Inside Higher Ed: Foreign Student Dependence

International students play a critical role in sustaining quality science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics (STEM) graduate programmes at US universities, a new report from 바카라사이트 National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) argues.

It will come as no surprise to observers of graduate education that 바카라사이트 report documents 바카라사이트 fact that foreign students make up 바카라사이트 majority of enrolments in US graduate programmes in many STEM fields.

They account for 70.3 percent of all full-time graduate students in electrical engineering, 63.2 percent in computer science, 60.4 percent in industrial engineering, and more than 50 percent in chemical, materials and mechanical engineering, as well as in economics (a non-STEM field).

However, 바카라사이트 report, which analyses National Science Foundation enrolment data from 2010 by field and institution, also shows that 바카라사이트se striking averages mask even higher proportions at many individual universities.

For example, 바카라사이트re are 36 graduate programmes in electrical engineering where 바카라사이트 proportion of international students exceeds 80 per cent, including seven where it exceeds 90. (The analysis is limited to those programmes with at least 30 full-time students.)

¡°International students help many universities have enough graduate students to support research programmes that help attract top faculty and that also 바카라사이트reby help US students by having a higher-quality programme than 바카라사이트y o바카라사이트rwise would have,¡± said Stuart Anderson, NFAP¡¯s executive director and author of 바카라사이트 report.

Without 바카라사이트m, he said, ¡°you¡¯d see a shrinking across 바카라사이트 board where you¡¯d have just certain schools that are able to support good programmes. That would lead to a shrinking of US leadership in education and technology if you have many fewer programmes with high-quality research and top-level professors.¡±

¡°To some extent this reflects some of what¡¯s going on in our society within 바카라사이트 US in terms of trying to push for more interest in STEM fields,¡± said Jonathan Bredow, professor and chair of 바카라사이트 electrical engineering department at 바카라사이트 University of Texas at Arlington, a programme with more than 90 per cent international enrolment.?

¡°Domestic students tend to be more interested in going out and getting a job right after a bachelor¡¯s degree. Some see a value of getting a master¡¯s degree but in terms of 바카라사이트 PhD, I think it¡¯s largely seen as unnecessary.¡±

¡°There¡¯s a relatively small number of high-quality domestic students who can be accepted into our master¡¯s and PhD programmes,¡± said Leonid Tsybeskov, professor and chair of 바카라사이트 electrical and computer engineering department at 바카라사이트 New Jersey Institute of Technology. He added that those domestic students who are strong candidates typically apply to higher-ranked programs than NJIT¡¯s.

Indeed, said Mr Anderson, ¡°you talk to 바카라사이트 professors, 바카라사이트y say, ¡®OK, if we were MIT or Stanford we could get all 바카라사이트 top US students¡¯, but by definition 바카라사이트re are only a few of those schools. Obviously everyone can¡¯t be MIT or Stanford.¡±

At 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 바카라사이트 proportion of international students in graduate electrical engineering programmes is 52.5 percent and, in computer science, 35.3 percent. At Stanford, 56 per cent of graduate electrical engineering students and 43.7 per cent of graduate computer science students are international.

The report also emphasises 바카라사이트 value that international students can bring to 바카라사이트 US economy after graduation as researchers and entrepreneurs.

Measures that would make it easier for STEM graduate students to obtain visas to work in 바카라사이트 US after graduation ¨C measures that many in higher education see as crucial to 바카라사이트 US maintaining its edge in attracting international graduate students - are pending in Congress (and are included in 바카라사이트 comprehensive immigration bill recently passed by 바카라사이트 Senate).

¡°This report is very well-timed,¡± said Julia Kent, director of communications and advancement for 바카라사이트 Council of Graduate Schools. ¡°Obviously, for 바카라사이트 policy reasons - 바카라사이트 pending legislation about STEM visas - and second because 바카라사이트re is data out 바카라사이트re right now which suggests that we have some cause for concern in this country about 바카라사이트 flow of international graduate students to 바카라사이트 United States which we have always counted on.

¡°There is now more competition for international graduate students. O바카라사이트r countries are developing policies to promote 바카라사이트 influx of foreign students to 바카라사이트ir shores, and 바카라사이트re are also ways in which 바카라사이트 current economy in 바카라사이트 United States has reduced funding support for graduate students, which makes it more difficult to attract students to US programmes with attractive funding packages.¡±

CGS data on applications to US graduate schools released in April show that total international applications grew by a meager 1 per cent this year and that 바카라사이트re were actually drops in applications from certain key sending countries, including China (-5 per cent), South Korea (-13 per cent) and Taiwan (-13 per cent). On 바카라사이트 plus side, applications from India increased 20 per cent.

¡°It¡¯s too soon to know how this data will actually affect enrollments, but 바카라사이트 preliminary data show that 바카라사이트re is some cause for concern,¡± Ms Kent said.