Author: StudyCaUsa

International Recruitment for Master’s Programs: Trends, Issues, and Insights to Reshape Your International Enrollment Strategy

StudyCaUsa

According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), nearly two out of five (38%) first-time graduates in OECD countries obtained a tertiary 5A credential (typically bachelor’s degrees and some master’s degrees) in 2012, 10 percent more than in 2000 (28%). Still, the global labor market estimates a potential shortage of 38 million college-educated workers by 2020.

These trends in educational attainment and market demand have given rise to opportunities for higher education institutions (HEIs) to expand their international graduate recruitment efforts.

As the largest host country of international students worldwide, the U.S. has benefited from the rising interest in advanced degree programs. However, the complex, constantly changing and increasingly competitive international education landscape makes it challenging for international recruitment professionals to make informed and effective decisions.

India driving growth in applications to US graduate schools

StudyCaUsa

International student applications to US graduate schools are up modestly this year, driven largely by surging student numbers from India, strong demand for advanced science and engineering programmes, and the continuing drawing power of American research universities. The number of Chinese applicants, however, declined for the third year in a row, blunting the overall growth trend and raising concerns for US institutions that continue to rely heavily on China for graduate enrolment.

These are some of the key findings of the 2015 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey: Preliminary Applications, the latest in a series of surveys from the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS). The 2015 Preliminary Applications survey tracks trends for fall 2015, and is an important indicator for the overall volume and trends in admissions offers to international applicants as well as actual enrolment in US graduate programmes.

The 2015 survey gathers responses from 377 US institutions which together accounted for about 70% of all graduate degrees awarded to international students in the US in 2012/13. All told, 676,484 international candidates applied for admission in the US for fall 2015. This is a 2% increase over fall 2014 and marks the tenth consecutive year of growth in application volumes.