Contact:
Nate Thompson
nthompson@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791

Shift in Sending Countries Continues as China Slows and India Surges

Washington, DC — The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) is reporting that the preliminary number of applications from prospective international students to U.S. graduate schools increased 7% in 2014, up from the 2% increase seen in 2013. This year’s encouraging increase is more consistent with the growth trend in international graduate applications seen between 2006 and 2012, after a post-9/11 decrease.

The report, CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase I: Applications, collects data on all international graduate applications, with detailed information on international applications from seven countries (China, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil) and three regions (the Middle East, Africa and Europe). China, India, South Korea, Taiwan and Canada are the top five countries of origin for international graduate students in the United States. Altogether, the seven countries and three regions highlighted in the CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey are home countries to about 86% of all international graduate students in the United States.

The moderate growth in overall international applications was achieved despite a one percent decline in applications from China, the source country of 33% of international graduate students at U.S. institutions. Chinese applicant declines were offset by a 32% increase in applications from India, which accounts for 18% of all international graduate students at U.S. institutions. Applications from Brazil increased by 33% in 2014, following a growth of 25% in 2013. Applications in 2014 also increased from Africa (6%) and the Middle East (7%). Applications from South Korea (-5%) and Taiwan (-4%) decreased for a third straight year, although more slowly than in 2013, when applications from South Korea fell 15% and applications from Taiwan fell by 13%.

CGS President Debra W. Stewart noted the 7% gain is a positive sign for U.S. graduate institutions, which collectively draw as 15% of their overall graduate enrollments from international students. Yet this year’s increase is not necessarily a sign of ongoing stability in international graduate applications and enrollments, she added, especially since a large share of the growth appears to be driven by a single country.

“Historically, our ability to recruit the best and brightest international graduate students has enabled the U.S. to become a leader in ground-breaking research and innovations. International students stimulate the U.S. economy and research enterprise in many important ways, and we must develop policies that encourage strong, stable growth in international graduate applications and enrollments.”

Application trends by field of study

Preliminary increases in applications varied by broad field. The three most popular fields of study—engineering, physical and earth sciences, and business—which together account for 64% of all international students enrolled in U.S. graduate programs, were also the fastest growing, at 14%, 16%, and 7%, respectively. Gains in applications were also found in 2014 in arts and humanities (3%) and other fields (2%). Rates of international applications to social sciences and psychology programs were unchanged from the prior year. Applications in education declined 1% and life sciences fell
6%.

Application trends by institutional characteristics

CGS also analyzed changes in international applications by various institutional characteristics. On average, applications increased 8% among public institutions and by 4% at private, not-for-profit institutions in 2014. Additionally, applications from prospective international graduate students increased 19% on average at master’s-focused institutions and by an average 7% at doctoral institutions in 2014.

Just over half (55%) of responding institutions reported an increase in applications over last year with an average increase of 15%, while 44% reported a decrease, averaging 13%. 

About the report

Findings from the 2014 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase I: Applications is based on the first phase of a three-part annual survey of international graduate student applications, admissions, and enrollment among CGS U.S. member institutions. Some responding institutions may continue to receive international applications after the completion of the Phase I report—for this reason the Phase I figures are preliminary.  Final application figures are reported in the Phase II report each August. Final application numbers have traditionally tracked very closely to the preliminary numbers. Analysis from the 2014 Phase I report includes responses from 308 schools, including 88% of the 25 institutions that award the largest number of degrees to international graduate students, and 90% of the top 50 institutions. Collectively, the 308 respondents to this year’s survey award about 67% of the degrees granted to international graduate students in the U.S. The report is available at http://www.cgsnet.org/benchmarking/international-graduate-admissions-survey.

New Deans Institute
July 12, 2014

Summer Workshop
July 13-16, 2014
 

Location
Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront
Portland, Oregon

CGS invites graduate deans, associate and assistant deans, and other faculty and staff from colleges, universities and associations to network with their colleagues in the beautiful and vibrant city of Portland, Oregon.

The CGS Summer Workshop for Graduate Deans offers participants a fresh focus on hot topics that affect every facet of graduate education. Complementing the Workshop is the New Deans Institute, a program tailored to orient new deans and integrate the Workshop experience. The CGS Board of Directors, staff and other specialists serve as core faculty for both the New Deans Institute and Summer Workshop.

