Diversification key to international higher education

International student mobility is a complex phenomenon with multiple variables interacting at the national, institutional and individual level. A deeper understanding of student mobility trends can help in not only shaping effective national policies but also informed institutional strategies.

According to the latest Institute of International Education, or IIE, Open Doors report, the number of international students at United States universities and colleges has continued to grow, reaching a record high of nearly 820,000 in the 2012-13 academic year.

In this blog, I focus on three key drivers of growth based on the year-to-year changes in international student enrolment by academic level, type of institution and source countries.

Higher revenue potential: Bachelor level enrolment becoming attractive

In this post-recession environment, many higher education institutions in the US have shown greater interest in recruiting more international students, especially at the bachelor degree level.

For example, new international undergraduate student enrolment at the University of California in Los Angeles grew seven-fold – from 142 to 1,012 – between 2008 and 2012, reflecting a keenness to attract international students who pay fees higher than out-of-state tuition for four years.

The following chart shows that the increase in bachelor degree students was previously more robust as compared to masters and doctoral level student growth.

Following the global recession, international student enrolment at the bachelor level slowed, but shortly after rebounded at a swift pace. In contrast, masters and doctoral level enrolments took much longer to recover from the economic downturn, only showing the first signs of a comeback in the autumn of 2012.