Oxford International Education Group published “A Lack of Diversity Spells Adversity,” a whitepaper highlighting the need for institutions in the United States to diversify international student enrolment. The report shares a snapshot of global student mobility and offers five key takeaways that institutions can use to broaden their reach and support their foreign population.
A changing landscape
Globalisation, flourishing education systems, economic factors, changing geopolitical environments and unprecedented challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic have drastically changed the landscape of international education. These factors have particularly shifted the composition of inbound and outbound mobility in the US. While China and India remain the country’s top source markets, regions such as Vietnam, Nigeria and Brazil are increasingly active; growth is also being recorded in Bangladesh. Colombia, Ghana, Italy, Nepal, Pakistan and Spain. This evolving backdrop underscores the importance of widening enrolment pools and understanding student motivations to successfully accommodate an increased number of enrollees.
Benefits of expanding international enrolment
A diverse international student body ensures sustainability for institutions and maintains the global competitiveness of the US as a leading global study destination.
Financially, attracting students from more countries reduces dependency on specific regions and stabilises revenue streams amid socioeconomic and political fluctuations. The whitepaper warns of international student homogeneity, citing the dissolution of the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program (BSMP) and the King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP). This saw a decline in admissions from Brazil and Saudi Arabia, showing how vulnerable institutions are to changing policies of sending countries. Similarly, diversifying foreign enrolment provides stability in the event of domestic challenges, such as the anticipated decline (“enrolment cliff”) in local post-secondary enrolment in the US beginning in 2025.
Targeting emerging regions such as Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia also allows institutions to achieve overarching diversity and inclusion goals. This is crucial, especially against the backdrop of a recent US Supreme Court ruling that limits universities’ consideration of students’ race in admissions decisions. Better recruitment efforts can help campuses stay vibrant with various representations of ethnicities, religions and experiences.
Students also benefit from a mixed demographic. A diverse student body prepares students to thrive in an interconnected world as it enhances social integration and academic collaboration. It also improves student experiences by fostering a supportive and inclusive campus environment.
The US and global student mobility
In the 1970s and 1980s, most international students in the US came from Europe and developed Asian nations like Japan and South Korea. This shifted when the 90s ushered in globalisation and technological advancements, making US education more accessible. Notably, there was a marked increase in students from China and India due to their economic reforms and growing middle classes, with Taiwan and Nigeria following suit.
The 2000s saw an influx of students from the Global South, specifically from countries in Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia. The growing demand for US education from this region was largely driven by:
- economic growth and an expanding middle class
- demographic shifts
- limited higher education capacity.
Foreign education also became more accessible due to the provision of no-collateral student loans and aggressive scholarship programs.
Key takeaways for US institutions
Despite greater student mobility, current institutional efforts to diversify foreign enrolment still need to be improved. Student bodies continue to be heavily skewed towards certain countries. For example, China and India make up over half of all international students in the US, while African and South American populations are underrepresented. Additionally, much of the growth of international enrolment in the region has been organic and driven by push factors from the student’s home country – not due to proactive strategies from US institutions.
To help attract and serve a new generation of international students, Oxford International Education has offered five key takeaways that can define campuses’ approaches and strategies to recruitment:
- Align international student strategy with diversity efforts
- Leverage technology and digital engagement
- Foster diversity by creating an inclusive environment for international students
- Enhance support services for a diverse international student body
- Strengthen partnerships with global institutions and school systems.
For more information about the takeaways and to access data on emerging markets and insights from case studies, you can access the full whitepaper here.
To know more about US institutions ready to welcome a diverse pool of international students, get in touch with our business development experts today.
