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Data Sources: International Applications and Admissions Continue to Grow
October 18, 2012
U.S. graduate schools continue to draw growing numbers of prospective students from other nations.
According to respondents to the 2012 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase II: Final Applications and Initial Offers of Admission (Bell, 2012), applications to U.S. graduate schools from prospective international students increased by 9% between 2011 and 2012, the seventh consecutive year in which applications from prospective international graduate students has grown (see Figure 1).
Figure 1.
Students from China appear to be driving much of this trend. Graduate applications from prospective graduate students from China increased 19% in 2012. Growth in applications from the Middle East, Mexico, and Brazil were also strong between 2011 and 2012, at 11%, 10%, and 9% respectively.
International applications increased in all broad fields of study between 2011 and 2012, with the exception of life sciences, which experienced a slight decrease (-1.0%) during the same time period. The largest increase in international applications occurred in education (18%). The study also found strong growth in applications in the fields of engineering (14%), social sciences and psychology (11%), and physical and earth sciences (8%).
Increases in the number of applications in engineering and physical and earth sciences are particularly notable since these are the two largest broad fields for international students in U.S. graduate programs. Overall, according to the Council of Graduate Schools’ Graduate Enrollment and Degrees: 2000 to 2010 Report (Bell, 2011) international students comprise about 14% of all students at U.S. graduate schools, and three-quarters (76%) of those are enrolled in natural sciences, engineering, and business fields.
What remains somewhat of a mystery is the increase in applications to graduate education programs among prospective international students. International students typically constitute a smaller proportion of enrollments in graduate education programs compared to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. In fact, only one-quarter (24%) of international students at American graduate schools are enrolled in social sciences, arts and humanities, education, and other fields combined.
The 2012 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase II also found that international applications increased 8% on average in public institutions and 12% on average in private, not-for-profit institutions between 2011 and 2012. International applications increased by 10% at doctoral granting institutions and declined by 5% at master’s-focused institutions during the same time period. Declines among master’s-focused institutions were the same, regardless of whether or not they were a public, or private, not-for-profit institution.
Between 2011 and 2012, according to respondents to the survey, applications to U.S. graduate schools from prospective international students increased in all four major regions of the United States in 2012. International applications increased most on average in the West (up 16%) and Northeast (9%). Increases in international applications were slightly smaller on average at institutions located in the South (8%) and Midwest (6%).
Offers of admission also on the rise
Among prospective international students, offers of admission to U.S. graduate programs increased 9% between 2011 and 2012. This increase matches the 9% gain in 2011, and surpasses the 3% increase in 2010.
International offers of admission increased 8% on average in public institutions, and 10% on average in private, not-for-profit institutions in 2012. These gains were nearly identical to increases reported between 2010 and 2011.
U.S. graduate schools responding to the survey reported increases in offers of admission for international students in all broad fields of study in 2012 except for life sciences, which remained flat between 2011 and 2012. The largest gains in international offers of admission in 2012 occurred in business and education, at 17% each. Strong growth in international offers of admission also occurred in social sciences and psychology (14%) and engineering (7%).
Offers of admission into graduate programs in the arts and humanities and physical and earth sciences enjoyed smaller gains, at 6% and 5% respectively. There were stark differences between doctoral and master’s focused institutions. Although offers of admission to prospective international graduate students increased 11% on average at doctoral institutions in 2012, they decreased 19% on average at master’s-focused institutions (see Table 1).
Table 1.
Offers of admission to prospective international graduate students increased in all four major regions of the United States between 2011 and 2012. International offers of admission increased most on average in the Northeast (up 11%) in 2012. Increases in international offers of admission were slightly smaller on average at institutions located in the Midwest, West, and South, with 8% gains occurring in each of these geographic regions in 2012.
Beyond 2012, trends in applications and enrollments of international students are unclear. Uncertainties about the global economy, growing competition among higher education institutions and online education providers, the increasing cost of graduate education in the United States, and changes in federal funding will all affect the number of international students coming to U.S. graduate programs in the future.
The survey population for the 2012 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase II: Final Applications and Initial Offers of Admission consisted of all 504 U.S. colleges and universities that were members of CGS as of June 2012. A link to the survey instrument was e-mailed to the graduate dean (or equivalent) at each member institution on June 7, 2012, and responses were collected electronically through July 27, 2012. A total of 221 institutions responded to the survey, for a response rate of 44%. The response rates among certain types of institutions were even higher: seven of the ten institutions that award the largest numbers of master’s and doctoral degrees to international students (70%), 20 of the 25 largest (80%), 42 of the 50 largest (84%), and 76 of the 100 largest (76%) responded to the survey. The 2012 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey Phase III: Final Offers of Admission and Enrollment is being fielded this fall, and the results will be available in early November 2012.
By Jeff Allum, Director, Research and Policy Analysis
References
Bell, N.E. (2012). 2012 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase II: Final Applications and Initial Offers of Admission. Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools.
Bell, N.E. (2011). CGS/GRE Enrollment and Degrees: 2000-2010. Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools.
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