International Student Enrollment May Slide Further

There are about a million international students in the United States, and according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, these students contributed $35 billion to the U.S. economy in 2015.

Why do so many international students enroll in American colleges and universities?

Dr. Yingyi Ma, director of Asian/Asian American studies and an associate professor in sociology at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public A­ffairs, says that international students have multifaceted hopes and aspirations, and they look at American higher education not just as a pathway for their careers but also value it from a human development point of view.

“They value American credentials,” she says. “They think higher education in the U.S. is the best.”

International student enrollment

Between 2010 and 2015, the total domestic enrollment in graduate programs declined by 1.1 percent, says Dr. Rahul Choudaha, CEO of DrEducation, LLC, a higher education consulting and research firm.

“In contrast, the total international enrollment in graduate programs increased by 6.2 percent in the same period,” he says.