Master’s education is a large component of the graduate education enterprise. According to the CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment & Degrees (Allum, 2014), two-thirds (67%) of all graduate applications to US institutions for Fall 2013 were to master’s and other programs. Master’s and other programs constitute 83% of first-time graduate enrollment and 73% of total enrollment at US institutions in Fall 2013. More than four-in-five (83%) graduate degrees awarded in academic year 2012-13 were master’s degrees. Master’s enrollment is particularly large in the broad fields of business, education, engineering, health sciences, and mathematics and computer sciences.

Similarly, international graduate students are becoming an increasingly large component of the student body at US institutions (Allum, 2014; Farrugia & Bhandari, 2014). Although there have been some changes in international graduate student enrollment by country of origin, international students constituted 20% of all first-time graduate enrollment and 17% of all graduate enrollment in Fall 2013 (Allum, 2013). As recently as the period between Fall 2012 and Fall 2013, first-time enrollment among international graduate students increased 11.5%.

Until now, however, there has been no comprehensive, national dataset capable of describing applications and enrollments of master’s students by citizenship. The CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey began collecting data on applications, offers of admission, and enrollment by citizenship and degree-objective earlier this year, and the results reveal new insight into the size and scope of master’s education.

The 2015 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase I: Preliminary Applications was sent to 793 institutions of higher education in the United States, 501 of which were members of the CGS as of January 2015, and 292 of which were not CGS members but were members of the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools (CSGS), the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS), the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools (NAGS), and the Western Association of Graduate Schools (WAGS). A total of 377 institutions responded to the survey for a 48% response rate. Overall, institutions responding to the survey conferred 81,214, or 70% of the approximately 115,315 graduate degrees awarded to international students in the US in 2012-13 as derived from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

Almost two-thirds (62%) of all graduate applications from prospective international graduate students for Fall 2015 were for master’s and certificate programs, while slightly more than one-third (38%) were for doctoral programs. The proportion of graduate applications in master’s and certificate programs is similar to, although smaller than, the proportion reported by the CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment & Degrees (Allum, 2014), suggesting the possibility that international students apply to master’s and certificate programs in slightly smaller numbers than US citizens and permanent residents.

Respondents to the 2015 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase I: Preliminary Applications report that the fields of engineering and mathematics & computer sciences constitute one-half (50%) of all applications from prospective international students for Fall 2015, and 71% of those are for master’s and certificate programs (see Figure 1). Four of five (81%) applications to prospective international graduate students in the field of business, the third largest field of study among prospective international graduate students, are for master’s and certificate programs. Applications to master’s and certificate programs constitute a comparatively small percentage of applications in physical & earth sciences, biological & earth sciences, and social & behavioral sciences.

Figure 1. Distribution of International Graduate Applications by Degree Objective and Broad Field, Fall 2015

More than two-thirds (68%) of applications from prospective international graduate students to US institutions were from China and India (see Figure 2). Sixty-four percent of applications from China and 84% of applications from India were for master’s and certificate programs. Applications from prospective graduate students from South Korea, the third largest sending country, were comparatively small, and 30% of those were for master’s and certificate programs. Slightly more than one-half (52%) of applications from prospective students from Taiwan, the fourth largest sending country, were for master’s and certificate programs, and 60% of applications from prospective students from Saudi Arabia, the fifth largest sending country, were for master’s and certificate programs.

Figure 2. Distribution of International Graduate Applications by Degree Objective and Country of Origin, Fall 2015

International students constitute a large component of master’s education. In the coming years, as institutions continue to contribute to the CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, patterns will likely emerge reflecting the extent to which international master’s students from various countries and nations choose to apply to and enroll in U.S. graduate programs. Data generated by the 2015 survey suggests that international master’s student enrollment is highly concentrated in two fields of study, engineering and mathematics & computer sciences, and among students from two countries, China and India. Future iterations of the survey will contribute to the establishment of trends over time.

By Jeff Allum, Director, Research & Policy Analysis

References

Allum, J. (2014). Graduate Enrollment & Degrees: 2003 to 2013. Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools.

Farrugia, C.A., & Bhandari, R. (2014). Open Doors 2014 Report on International Educational Exchange. New York, NY: Institute of International Education.