The international education business is booming. As you’ll see in our new infographic below, the number of international students at American colleges and universities increased by a remarkable 32 percent over the past 10 years, and this week new data were released by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) that show first-time international graduate enrollments increased by 10 percent this fall.
What is most interesting about the CGS findings is that the largest increase in enrollments came from India rather than China, which has historically been the largest source of international students coming to the United States.
And while this is good news for American higher education, it’s only part of the story. As Northeastern University College of Professional Studies Dean John LaBrie said last week in a blog post, the international education industry is changing quickly, and U.S. colleges and universities must adjust or risk being left behind.
He noted that Northeastern has been working for years to prepare for these changes by diversifying its student population and providing high-quality educational options to students in their own homelands.
“We have students on co-op in 93 countries,” he said. “We have grown our study abroad and international dialogue programs. We’ve developed innovative international options such as our Bachelor of Science in International Business and our nationally renowned NUin program. We’ve launched professional doctorate programs in Hong Kong and graduate programs in Turkey, Australia and Vietnam. Our international pathway programs now span Asia and Africa. This is a robust international strategy that serves both international and domestic students.”
Only time will tell what all of these changes will mean, but if it results in a better education for more people around the world, we’re all for it.
Are you an international student who has chosen to study in the U.S.? A U.S. student who has opted to learn abroad? What value do you think international students bring to U.S. classrooms? Share with us in the comments.
