New Survey Shows Foreign Student Numbers Mostly Flat
Recruiting world's best students remains public diplomacy imperative
The results of a snapshot survey by several higher education and international education organizations released today suggest a leveling off of overall international student enrollments at U.S. colleges and universities this fall. Thirty-four percent of respondents reported an increase in overall international student enrollments compared with last year, while 33 percent reported a decline. At institutions with more than 1,000 international students, 43 percent of respondents reported a decline in overall numbers, while 33 percent reported an increase. Among those institutions that enroll both undergraduate and graduate students, those that reported a decline indicated that it was more evident at the undergraduate level.
At the same time, the survey suggested some growth in the number of new international students. Forty percent of survey respondents reported that their numbers of new international students rose this year when compared to last year, while 34 percent reported that new international enrollments had stayed about the same, and 26 percent reported a decline. Among the respondents that enroll more than 1,000 international students, about half (51 percent) reported an increase in new international students over last year.
'While this latest survey suggests some positive signs, the fact remains we have not yet been able to return to a situation of growth in the overall numbers,' said NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Marlene M. Johnson. 'For the sake of our ability to promote fundamental national interests, this must change. In order to lead in today's world, to compete successfully in the sciences and technology, and to engage the global community, we urgently need a national policy on international education.'
The survey indicates that new international student enrollments from selected major sending countries appear mostly unchanged over last year, with some notable exceptions: More institutions reported increases than declines in the number of new students from China (29 percent reported increases, while 20 percent reported declines) and Korea (36 percent reported increase, while 17 percent reported declines). The survey also indicates declines in enrollments of new international students from countries including Indonesia (20 percent reported a decline and 13 percent reported an increase) and Pakistan (20 percent reported a decline and 14 percent reported an increase).
The online survey of nearly 1,000 U.S. colleges and universities was conducted in October by: American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), American Council on Education (ACE), Association of American Universities (AAU), Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), Institute of International Education (IIE), NAFSA: Association of International Educators, and National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC).
Several other recent surveys flesh out the current picture of international student enrollment trends, at a time when many in the scientific, business, and foreign policy community remain concerned about the impact of diminished educational exchanges since September 11, 2001, on the country's competitiveness and security.
The
Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, published by IIE each fall, has reported declines in overall international student enrollments for the past two years. Last year (for academic year 2003-2004), the survey registered a decline for the first time in nearly three decades, by 2.4 percent over the previous year. This year,
Open Doors again reports a decline (for academic year 2004-2005), but with an even smaller margin of change.
A report recently released by CGS indicates that international student admissions to U.S. graduate schools increased by 3 percent between 2004 and 2005, despite a 5 percent decline in applications by prospective international graduate students this spring. CGS further reports that while total international graduate enrollments are still down this year, by 3 percent, first-time international graduate student enrollment have increased 1 percent over last year. These findings are consistent with the apparent growth in the numbers of new international students indicated in the 2005 joint enrollment survey. Overall, the latest statistics suggest a flattening of international student enrollments, after years of steady increases during the period before 2003.
NAFSA Report: The Economic Benefits of International Education to the United States 2004-2005
NAFSA has also released its annual Economic Impact Statements, which estimate the amount of money foreign students spend in the United States to support their education. Last year international students and their families spent $13.29 billion on the U.S. economy. The report, which includes spending on tuition and fees and on living expenses, offers national and state-by-state breakdowns as well as data for major institutions of higher education in each state. The analysis is based on tuition and living expense data from the College Board and enrollment figures from IIE's
Open Doors 2005 report.
The reports are available at
http://www.nafsa.org/EIS2005
