Another proposal generating intense debate would give public universities the option of charging tuition fees to some non-resident international students.

Professor Rabossi cautions that the proposal remains unresolved and, in any case, would do little to ease universities’ financial pressures because such students account for a tiny fraction of total enrolment.

But the debate itself is beginning to blunt the growth of international undergraduate enrolment, he says. According to the OECD, foreign students made up 3.8 percent of Argentina’s university students in 2023.

The reforms also raise a broader question: what do they mean for Argentina’s international standing? If SACAU is designed to make Argentine degrees more globally recognised, can the country also attract more international students?

Edwin van Rest, Chief Executive of the global student recruitment platform StudyPortals, says: “Right now, Argentina is more of a regional destination than a global one. The vast majority of its international students come from elsewhere in the Americas.”

One barrier is language, he says: Argentina simply doesn’t offer enough programmes taught in English. “A Spanish-speaking student from Bogotá or Asunción can read a Buenos Aires course guide easily, but a student from Seoul or Lagos can’t.”

Other countries that have successfully repositioned themselves as international study destinations have done so by dramatically expanding programmes taught in English, including the Netherlands, Germany and South Korea.

“Argentina hasn’t done that yet, so it isn’t really competing for the wider international market,” van Rest says. “Until it does, it’s not really in the same race.”

But expanding English-taught programmes alone will not be enough for Argentina.

“When students pick a new or emerging destination, they’re betting on stability, not just low cost,” explains van Rest. “Policy and visa uncertainty is the top worry for universities everywhere right now. Students feel that worry too. They’re giving three or four years of their life, and a substantial investment to this choice.”

Against that backdrop, Argentina’s domestic debate over funding and tuition fees risks sending the wrong signal abroad.

“In Argentina, there’s an open debate over whether international students keep free tuition,” van Rest says. “University budgets are being cut, and people have marched in protest. That’s not the kind of news that makes a nervous 19-year-old feel confident about starting a five-year medical degree in Buenos Aires.”

Yet Professor Rabossi believes it would be wrong to conclude that Argentina is losing its appeal altogether.

“It is not necessarily becoming a more attractive destination than it used to be,” he says. “However, for various reasons, Argentina maintains its appeal as a higher education hub and strategic partner in the region.”

He points to the global reputation of schools like the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), and the cultural appeal of the capital itself, known for its beautiful architecture, café culture and bookstores.

UBA ranked 10 in the latest QS Latin America & Caribbean rankings, while Argentina’s National University of La Plata and Universidad Austral also feature among the region’s top 25.

That academic reputation, however, is facing fresh headwinds.

Argentina’s affordability has long been one of its biggest attractions for international students. As recently as 2024, Buenos Aires ranked among the world’s more affordable student cities, with living costs around 74 percent below London and Los Angeles, and 80 percent below New York.

But that advantage is fading. Since Milei took office, Argentina’s peso has strengthened by more than 47 percent in real terms, making the country vastly more expensive for international students arriving with foreign currencies like euros.

“A rising cost of living and tuition fees in hard currency following currency appreciation has eroded the country’s historic cost advantage over other destinations,” Professor Rabossi says.

The unresolved question of tuition fees for non-resident international students has added another layer of uncertainty.

“In part, this measure slows international enrolment growth in undergraduate programmes. This trend is noticeably more evident in public universities than in private institutions,” he adds.

Yet Andrew Crisp, an international education consultant, believes Argentina’s challenges do not obscure its long-term potential.

“Many of the international students in Argentina come from other Latin American countries,” he says. “But the country undoubtedly has an opportunity to broaden its appeal.”

However, a stronger reputation will not emerge all by itself.“It may be about finding specialisms to grow the brand reputation,” he says. “For Argentina, this may mean its agricultural sector, especially wine, but also tourism. A good starting point may be to develop joint programmes with international institutions with strengths in these fields, and then to leverage international alumni to grow awareness and reputation.”

According to Crisp, the biggest mistake would be to attempt to continue competing on cost.

“The risk for emerging education destinations is a race to the bottom on price to try and gain market share,” he says. “Most students judge not on the cheapest provision, but on value for money and return on investment. Focusing on brands that lead with outcomes and investing in career support and lifelong learning are likely to yield better results than trying to be lowest cost.”

The protests in May were about budgets; however, the debate that followed has become something much larger. Argentina is finding out whether it can cut, reform and internationalise its universities all at the same time.