First-time enrollment of international students at U.S. graduate schools increased by 8 percent this fall, according to a report released yesterday by the Council of Graduate Schools. This is the strongest gain since 2006, when the increase was 12 percent.
Fifty-seven percent of the 230 graduate institutions which responded to the survey reported an increase in international student enrollment, according to the 2011 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey.
First-time enrollment changes varied based on country of origin. According to the report, the majority of international students in the U.S. are from China. Chinese student enrollment itself increased by 21 percent.
Changes also varied by field of study and institution type. Education and physical and earth sciences had the largest increases, each with 12 percent. Business and engineering also grew, by 9 and 6 percent, respectively.
The University saw an increase in overall international graduate student enrollment.
Enrollment increased from 957 international graduate students in fall 2010 to 998 this fall, a change of about 4 percent.
The percent of international students in graduate school at the University has remained steady since 2006, hovering around 14 to 15 percent.
The top three countries of origin for graduate international students were China, with 335 students, India, with 127 students, and South Korea, with 48 students.
"We've always had a fairly significant number of applicants from India and China," said Kathryn Thornton, associate dean of graduate programs in the Engineering School, which has the highest percent of international graduate student enrollment. Forty percent of Engineering School graduate applications came from China this fall, and 13 percent came from India. A smaller number of students come from Bangladesh, Korea, Taiwan, Turkey and Vietnam, she added.
Thornton said international students are drawn to the U.S. for graduate school for employment reasons.
"They are looking for experience in the U.S. that will maybe increase their employment opportunities in global and multinational companies," she said.
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