The Institute of International Education (IIE) released its landmark summary of international student enrollment in USA on 14th November, 2016. This year has shown an overall progress for US in terms of admissions of international students.
Following are some of the highlights of the report:
- International student enrollment grew by 7% in US in 2015-16.
- It is the tenth consecutive year of growth in international enrollment for the US.
- However, it is slightly lower than 2014/15’s increase of 10%.
- US crossed the one million mark of international students’ enrollment and reached 1,043,839.
- The economic impact of international students in the US is now estimated at US$36 billion.
Various Countries’ Contribution for USA
- 60% of international students come from China, India, Saudi Arabia and South Korea.
- South Korean enrollments declined in 2015/16, registering a 4.2% decline from 2014/15 and marking the fifth straight year of decreasing student numbers from this key source market.
- Saudi Arabia has moved to the third spot this year with enrollment growth stimulated by the massive King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP).
- China grew by 8% this year, with continued strong growth in undergraduate enrollment in particular (9% this year).
- India led all growth markets with a 25% year-over-year increase for 2015/16 with more students opting for graduate programs.
- Other fast-growing countries included Nepal (18%), Vietnam (14%), Nigeria (12%), and Colombia (9%).
- Other growth markets that all saw increases of 8% in 2015/16 are Iran, Kuwait, Indonesia, Malaysia, Spain, and the UK.
- Brazil led the pack among declining markets with an 18% drop in student numbers in the US between 2014/15 and 2015/16.
The report stated that international students value the quality, diversity and strong reputation of US institutions and recognize that these institutions will give them opportunities that can help them not only in their education but also in their careers.
According to the report, students from around the globe who study in the United States also contribute to America’s scientific and technical research and bring international perspectives in to the classrooms.