CGS welcomes you to this unique opportunity to share knowledge and work on issues facing graduate education.

Program Details

Featured Speakers

Registration Details

Welcome to Portland

Accommodations

Special Events

Online Registration

A recently released CGS publication is available online:

Graduate School and You: A Guide for Prospective Students

This revised guide provides practical, straightforward advice about graduate education for prospective students. Updated information on master's and doctoral study, the benefits of a graduate degree, the application and admissions process, and current online and other sources of financial support for graduate study make this guide an indispensable tool for recruiting and mentoring. 51 pages. February 2014.

CGS provides free electronic access to all our publications at the Member Library. Any administrator, faculty, or staff member of a CGS member institution may view, download, or print copies of CGS titles in PDF format (login required).

Print copies of this publication are also available for purchase in the Online Store. CGS members receive discounted rates. To order, access the publication in the Member Library. For complete details on CGS publications, visit cgsnet.org/publications.

2013 Annual Meeting Program

Selected PowerPoint presentations from the 2013 CGS 53rd Annual Meeting are below. Presentations are in chronological order by each category. Presentations are offered as Adobe Acrobat PDF files. The file size is indicated after the name of each presenter.

Pre-Meeting Workshop Presentations

Fundraising as a Critical Instrument for Improving Graduate Education
Steven Matson (766 KB)
Lisa Tedesco and Katie Busch (1.25 MB)

Assessment and Review of Graduate Programs-Doctoral
Nancy Busch (161 KB)
Barbara Knuth (1.62 MB)
Henning Schroeder (474 KB)

Assessment and Review of Graduate Programs-Master's
Robert Augustine (4.40 MB)
Maria Di Stefano (1.40 MB)
Susan Pocotte (745 KB)

Technology Solutions for Tracking Student Progress
Nancy Marcus (910 KB)
William Russel (860 KB)

Engaging Social Medial to Improve Graduate School Services
Karen DePauw (1.70 MB)
Karen Klomparens (694 KB)

Addressing Challenging Graduate Student Situations: Comprehensive Approaches and Techniques
Lee Bird and Sheryl Tucker (722 KB)

Legal Issues
Daniel Park (978 KB)

Fostering Career and Professional Development: Mentoring Across the Student, Faculty, and Institutional Divides
Henry Campa and Judith Stoddart (722 KB)

Graduate School's Role in Financial Aid
Charles Caramello (4.67 MB)
Paul Gemperline (120 KB)
Carol Hartupee (1.26 MB)

Achieving Diversity, Inclusiveness, and Excellence: Approaches that Work
Alycia Mosley-Austin (1 MB)
 

Advocating on Behalf of Graduate Education
Maureen Grasso (795 KB)
Julie Shroyer (1.19 MB)
Pamela Stacks (95 KB)

Concurrent Sessions Presentations

Supporting Inclusiveness in Graduate Education
Brenda McComb (534 KB)
Lisa Tedesco (164 KB)

The Professional Science Master's: Retrospective and Prospective
Carol Lynch, James Sterling and David King (877 KB)

Structuring Interdisciplinary Programs
Maura Borrego (725 KB)
Jeffery Gibeling (1.05 MB)
Vivek Venkatesh (819 MB)

Challenges of Innovation in Doctoral Education
David Olan (90 KB)

Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Graduate Schools: Guidance on How ACA's Employer Mandate and Reporting Provisions Impact Your School
Charles Hinkle (815 KB)

Marketing Master's Programs in Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions
Gerardo Gonzalez (996 KB)
Kathleen Kitto (2.92 MB)
Amanda Thomas (425 MB)

Increasing the Success of Underrepresented STEM PhD Students
Karen Butler-Purry (502 KB)
Frances Leslie (760 KB)
Lakshmi Reddi (559 KB)
Peter Weber (165 KB)

Streamlining Administrative Functions at Master's Institutions
Jennifer Keane-Dawes (510 KB)
Gerald Pogatshnik (146 KB)

The Future of U.S. Science and Engineering: Graduate Education for Tomorrow
Charles Taber (350 KB)

Completion and Attrition in STEM Master's Programs
R. William Ayres and Jerry Weinberg (693 KB)

