Studying in the United States Becomes More Popular Among International Students
Bermudian Enrollment Increases
Bermudian students contributed to the 7% increase in international student enrollment at U.S. colleges and universities last year. During the 2012/13 school year, Bermudians studying in the United States increased by 4.4% from 389 in 2011/12 to 406.
The total number of international students at colleges and universities in the U.S. increased to a record high of 819,644 students in the 2012/13 academic year, according to the “2013 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange.” A strong increase in the number of “new” international students, those enrolling for the first time at a U.S. college or university in fall 2013, indicates that this growth trend likely will continue. New enrollments in 2012/13 were up 10% from the prior year, following a 7% increase in 2011/12. Both total enrollment and new enrollment had slowed after the economic slowdown in 2007/08, but both have now rebounded to previous high rates of growth.
This increased international presence has been felt across the United States. California hosted more than 100,000 international students for the second time this year, followed by New York, Texas, Massachusetts and Illinois. Among the top 10 destinations, Massachusetts, with a 13% increase, and Pennsylvania and Indiana, with about 10% increases, had the highest rates of growth. New York City was once again the top metropolitan area for international students, with a 6% increase. Six of the top 20 metropolitan areas had increases this year of more than 10%: Boston, Dallas, Seattle, San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore.
At the institutional level, the University of Southern California hosted the largest number of international students for the 12th year, followed by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Purdue University, New York University, and Columbia University. University of Pennsylvania and University of California-Berkeley were new to the top 20 list this year, replacing Harvard University and University of Texas-Austin. The universities that moved up the most in the top 20 were Arizona State University, up from 15 to 11, and University of Washington, up from 18 to 14. Even the universities that fell slightly on the list hosted more students than last year.
Undergraduate Bermudian students favored the New England Institute of Technology, Barry University, St. John’s University, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Johnson and Wales University. The top graduate institutions for Bermudian study were West Virginia University, Andrews University, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Webster University, and Cornell University. Among Bermudian students studying in the U.S., 80% attended undergraduate programs and 14%, graduate programs.
Higher overall international student enrollment shows the continued conviction by international students and parents that a U.S. degree is a sound investment in their future careers. U.S. higher education offers an unmatched range of nearly 4,000 colleges and universities of all sizes and types, with an extensive variety of course offerings, fields of study, and price points. International education promotes the relationship building and knowledge exchange between people and communities in the United States and around the world that are necessary to solve global challenges. Connections made during international education experiences last a lifetime. International students enrich classrooms, campuses and communities in ways that endure long after students return to their home countries.
U.S. Consul General to Bermuda Bob Settje counseled, “Studying in the United States benefits international students by giving them access to some of the finest professors and research laboratories in the world, but it’s not a one-way street. Americans also benefit from the viewpoints, experiences and knowledge that international students contribute to the classroom.”
A U.S. education is more affordable than you may think; don’t let “sticker shock” deter you from considering a U.S. university. Visit https://educationusa.state.gov/.
Further details on the Open Doors 2013 surveys and their finding may be found at www.iie.org/opendoors.
