Middle East swells international student growth in US

The number of international students in American universities rose by 8% in 2013-14, with 73% of the growth accounted for by students from China and Saudi Arabia, according to the latest Open Doors report from the Institute of International Education, or IIE.

The fastest growing student populations were from Kuwait, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, where governments are investing heavily in scholarships for international studies, to develop a globally competent workforce, the report said.

The fastest growing region this year was the Middle East and North Africa, or MENA, with an increase of 20% in students enrolled in US higher education.

The number of international students in US universities rose to a record 886,052, according to the Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, published by the IIE in partnership with the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs on 17 November.

In 2013-14, the number of international students rose by 66,408 compared to the year before.

“International education is crucial to building relationships between people and communities in the United States and around the world,” said Evan M Ryan, assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs.

“It is through these relationships that together we can solve global challenges like climate change, the spread of pandemic disease, and combating violent extremism,” she said.

More numbers

The US hosts more of the 4.5 million international students globally than any other country and more than double the number hosted by the United Kingdom, the second-leading host country.

Some 31% of international students in the US originate from China, 12% from India, 8% from South Korea and 6% from Saudi Arabia. This compares with 3% from neighbouring Canada and 2% from Mexico.

The number of international students in the US has grown by 72% since 1999-2000, with five times as many students from China, two-and-a-half times as many Indian students, seven-and-a-half times as many Vietnamese students and more than 10 times as many Saudi students.

While students from China and Saudi Arabia together account for 73% of the growth, India, Brazil, Iran and Kuwait account for another 18%.

The number of Indian students at US campuses increased by 6% to 102,673, the first upswing after three years in decline.

There were 8% more students from Latin America and the Caribbean and 8% more students from Asia, fuelled by a 17% rise from China.

Overall, the number of students from the MENA region has tripled and the number of students from Sub-Saharan Africa has increased by 21%.

US students abroad

US students studying abroad more than doubled in the same 15-year period, according to the report. But while the number increased to 289,408, the rate of growth slowed to 2%.

Evan Ryan said: “We need to expand access to international education for students from more diverse backgrounds, in more diverse locations of study, getting more diverse types of degrees.”

The UK was the largest beneficiary of the increase in US students studying abroad for credits received back home. The UK remains the top destination for US students abroad. Italy is second with 10%, followed by Spain (9%), France (6%) and China (5%).

In addition there was double-digit growth of US students studying in South Africa, Denmark, South Korea, Peru and Thailand, as well as strong growth in Costa Rica, Ireland and Japan.

In the case of Japan, growth was recovering after a fall in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami of March 2011.

Science and engineering will the main beneficiary of the increasing numbers of US students abroad, as the field showing the largest growth was for students majoring in STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – up by 9% in a year.

Fewer than one in 10 US college students study abroad at some point during their undergraduate years.

The Institute of International Education launched a Generation Study Abroad campaign earlier this year, with the aim of doubling the number of US students who study abroad by 2020. So far some 450 partners have joined the campaign, including 298 US colleges and universities and 67 higher education institutions and organisations in other countries.

Big numbers, small proportion

Although the absolute numbers are huge, international students only accounted for just over 4% of combined graduate and undergraduate enrolments in the US and contributed US$27 billion to the US economy in 2013, compared with US$9 billion 15 years ago, according to the US Department of Commerce.

New York University became the top hosting institution, knocking the University of Southern California off its perch after 12 years as number one.

They, along with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Columbia University, each hosted more than 10,000 international students.

The most significant rise among hosting institutions over the past 15 years was found in the University of California, Los Angeles, which has jumped from 43rd to sixth, with international student numbers rising nearly fivefold from 2,000 to 9,579.

The IIE’s President Dr Allan E Goodman said: “International experience is one of the most important components of a 21st century education, and study abroad should be viewed as an essential element of a college degree.

“Learning how to study and work with people from other countries and cultures also prepares future leaders to contribute to making the world a less dangerous place.”