Recent Studies on Career Outcomes for Graduate Students
Lesley Wilson (347 KB)

Preparing Graduate Students to Assess Student Learning
Laura Chesak (491 KB)
Christopher Kello (779 KB)

Plenary Sessions Presentation

Social Networking: Its Power and Limitations for Serving Graduate Education
James Fowler (3.8 MB)

Sponsored Breakfast Presentation

Presentation from Educational Testing Service Breakfast
David Payne and Eileen Tyson (1.41 MB)

Washington, DC — Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) President Debra W. Stewart today released the following statement in response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address on January 28, 2014. CGS is the only national organization dedicated solely to the advancement of graduate education and research. The organization draws its institutional members from colleges and universities significantly engaged in graduate education, research, and scholarship culminating in the award of the master's or doctoral degree.

In his 2014 State of the Union message, President Obama expressed his support for strategic investments to spur economic growth and secure the nation’s continued position as a leader in global innovation. The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) is encouraged by the president’s call for policies to increase job opportunities, expand our skilled workforce, support basic research, reform immigration, and increase access to education.

We appreciate the president’s recognition that our nation’s prosperity depends on expanded access to educational opportunity. And the evidence suggests that opportunities need to span kindergarten through graduate school. Today access to and support for graduate education is a national imperative. We know that the payoff from graduate education is undeniable in terms of economic growth, innovation and job creation

Many of the skills that U.S. employers are seeking are only gained through advanced learning. Our economy depends on this highly trained talent to compete with other nations, which are investing heavily in graduate education. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by 2022 the U.S. will see an 18.4% increase in jobs requiring a master’s degree and a 16% increase for people with doctoral degrees.

While the president’s remarks focused on the benefits of K-12 and undergraduate education for building the new economy, we urge the administration to give equal attention in his future agenda to policies that support the pipeline of talented U.S. students enrolling in graduate programs. There are immediate and consequential risks if this pipeline falters.

One of these immediate risks is that the U.S. will fall behind in technological innovation. As President Obama emphasized, innovation will play a critical role in economic growth: “The nation that goes all-in on innovation today will own the global economy tomorrow.” We commend the president’s acknowledgment that federally-funded research is critical to the “ideas and inventions behind Google and smartphones,” and his call for Congress to “undo the damage done by last year’s cuts to basic research so we can unleash the next great American discovery[…]”Graduate degree holders create start-up companies, patents and jobs in every U.S. state.

At every level of education, it is vital that careers and the requisite skills needed to pursue those careers are clearly shared with students. A number of recent reports on graduate education reform, based on CGS’s Pathways through Graduate School and Into Careers report, have concrete recommendations for universities, business leaders, and policymakers designed to address these challenges and ensure that America grows the highly-skilled talent we need.

CGS also supports President Obama’s call for immigration reform. About 43% of international students studying at our colleges and universities are pursuing graduate degrees. International students who study in the U.S. often want to remain in the U.S. to work in jobs that utilize the knowledge and skills they gained through their graduate studies. Given the challenges and restrictions that international students now face upon receiving their master’s and doctoral degrees, it is in our collective best interest to permit those who want to stay and contribute to our economy following completion of their degrees to do so.

We look forward to working with the Obama Administration to ensure that U.S. graduate schools can continue their vital role in achieving the goal of a creative, innovative, knowledgeable and skilled workforce that is ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century global economy.

Annual Dues: At least a $75,000 total investment ($25,000 of which must be dues)

Visionaries are the most elite members of the Sustaining Membership Network. They lead the charge to advance graduate education, recognizing the uniquely powerful role graduate deans have to effect change in the complex landscape of higher education. Visionaries value corporate citizenship and are heavily invested in the endeavor of graduate education. The highest levels of benefits are reserved for Visionaries, who receive exclusive insider access to CGS expertise and membership. Companies qualify as Visionaries when they make an additional investment of at least $50,000 in sponsorships beyond their $25,000 dues payment.

Like Collaborators, Visionaries have the option of proposing opportunities for engagement that are customized to their interests and priorities in the sphere of graduate education.

