies. In the UK, student campaigns have contributed to universities reconsidering relationships with fossil fuel companies and strengthening their sustainability commitments.
Younger students are also asking for a more practical approach to sustainability education.
A 2025 study involving 2,429 students aged 11 to 14 in England found that students wanted more engaging sustainability education, including practical solutions, global perspectives, outdoor learning and meaningful opportunities to participate in school and community initiatives.
UNESCO's global research, involving around 17,500 young people across 166 countries, similarly found strong demand for better climate change education, with young people calling for improvements to learning content, teaching approaches, school management and partnerships.
This tells agents something important. Students increasingly want to be participants rather than passive recipients.
Gen Alpha is still relatively young, but its relationship with sustainability is already worth watching.
Many have grown up with climate change, extreme weather, biodiversity loss and environmental responsibility as familiar subjects. They are also growing up in a highly connected world where information about companies and institutions is readily available.
A 2025 survey of American children aged 8 to 14 found that 52% were concerned about the future, while many said they wanted to stay informed about difficult issues and some reported taking action after hearing about them.
For international education providers, this could translate into a generation that expects sustainability to be visible throughout the student experience.
They may want lessons connected to real environmental challenges. They may expect schools to involve students in sustainability projects. They may ask where food comes from, how waste is managed or what an institution is doing to reduce its environmental impact.
Most importantly, they may expect to have a voice.
Education providers do not need to reinvent their entire offer overnight. Small, credible changes can make a meaningful difference, particularly when students are invited to participate.
Replace broad statements with specific information.
Instead of saying that a school is committed to sustainability, explain what it is actually doing. Share targets, achievements and areas where further progress is needed.
Create student sustainability committees, environmental ambassadors or volunteering programmes. Invite students to suggest improvements and involve them in decisions.
A sustainability policy becomes much more meaningful when students can see themselves within it.
Sustainability does not have to sit within one particular subject. Language schools can use local environmental issues as conversation topics. Universities can connect sustainability with business, engineering, tourism, architecture, hospitality and other disciplines.
Students should be able to see how sustainability connects with their future careers.
Agents can help students understand the wider sustainability story of a destination.
Information about public transport, cycling, green spaces, local environmental initiatives and community projects can make destination counselling more relevant to students who care about sustainability.
No institution is perfect. Trying to present an organisation as completely sustainable can actually undermine credibility.
Students are likely to respond better to an institution that says, "This is what we have achieved, this is what we are working on and this is where we still have work to do."
That is far more convincing than a collection of polished slogans.
Sustainability is becoming another lens through which students evaluate their international education choices.
For agents, this creates a valuable opportunity. Rather than waiting for students to ask about sustainability, agents can introduce the subject as part of a broader discussion about institutional values, destination choice and student experience.
Ask students what matters to them.
Then look for providers that can demonstrate those values in practice.
An institution with strong sustainability credentials can become particularly attractive when its actions are easy to understand and communicate. Agents can highlight practical examples, from student led projects and sustainable accommodation to environmental courses, green campus initiatives and community partnerships.
The key is evidence.
As Gen Z and Gen Alpha become increasingly influential in international education, sustainability is likely to move further away from being a marketing theme and closer to being an expectation.
The institutions that understand this shift will not simply talk about a greener future. They will give students opportunities to experience it, question it and help shape it.
For agents, that could become an increasingly important part of helping students find the right place to study.
2026 SchoolsandAgents (C) - Developed by Lunarsors