US: Record numbers of foreign students

More than 620,000 international students are now enrolled in American colleges and universities - a 7% increase on the number for the 2006-07 academic year and the highest total ever recorded. The latest rise builds on a 3% blip the previous year and exceeds the top enrolment figure of 586,300 set six years ago, according to the latest Open Doors report. The report reveals an even bigger increase in first-time students whose enrolments jumped by 10% after recording the same rise the previous year and an 8% increase the year before that - a healthy sign for US institutions as they confront their own financial crises.

Just how lucrative international students are to the US economy, and the universities that enrol them, is shown in the Open Doors report. It notes the students contributed more than $15.5 billion through spending on tuition and living expenses this year - making education exports one of America's largest service sectors.

The report says 62% of all international students receive the majority of their funds from personal and family sources. When other sources of foreign funding are included, such as assistance from their home country governments or universities, 67% of all international students' primary funding comes from sources outside of the United States.

In sharp contrast to the tight restrictions placed on foreign enrolments after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the US administration has been making strong efforts to help students in other countries gain access to its universities. The Department of State has expanded support for its advisory centres around the world and has boosted its outreach efforts in key international markets including China, Vietnam, India and Brazil.

The department is also backing after-school English language classes for 'underserved' high school students in many countries to prepare future generations of international students to pursue education opportunities in the US. At the same time, many universities have stepped up their own marketing efforts with aggressive recruiting campaigns to attract more foreign students - especially those wanting to undertake postgraduate study.

They appear to be having some success as the latest figures show postgraduate enrolments rose at more than twice the rate of undergraduates and they now outnumber first degree students by more than 30,000. British universities in particular have raised concerns about some of their brightest postgraduates leaving the country to study in America.

Published annually by the Institute of International Education, with support from the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Open Doors report shows increases in foreign student enrolments from eight of the 10 leading countries of origin, and 16 of the top 20. The three main source countries - India, China and South Korea - had double-digit increases.

India continues to lead all other countries in providing foreign students for American universities, a position it has held for the last seven years. In 2007-08, enrolments from India rose by 13% to 94,563 after an increase of 10% the previous year. China was again the second source nation with a rise of 20% for a total of 81,127 students.

But while students from third place South Korea increased their numbers by 11% to 69,124, enrolments from Japan continued drop and numbers from the fourth leading sender fell by 4% to 33,974. This was the third year in a row in which Japanese enrolments declined.

Yet Asia remains the region from which most students come to enrol in US institutions. Their numbers increased by 10% this year and Asia now accounts for 61% of the total international student population.

A scholarship programme launched by the Saudi Arabian government in 2005 resulted in enrolments from that country leaping by 25% to almost 10,000. This brought Saudi Arabia back into the top 10 for the first time since 1982-83. Vietnamese students on US campuses also showed a huge percentage increase this past year, moving from 20th to 13th place, with an increase of 45% to nearly 8,800 students, on top of a 31% increase the previous year.

As is the case in other countries with significant enrolments of foreign students, those going to America tend to opt for commerce-type subjects. Open Doors says business and management remains the most popular field of study, with enrolments increasing by 7% to make 20% of the total. This was followed by engineering with an 8% rise to form 17% of the total.

www.opendoors.iienetwork.org

geoff.maslen@uw-news.com