Exclusive Benefits Only Available to CGS Visionaries

CGS Annual Meeting

• Opportunity to propose a focus group at the Annual Meeting
• Early bird registration rates for the entire registration period

CGS Summer Workshop & New Deans Institute

• First right of refusal and priority scheduling for sponsored breakfast presentations

Access to graduate deans

• Opportunity to provide CGS-approved sponsored content for News Network, CGS's bi-weekly e-newsletter (twice per calendar year)

Plus, all of the Special Benefits of the Corporate Leadership Circle (See Collaborators for full listing) and the Premium Benefits of the Sustaining Membership Network.

Levels: Small Business Partner  ||  Ally   ||  Collaborator  ||  Visionary

Annual Dues: $25,000

CGS Collaborators are leaders in their field and provide direct information and expertise to the graduate community. Collaborators may access special opportunities for visibility not extended to other levels of the Sustaining Membership Network as members of the Corporate Leadership Circle. Collaborators enjoy a membership experience that is highly customized. CGS welcomes suggestions from its members in the Corporate Leadership Circle for additional opportunities for visibility or projects to advance graduate education. 

Special Benefits Only Available to CGS Collaborators

CGS Annual Meeting

• Complimentary Registration for 2 participants at the CGS Annual Meeting, reduced registration for all other attendees
   

Access to graduate deans

• One complimentary ½-page advertisement in GradEdge per year¹
• Ability to request to post to the CGS Dean’s Discussion List

Access to CGS staff expertise

• Annual half-day workshop with senior CGS staff focusing on strategic issues in graduate education

Plus, all of the Premium Benefits of the Sustaining Membership Network.
 

¹ Limit one complimentary ad per company per calendar year.

Levels: Small Business Partner  ||  Ally  ||  Collaborator  ||  Visionary

Annual Dues: $1,000 - $4,000 (tiered, depending on employee count*)

The Small Business Partner membership, which is available to companies and organizations with 50 or fewer employees, is designed to allow small, entrepreneurial companies to engage more regularly with CGS members by making partnership opportunities more affordable.
 

Special Benefits Reserved for CGS Small Business Partners

• Recognition as a Small Business Partner in all CGS meeting programs
• Recognition as a Small Business Partner on the CGS website (including a link to your website)

Premium Benefits of the Sustaining Membership Network

CGS Annual Meeting

• Reduced rates on sponsorships
• Reduced rates on exhibitor registration
• Option to add one complimentary exhibit-hall only registration pass to your CGS Annual Meeting exhibitor registration, in addition to the two full registrations that are included with exhibiting (available only to sustaining members)
• NEW - Option for members to select exhibit table location (exhibitor registration required)
• NEW - Pre-registration list of Annual Meeting attedees in Excel format (exhibitor registration required)
• Reduced rates on individual meeting registrations
• Priority consideration for all Annual Meeting opportunities
• Opportunities to propose “in-conjunction-with” events at the CGS Annual Meeting
• Recognition in the meeting mobile app
• Opportunity to sponsor awards

CGS Summer Workshop & New Deans Institute

• Opportunity to attend the CGS Summer Workshop and New Deans Institute - corporate attendance is limited to members of the CGS Sustaining Membership Network and invited speakers and sponsors (registration required)

CGS Webinars

• Reduced rates on sponsored CGS webinars
• Priority scheduling consideration
• Detailed attendee report list 

Access to graduate deans

• Opportunity to provide CGS-approved sponsored content for News Network, CGS's bi-weekly e-newsletter (once per calendar year)
• Invitations to CGS research forums and other select events
• Reduced rates for job listings on the CGS Career Portal
• Ability to request to view the CGS Dean’s Discussion List

Publications and information on the latest news, trends and best practices in graduate education

• Access to current and past issues of GradEdge, the only national newsletter dedicated to graduate education
• Full complimentary access to publications in the CGS Online Member Library, including the online membership directory
• Reduced rates for hard copies of CGS publications
• Automatic subscription to biweekly CGS News Network newsletters
   

Access to CGS staff expertise

• Opportunities to collaborate on research and best practice projects
• Tailored membership opportunities based on individual organizations’ needs

Small Business Partner Dues* 

Tiered, depending on employee count

•   1-15 Employees = $1,000 annual dues
• 16-34 Employees = $2,500 annual dues
• 34-50 Employees = $4,000 annual dues

Levels: Small Business Partner ||  Ally  ||  Collaborator  ||  Visionary