Students from all over the world apply to attend America's colleges and universities, but one country is now more popular than ever with international applicants — Canada. The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers surveyed over 250 American colleges and universities and found that 39 percent of Americans schools witnessed a decline in international applications in the last year. Canadian schools, on the other hand, have seen a dramatic increase in applications from abroad. For example, Wilfrid Laurier University reported 32 percent increase in applications from abroad, McMaster University reported a 33 percent increase and the University of Toronto (Canada's top-ranked and largest university) saw a 20 percent increase.

International student Anh Cao was the University of Toronto valedictorian for the class of 2015. Keith Beaty | Getty Images

When Leigh-Ellen Keating, director of international services at Brock University in Ontario, attended a recruitment fair in Mexico, she saw first-hand how drastically Canada's popularity had increased. She told Inside Higher Ed, "The table was flooded with people, which is not historically what I have seen. They just want to go to Canada, and historically I think a lot of them would go to the States." Student recruitment professionals attribute the decline in applications to the United States to concern about visa policy. According to The Washington Post, the Department of Homeland Security is considering a proposal that would require foreign students to reapply for permission to study in the United States every year they attend school. Some students are choosing to go to school in The Great White North because of cost. Maddie Zeif, an 18-year-old from Vermont, decided to attend the University of British Columbia because it was the most cost-efficient option. She told The Times, "I will be paying almost the same amount as my in-state tuition without factoring in any financial aid yet." The average cost for an international student to attend a public university in Canada is approximately $17,264. The cost for international students to study at a four-year public college in the United States is $24,930 and it is incredibly rare for international students to receive financial aid in the United States.

University of British Columbia peterspiro | Getty Images