Dive Brief:
- Results of the latest Institute of International Education Open Doors report shows record-breaking growth in the number of international students studying in the United States, with particularly strong growth from India.
- Inside Higher Ed reports overall growth in the international student population was 10% from 2013-14 to 2014-15, faster than at any point in 35 years, pushing the number of students to a record 974,926.
- The number of U.S. students studying abroad increased by 5% in 2013-14, reaching its fastest growth rate since before the economy crashed in 2008 and contributing to a new high of 304,467 study abroad students.
Dive Insight:
The Open Doors report provides the most granular data about international students and study abroad. The number of students from India trails China, but its growth rate of nearly 30% far surpasses the east Asian country. There are now 304,040 Indian students in the U.S., primarily in master's and doctoral degrees.
Government investment has spurred an increase in the number of students studying in the U.S. from Brazil, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, all of which offer scholarships for students to go abroad.
Historically, graduate students have far outnumbered undergraduates from abroad but trendlines have been moving in opposite directions for several years as colleges look outside of the country for full tuition. In 2014-15, foreign undergrads from China outnumbered their graduate school peers for the first time.