Where are all the international students?
American institutions have been the widely uncontested global leaders of higher education for most of the 20th to 21st century. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings of 2022 indicate this dominance, with US institutions securing 38 top 100 slots.
As the pandemic retreats, this hierarchy remains unscathed, but the re-emersion of international students on US campuses has stalled to an extent. While the next generation of college students begin to tip the scales of undergraduate enrollment rates and stray from the traditional path of higher education more frequently, a similar trend is emerging for international enrollment—in the US particularly.
At first glance, international enrollment amongst new students is up by two-thirds from the 2020/21 academic year to 2021/22—some highly promising numbers. But the hard truth is that we are nowhere near where we started pre-pandemic. International enrollment increased by only 4 percent in fall 2021 (to 950,658), after a 15 percent drop last academic year (from 914,095), according to the figures from the Institute of International Education (IIE) working with the US Department of State. So, where are the students who have come and gone?
Will international students remain repelled by lingering effects of COVID-19 that won’t resolve in the near future? Beyond that, are there also other distinctive barriers cropping up? And what do the answers to all of these questions mean for US institutions?
The state of the States
As evidenced by the THE rankings, US universities are still dominant worldwide. But this finding gets bogged down by evidence that casts a different light on the situation.
Rajika Bhandari shares some perspective through her experience studying abroad in the US, long before the pandemic era. She cites various factors that contribute to the burden international students bear, in her own experience and still to this day: cultural barriers like a discrepancy in classroom learning styles, for example.
While we saw a global decline in international enrollment in 2020 due to travel restrictions, there is more nuance to the issue. Students weren’t just avoiding international study—some were diverting to study in countries like Canada and the UK.
Canada’s COVID vaccination guidelines have varied by province, though students may find it easier to sift through those of 10 states than the US’s 50 to learn where they stand. When it comes to the UK, there is no vaccine mandate, but free vaccination for international students is offered upon arrival. Plus, international students receive free healthcare and access to medical services in both Canada and the UK—an extremely attractive incentive for many.
Additionally, friendlier immigration policies between the two countries have striking appeal. Canada allows three years of visa extension for international students post-graduation, and the UK grants two. The US does not automatically provide postgraduate work visas or clear pathways to permanent residential status, imposing roadblocks upon international graduates.
Despite these impediments to US international enrollment, the Biden administration has recently shown dedication to making improvements with the aim to redirect international students to the US: the Early Career STEM Research Initiative and an additional 36-month academic training for STEM students on Exchange Visitor (J-1) visas, for two.
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US student recruitment teams have a deep investment in China and India. In the 2020/21 academic year, China remained the number one country of origin for international students, who comprised 35 percent of the nation’s total international student population. Students from India followed at 18 percent.
But these statistics don’t illustrate the greater, more complex trend of Chinese student enrollment in the States—the rates were slowing even prior to the pandemic. Given the ongoing strife between the US and Chinese governments, the China-to-US higher education pipeline might just be bound to burst.
On the flip side of the coin, China has emerged as a key destination for foreign students, with rapidly increasing demand from those in Pakistan, Vietnam, Portugal, Poland, Brazil, and Turkey, per a report from Studyportals and Unibuddy. And globally, Australia and Canada are the current leaders in study abroad interest according to a recent survey of 10,000 students in 181 countries by educations.com.
There has also been a massive influx of desire to study in the UK amongst the US’s top recruitment markets. Applications from mainland China rose by 12 percent to 28,930 from 2021 to 2022 as of the January deadline, while the number from India grew 11 percent to 8,660, according to UCAS (a central source of information and admissions services in the UK) data.
The US and UK have officially swapped places on the totem pole for the most preferred destination for Chinese students studying overseas in 2021. Amidst shifting attitudes and turbulent global conflict, one may consider second fiddle a win for the States. Plus, new Chinese enrollment at American institutions increased almost fivefold from the 2019/20 to 2020/21 academic years—a gust of optimism in the sails of the US sector.
What’s the fix?
Though the current outlook may skew negative, there is reason to believe that US institutions can and will prevail in this contentious climate of international relations. But apart from precedent: why and how?
Jessica Sandberg is the national NAFSA (National Association of International Educators) chair for International Enrollment Management and creator of the #YouAreWelcomeHere campaign. She developed the campaign from the hashtag in 2016 to promote US higher education to prospective international students through the affirmation that American institutions are diverse, friendly, safe, and committed to student development.
Given her expertise and dedication to the cause, I asked Jessica what differentiates the offerings of an American education from those of other countries. “I think international students are attracted to US universities’ comprehensive and immersive nature, which provides a learning experience and an opportunity for deep personal growth, acculturation, and social development,” she responds.
“In fact, a student’s relationship with a US university is usually lifelong. They’ll stay involved with sporting events, alumni activities, fundraisers, career networking, and so forth. In this way, the benefits of their education extend long past graduation. This kind of relationship is fairly unique to US education.”
Apart from advocating for these advantages, what do US universities need to do to appeal to international students right now? “I think two important features in attracting students in today’s environment are transparency and access. Viral videos may drive interest, but savvy students want to understand, in very clear terms, the return on investment an institution can provide them,” she says.
Utilizing the student voice is a tried and true tactic for universities to promote their ROI. The value of an education, for foreign students especially, can be effectively communicated through the lens of a current student’s experience. Per a QS 2019 international student survey, 61% of international students want to connect with existing international students.
This appetite for information about risk-to-reward is shaping up to be a defining feature of Gen Z’s college search criteria. Today’s students aren’t only craving this insight—it’s vital to them. But how can institutions best feed this hunger?
“For enrollment offices, that means demystifying opaque admissions processes in order to give clear answers to simple student questions such as ‘Will I get in?’ and ‘What will it cost?’ that are often shrouded in mystery.”
Reassurance shouldn’t be about bells and whistles, and promoting a global-facing brand isn’t a matter of exposure alone. Selling to this student cohort, and international students, in particular, should be about selling a school for what it can provide to each student. If US institutions of higher education can master this personalized approach to international recruitment, a brighter and more diverse future is on the horizon.
