International students offered graduate admissions. . .

By Jeffrey Thomas

Washington -- For a third consecutive year, the number of international students receiving offers of admission to master’s and doctoral programs at U.S. colleges and universities has risen, with a 16 percent increase in admission offers to Chinese students leading the way, according to a new study by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS).

Applications from students in the Middle East rose 14 percent and offers of admission 17 percent. Applications from students in India -- the top country of origin for U.S. international students -- rose just 2 percent, as did offers of admission to those students. Admission offers to South Korean students fell 3 percent.

India, China and Korea are the top three countries of origin for international students enrolled in U.S. graduate schools, accounting for about half of the total, CGS says. Students from the Middle East account for 6 percent of total enrollment.

The report, released August 21, also confirms the recent trend toward international collaborative graduate programs.

Overall, admission offers to international students rose 4 percent from 2007 to 2008, less than the 8 percent rise last year and a 12 percent rise two years ago.

CGS President Debra Stewart expressed concern about the slowdown in the growth of international students pursuing graduate studies in the United States. Such a trend holds long-term implications not only for U.S. graduate education, but also for U.S. competitiveness in the global economy, she said.

“Happily, U.S. graduate schools are proactive as they continue to establish collaborative degree and certificate programs with institutions overseas as one response to intense global competition,” she added.

The report cites two sources of competition as the causes of the slowdown. Institutions of higher education in Europe, Australia and Japan are actively recruiting international students. And the largest source countries for prospective U.S. international students -- India, China and South Korea -- are providing inducements for their students to study at home.

International students also may face such challenges as economic uncertainty in their home countries, currency fluctuations, the rising cost of higher education, or lack of sufficient English language skills, particularly among disadvantaged populations.

There were 2.7 million international students worldwide in 2005, according to the latest UNESCO data, up from 1.8 million in 2000 and 600,000 in 1975. A little more than one-fifth of international undergraduate and graduate students were studying in the United States as of 2005, the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development estimated.

Under the U.S. educational system, graduate students work toward master’s, doctoral or other advanced degrees.

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIVE GRADUATE PROGRAMS GROW

According to the new CGS survey, the percentage of U.S. graduate schools that have established joint, dual or other collaborative degree programs in partnership with international colleges and universities has risen from 29 percent in 2007 to 38 percent in 2008, including six of the 10 largest.

In dual, or double degree, programs, students take courses and receive a degree, diploma or certificate from each participating school. For example, through a program established by the State University of New York (SUNY) and Turkey’s Council of Higher Education, Turkish students can receive two undergraduate diplomas, one Turkish and one from SUNY, after dividing their four years of study between a Turkish campus and a partner SUNY campus.

In joint degree programs, on the other hand, students take courses at each participating college or university but receive only one degree, diploma or certificate from the school at which they are registered.

Most collaborative programs are at the master’s degree level, and most are with European universities. Some collaborative doctoral programs are being offered, and some of the partnership programs are with institutions in China, India and other countries outside Europe. Business is the most common field of study, but a significant number of collaborative master’s degree programs are in engineering, the physical sciences and the social sciences.

The most common collaborative programs at the doctoral level are in the physical sciences.

The CGS study found that 31 percent of U.S. graduate schools plan to establish new collaborative programs in the next two years.

CGS is an organization of more than 480 institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada aimed at improving graduate education. CGS surveys U.S. graduate schools three times each year: in February to learn how many international students are applying; in June to learn how many international students are being admitted; and in September to learn how many international students actually enroll in U.S. graduate schools.

The CGS data are based on the responses of 177 graduate schools, including all 10 of the institutions with the largest graduate student enrollment and 84 percent of the largest 25.

The full text of the CGS report is available on the organization's Web site.

For information on studying in the United States, see the State Department’s EducationUSA Web site. Information on visa procedures and traveling to the United States is available at www.travel.state.gov and in the State Department eJournal See You in the U.S.A.