Study Abroad and International Students Increase in the IIE Open Doors 2015 Report
The Numbers and Beyond the Numbers: Remembering Why Student Mobility is Important
Gary Rhodes
Associate Dean, International Education & Senior International Officer, College of Extended & International Education
Director, Center for Global Education
California State University at Dominguez Hills
"Education is a slow-moving but powerful force. It may not be fast enough or strong enough to save us from catastrophe, but it is the strongest force available for that purpose and in its proper place, therefore, is not at the periphery, but at the center of international relations." - J. William Fulbright
At the start of International Education Week 2015, the Institute of International Education released their Open Doors report, including the numbers of international students in the U.S. and U.S. students studying abroad. There were significant increases in both directions of student mobility this year.
Highlights included the number of international students in the U.S. almost reached 1 million (974,926 in 2014/15) and after remaining flat for many years, the number of study abroad students increased by about 5 per cent to 304,467 (2013/14). The economic impact of international students to the US economy also increased to 30.5 billion dollars.
To get a snapshot of the study abroad and international student data, the IIE Open Doors “Fast Facts” for 2015 can be found at: https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors/Data/Fast-Facts.
International Student Data
The Institute of International Education highlighted the following regarding international students in their press release on the new data:
In 2014/15, there were 88,874 more international students enrolled in U.S. higher education compared to the previous year. India, China and Brazil account for most of the growth in international students on U.S. campuses. While China remains the top country of origin of international students in the U.S., increasing by 11 percent to 304,040, India’s growth outpaced China’s this year, with students from India increasing by 29.4 percent to a record high of 132,888. This is the highest rate of growth for Indian students in the history of the Open Doors project, which spans back to 1954/55. The last time India grew at a comparable rate (29.1) was in 2000/01 when the number of students from India exceeded 50,000 for the first time. In 2014/15, China and India together accounted for 67 percent of the increase in international students, and they now constitute nearly 45 percent of the total number of international students in U.S. higher education.
There were large increases in the number of students from Brazil, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, all countries whose governments are investing heavily in international scholarships for their students, sending tens of thousands of them abroad to develop a globally competent workforce. Nigeria also ranked among the fastest growing international student populations in the United States. Students from Brazil increased 78 percent to 23,675 this year, accounting for 12 percent of total growth. Latin America & the Caribbean was the fastest growing region of origin for international students in the U.S., increasing by 19 percent over the prior year, and benefiting from the support of 100,000 Strong in the Americas, a public-private partnership led by the U.S. State Department, as well as other initiatives launched by governments in the region.
International graduate students at U.S. institutions increased more than international undergraduate students, reversing a two-year trend in which undergraduates accounted for the greater number of new students. This is largely because most of the students coming from India were studying at the graduate level. The increase in undergraduate students from China, which drove overall numbers in recent years, was at a lower rate of growth in 2014/15 than in prior years. However, 2014/15 was the first year ever that Chinese undergraduates outnumbered Chinese graduate students.
International students continue to have a strong impact on the U.S. economy. The most current national and state-by-state data compiled by NAFSA: Association of International Educators found that:
“the 974,926 international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities contributed $30.5 billion and supported more than 373,000 jobs to the U.S. economy during the 2014-2015 academic year."
Additional IIE Open Doors International Student data can be found at: https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors/Data/International-Students
Study Abroad Data
IIE Open Doors also reported a significant increase in the number of study abroad students from 2012/13 to 2013/14 and highlighted the following in their press release about study abroad:
Five percent more American students – a total of 304,467 – studied abroad for academic credit from their U.S. colleges and universities in 2013/14 as compared with the prior year. This is the highest rate of growth in study abroad in five years, since the nine percent increase in 2007/08. Study abroad decreased slightly following the 2008 economic downturn, followed by modest increases in recent years. American students studying abroad in the United Kingdom, the perennial leading host destination, increased by six percent to 38,250; the UK hosted thirteen percent of all Americans who study abroad for credit at home institutions in the United States. However, there were also large increases in the number of students going to other host countries in Europe, Latin America and other regions.
