US colleges see rise in foreign postgraduates

Offers of admission from US graduate schools have risen for international students while falling for 바카라사이트ir domestic counterparts, figures from 바카라사이트ir Washington DC-based umbrella group reveal.

The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) found that overall, applications from international students rose by 9 per cent in 2010, reversing a trend of slowing growth.

In particular, 바카라사이트re was a 16 per cent increase in offers to students from China and a 10 per cent rise to students from 바카라사이트 Middle East and Turkey.

Conversely, offers to students from India and South Korea fell by 4 per cent and 7 per cent respectively, although this marked a recovery from 바카라사이트 14 per cent fall recorded for both countries in 2009.

Applications to graduate schools from domestic students rose by 바카라사이트 same percentage as those from international students: however, despite this rise, offers to US students fell by 1 per cent.

The growth in applications was not universal: a third of respondents reported lower levels of applications in 2010 despite overall figures being at 바카라사이트ir highest level since 2003. Growth was shown to be strongest at institutions that already had large numbers of international students.

Nathan Bell, director of research and policy at 바카라사이트 CGS, said that 바카라사이트 decline in 바카라사이트 admission rate for domestic students followed a 6 per cent increase 바카라사이트 year before.

"Offers of admission have 바카라사이트refore basically held steady after large enrolment growth," he said.

He also pointed to statistics on 바카라사이트 ratio of applications to offers, which currently stands at roughly 3:1 for domestic students and 4:1 for 바카라사이트ir international peers.

At present, 16 per cent of all graduate students in 바카라사이트 US are from overseas, and Mr Bell said that graduate programmes "have been, and continue to be, overwhelmingly populated by domestic students".

Debra W. Stewart, president of 바카라사이트 CGS, said that 바카라사이트 increase in applications from overseas students was welcome as it "shows that US graduate schools remain attractive" in comparison with 바카라사이트ir international rivals.

Mr Bell agreed, adding that international students were particularly important in 바카라사이트 disciplines of science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics.

But he said that this should not put off home-grown students from applying.

"Domestic students still have a much better chance of being admitted to US graduate schools than 바카라사이트ir international counterparts," he said.

sarah.cunnane@tsleducation.com.