A just released study from Oxford University indicates that the United States will lose share among the international student market, as it grows to a total of nearly five million students by the year 2024. Even so, it appears that the USA will remain the favored international destination and place of study for international students throughout the period.
The United States is currently the most popular destination, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Australia, with these countries accepting half of all international students. However, the traditional market share of the USA and UK is declining, according to the report, and Australia and Canada are increasing in popularity, alongside intraregional mobility – those who choose to study in another country within their home region
The 27-page report—International Trends in Higher Education 2015—also points out, for instance, that “political and demographic changes continue to shape student mobility worldwide, exemplified by Asian strategies, where ASEAN – Association of Southeast Asian Nations – states are working to encourage domestic students to study in Asia rather than heading to Western universities.”
Another factor having an impact is the availability of online learning technology has removed the need for some students to travel abroad for their studies. For example, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have become one of the most high profile aspects of the use of technology in teaching in recent years, with 142 universities providing free courses open to all participants via Coursera and edX alone.
Other highlights, by the numbers:
—Almost 5 million: The number of internationally mobile students in 2014, up from 2.1 million in 2000.
—8 million: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s estimate of the the number of international students in 2025.
—53 percent: Percentage of Asian students of all students now studying abroad.
—81 percent: Percentage of international students in Japan who are from Asia.
—75 percent: Percentage of international students in Korea who are from Asia.
—One in six: The number of all international students who are Chinese
Also, at the postgraduate level in both the USA and the UK, China and India are the major sending nations of international students.
—886,052: Number of international students in the USA in 2013-14 school year, a 72 percent increase over 15 years from the 1999-2000 school year when there were 514,723 students.
Overview—Key USA Overseas Source Markets for Students
2013-2014 School Year*
| Country/Market | Share of International Student Population in USA |
|---|---|
| 1. China | 31% |
| 2. India | 12% |
| 3. South Korea | 8% |
| 4. Saudi Arabia | 6% |
| 5. Canada | 3% |
| All others | 40% |
Source: International Institute for Education (IIE)
* IIE is expected to have data for the 2014-2015 school year by this coming November
To view the complete Oxford report, visit:
https://www.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxford/International%20Trends%20in%20Higher%20Education%202015.pdf
