The rapid increase in the number of international students in the U.S. is also driven by the large number of scholarship programs offered by foreign governments for intensive English language study and educational courses in STEM fields. Since 2017, the U.S.’s position as the leading destination for international students has been a subject of debate. However, the country’s education policy is aimed at mobilizing the efforts of higher education institutions and associations to develop joint strategies for attracting international students. Examples of such initiatives include the “#YouAreWelcomeHere” advertising campaign and others.
According to the 2017 Open Doors Report, published by the Institute of International Education with support from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, international students in the United States account for more than 20% of all students studying abroad worldwide. The number of international students enrolled at U.S. universities exceeded one million for the first time in the 2015–2016 academic year, representing a 7% increase from the previous year.
Students from China and India accounted for half of the total number of international students in the United States during the 2016–2017 academic year. The share of students from Saudi Arabia and South Korea decreased by 14% and nearly 4%, respectively, compared to the previous year. The top three fields of study chosen by international students in the 2016–2017 academic year were engineering, business and management, and mathematics and computer science. More than 60% of international students enrolled in U.S. higher education institutions during the 2016–2017 academic year using their own funds, while slightly more than 5% of students took advantage of scholarship programs offered by their home governments.
The U.S. budget currently receives approximately 36 billion from tuition paid by international students and their related expenses during their studies (living expenses, food and transportation costs, textbook purchases, health insurance, etc.) currently amounts to approximately $36 billion. The U.S. Department of Commerce ranks higher education as the country’s fifth most important service export.
In recent years, many countries have been developing and improving their education systems, including by enhancing their international focus and appeal to foreign students. As a result, the United States’ share of the international market in this sector has declined somewhat. At the same time, there has been some growth in the share of European countries, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Competing countries attract international students, among other things, through more favorable financial terms (grants, scholarships, loans, and paid work opportunities), which poses a risk to the United States, where tuition costs are higher than in competing countries. Unlike other developed countries, the situation in Europe is quite unique. Approximately half of all international students study there, and more than 50% of these students come from other European countries. For example, the Netherlands attracts the most students from Germany, China, and Belgium, while Dutch students tend to choose the United Kingdom and Belgium for their studies abroad.