EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: DECEMBER 7, 1998
CONTACT: Deborah Gardner/Wendy Wilkinson, Halstead Communications, (212) 734-2190, or [email protected]
Foreign Student Enrollment in U.S. Colleges and Universities Increases US Student Numbers Abroad Also Surge
New York, NY - After a four-year period of flat growth, the total number of foreign students attending U.S. colleges and universities increased 5.1% this year to a total of 481,280 according to Open Doors 1997-98. Numbers of U.S. students studying abroad climbed 11.4% from the prior year, reaching almost 100,000. Open Doors is the annual report on international educational exchange prepared by the Institute of International Education (IIE), the leading non-governmental agency in the international exchange of people and ideas.
In response to the latest edition of Open Doors, Keith Geiger, Director of Academic Programs at the United States Information Agency, which funds the Open Doors study, stated, "We are delighted to see both the increased numbers of international students choosing to study in the United States and the unparalleled numbers of U.S. students going abroad. Although U.S. universities and colleges remain the first choice for international students worldwide, disturbing trends throughout the 1990s show that the United States may be losing its competitive edge in international education. From 1995 to 1997, for example, the U.S. share of all international students dropped from 32% to 30%, down from 40% in the 1980s. USIA's goal for the future is to identify barriers to international educational exchange between the U.S. and other countries and to formulate an action plan to maintain U.S. leadership."
According to Dr. Allan E. Goodman, IIE's President, "The increase in foreign student enrollment is the result of many factors, including stronger efforts by many U.S. universities and colleges to internationalize their campuses." Although the recent upswing is good news, Dr. Goodman observed that the United States cannot take for granted the flow of students to the U.S. given the increasing competition from other host countries. Among the most impressive foreign student enrollment increases are those shown by U.S. community colleges, where international enrollments have jumped by 20% over the past four years, to a new high of 73,443.
Foreign students comprise only 3% of America's total higher education population, yet they have a significant impact on the U.S. campuses and communities in which they study. Department of Commerce data describe U.S. higher education as the country's fifth largest service sector export. According to Open Doors 1997-98, foreign students contribute over $7.5 billion to the U.S. economy each year in tuition and living expenses alone, not including spending by accompanying family members and the ripple effect of their spending on the local economy.
Among the most popular fields of study for foreign students, business administration and engineering remain the top two, with growth in business administration enrollments up 4.7%. Computer science majors grew 20% and arts majors grew 14.7% in the past year, showing the diversity of fields in which foreign students are showing strong interest.
Open Doors also reports that more Americans are studying abroad than ever before, with 99,448 reported as having received credit for study abroad. While this represents an 11.4% increase from the prior year (and nearly double the number reported a decade ago), these students represent less than 1% of total enrollments in American colleges and universities. While the great majority continue to study in Western Europe, there was a strong increase in numbers studying in other world areas such as Australia (up 16.8%), China (up 16.5%), Costa Rica (up 13.5%) and Mexico (up 10.4%).
As Dr. Goodman noted, "In today's global marketplace, study abroad is an indispensable route to achieving the in-depth understanding of other societies and cultures that is required for future world leadership."
Highlights from Open Doors 1997/98 (Available on IIE's website: http://www.iie.org/opendoors/.)
Japan is the leading country of origin for foreign students (47,073), followed by China (46,958), and Korea (42,890). Asian students make up over one half of international student enrollment (57.6%) and are up 6.4% to 277,508.
Foreign student enrollment increases from 13 of the 15 largest sending countries Exceptional growth from Korea (15.5%), China (10.5%) and India (10.4%).
Manhattan count is highest New York City is the world capital for foreign students, with 29,855 in the five boroughs. New York County (Manhattan) with its 21,948 students edged out Los Angeles County for the second year as number one host county in the nation.
New York University first For the first time in many years, New York University's foreign student enrollment (4,964) was the largest, followed by Boston University (4,603), and Columbia University (4,080). One hundred and twenty-five U.S. colleges and universities hosted 1,000 or more foreign students.
California enrolls most Two leading host states, California (65,292, up 14.5%), and New York (51,264, up 11.3%) showed strong percentage increases in 1997/98. Other leading states were Texas (29,542, up 3%), Massachusetts (27,121, up 2.1%), Florida (21,096, up 3.9 %) and Illinois (20,703, up 5.5%).
Families provide funds Over two-thirds (68%) of all foreign students receive the majority of their funds from family and personal sources. Over three-quarters receive most of their funding from sources outside of the United States.
Postdoctoral scholars A total of 65,494 foreign scholars (up 5%) were reported by U.S. higher education as teaching or conducting research during 1997/98. Foreign scholars are by definition not enrolled for academic credit at U.S. institutions. Some four in ten (43%) foreign scholars come from Asia. The largest number came from China (10,709), Japan (5,472), and Korea (4,520).
Intensive English Programs A separate survey supported by TOEFL Policy Council reported that 54,052 foreign students were enrolled in pre-academic Intensive English Programs during 1997/98. These numbers include both students at university-based programs and at independent English language schools owned by corporations.
The Open Doors report is published by the Institute of International Education, the leading not for profit educational and cultural exchange organization in the United States. IIE has conducted the annual statistical survey of the foreign students in the United States since 1949. A grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Information Agency supports the research and report. The census is based on a survey of 2,571 accredited U.S. institutions, with a 94.3% response. Separate surveys are conducted to generate statistics on foreign scholars, U.S. education abroad students, and foreign students enrolled at preacademic Intensive English Programs.)
Open Doors 1997/98 is available from IIE Books for $42.95 plus $6 shipping and handling. The new book provides over 200 pages of data and graphics highlighting key facts and trends in international student and faculty flows. It includes a bound-in disk with substantial additional statistical tables.
Open Doors also features commentary and analysis by experts from the U.S. and abroad. Custom research reports based on the most currently available international student data are available for a fee from IIE Research at 212-984-5347. Open Doors 1997/98 can be ordered from IIE Books at 800-445-0443 toll free in U.S. - or by e-mail from [email protected]. The new edition may be purchased at the IIE Online Bookstore: http://www.iiebooks.org - or from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com.
A limited number of review copies of the report are available to the press from IIE's media relations counsel, Halstead Communications/College Connections. Call Deborah Gardner/Wendy Wilkinson at 212-734-2190 -- or e-mail [email protected].
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