Notably, double digit growth in the number of American students studying in Mexico, Chile, and Peru contributed to an eight percent rise in study abroad to the Latin American and Caribbean region. The number of U.S. students in Cuba rose for the ninth consecutive year, increasing 13 percent to 1,845 students. Ireland and Germany each had a nine percent increase. Among the top 25 host countries, only three—China, South Africa, and Argentina—hosted fewer U.S. students compared to the previous year.
American students majoring in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields represent the largest proportion of students studying abroad at nearly 23 percent, slightly outnumbering Business and the Social Sciences majors, which made up just under 20 percent and 19 percent of study abroad students respectively. But compared to the 36 percent of all U.S. undergraduates who major in STEM fields, STEM students are still under-represented in study abroad
Although there were small increases in the numbers of students from ethnically diverse backgrounds who study abroad, the percentage is far from the total in the U.S. population and the students in U.S. higher education.
Additional IIE Open Doors study abroad data can be found at:
https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors/Data/US-Study-Abroad
Other U.S. Students With International Experience
IIE has also begun collecting data on U.S. students who participate in an international experience that is not for credit. For the 2013/14 year, they reported 22,181 U.S. students that participated in non-credit work, internships, and volunteering abroad. Colleges and universities are new to reporting this data. As IIE’s Generation Study Abroad efforts continue to promote counting the numbers of students with international experiences outside of for-credit study abroad, I think we will see much larger numbers reported in this area. The IIE Generation Study Abroad goal is to have 600,000 U.S. students studying abroad in credit and non-credit programs by the end of the decade (https://www.iie.org/programs/generation-study-abroad).
Through Project Atlas, there continues to be an effort to collect data on U.S. students who are studying for a full degree in a country outside of the U.S. As I’ve mentioned in the past, adding these students provides a larger picture regarding the number of U.S. students studying outside of the U.S. than the Open Doors report shows (as it continues to only highlight U.S. students who study abroad as a part of their U.S. degree program). In the IIE Report - New Frontiers: U.S. Students Pursuing Degrees (downloadable at: https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/Project-Atlas/Mobility-Publications), the number of U.S. students completing full degrees abroad was cited as 46,571 in 2011/12, looking at only fourteen (14) countries outside the U.S. This continues to be a weakness in the data that is collected and provided each year. It would be helpful to have global data to provide a clearer lens of how many U.S. students are studying for a full degree abroad.
Beyond Numbers: Take a Moment to Reflect on Why International Students and Study Abroad are Important to Students on Your Campus
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”
- Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad/Roughing It
In November, I attended the vigil on the California State University at Long Beach campus following the tragic death of their student, Nohemi Gonzalez, during her study abroad program in Paris, France. The speeches by university representatives, family, and friends were highly moving and focused on the sadness of her passing at too early an age, but also why study abroad was so important to her and to other students. A few years ago, I attended the vigil for the Lynn University students and faculty who passed away during the earthquake in Haiti. I have spent time with families of other students who have lost their lives during study abroad. Each of them is sad and tragic.
While we look at the IIE Open Doors numbers as well as the importance of increasing study abroad and other international learning opportunities for U.S. students, I think this is also a time to reflect on each of our students as individuals, who we hope to impact through their international experiences, and to also take a moment to mourn when the life of a student is taken away.
There are risks on our campuses for U.S. students and international students and there are risks when students leave their home campus and study abroad. While we do look at these numbers, always remember to go beyond the numbers and take the time to support each individual international and study abroad student as we support their international learning in the U.S. and abroad.
I continue to be impressed by the faculty and staff in the study abroad and international student support fields. They are committed to supporting and changing the lives of students, limiting risks, and focusing on the positive impact that is made on most students who study outside of their home country.
With the current international challenges and tensions that are being highlighted in the media on a daily basis, I continue to think that study abroad is one of the best ways that we can help make a positive change for the future.
We all have reasons why supporting international and study abroad students are an important part of our professional career and personal commitment. As the 2015 year winds down, I hope you get a chance to reflect on the important work that you do, especially at challenging times.