International Graduate Student Applications, Admissions, and Enrollment

November 17, 2015

The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and the Institute of International Education (IIE) both have long-standing data collect efforts intended to examine patterns of international graduate student applications, admissions, and enrollment. CGS’ effort, focused exclusively on graduate education, has been implemented since 2004. IIE’s effort has been implemented since 1949, and with support from the U.S. Department of State since the early 1970s.

• Jeff Allum & Hironao Okahana, Council of Graduate Schools
• Christine Farrugia, Institute of International Education

CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment & Degrees

August 27, 2015

The 2014 CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment & Degrees provides data about applications for admission to graduate school and graduate student enrollment in Fall 2014, and graduate degrees and certificates conferred in 2013-14. The survey has been jointly conducted by CGS and the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) Board since 1986 and annually offers one of the most comprehensive examinations of trends in graduate enrollment and degrees in the United States.Powerpoint presentation can be found here.

• Jeff Allum, Council of Graduate Schools
• Hironao Okahana, Council of Graduate Schools

Minority Attrition and Completion in STEM Doctoral Programs

May 28, 2015

Findings from CGS’ publication, Doctoral Initiative on Minority Attrition and Completion, which was made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation (grant #1138814) offer an in-depth examination of doctoral outcomes and experience of underrepresented minority (URM) students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. These findings, along with comments from two guests, shed light on what can be done to promote student success. Powerpoint presentation can be found here. 

• Jeff Allum, Council of Graduate Schools
• Hironao Okahana, Council of Graduate Schools
• Pamela Felder, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore
• Renetta Tull, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

The Geography of Foreign Students in U.S. Higher Education: Origins and Destinations

February 11, 2015

The Geography of Foreign Students in U.S. Higher Education: Origins and Destinations is the first study to track the local origins, size, and growth rate of the foreign student population on a metropolitan level. The study includes descriptions of national and metro-level data on the region of origin from which international students come to the U.S. as well as implications for higher education policy and immigration policy.
 

• Neil Ruiz, The Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program

The Geography of Foreign Students in U.S. Higher Education: Origins and Destinations is the first study to track the local origins, size, and growth rate of the foreign student population on a metropolitan level. The study includes descriptions of national and metro-level data on the region of origin from which international students come to the U.S. as well as implications for higher education policy and immigration policy.

Guest: Neil Ruiz, The Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program

Since 2004, the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) has conducted a multi-year empirical examination of international graduate application, admission, and enrollment trends.

This analysis responds to member institutions’ concerns about continuing changes in the enrollment of students from abroad seeking master’s and doctoral degrees from U.S. colleges and universities.

Fall 2021 International Survey is Now Open!

• Click here to access the complete collection of survey documents.
• For the “De-identified Individual Level Data Submission Workbooks”
  • Application Admission First-time Graduate Enrollment Workbook (AP OA FT Workbook), upload to: https://cgs.workplace.datto.com/filelink/68049-61bacc5f-bbbb778215-2
  • Total Graduate Enrollment Workbook (TT Workbook), upload to: https://cgs.workplace.datto.com/filelink/68049-61baccb4-9133e95528-2
• For the “Aggregated Institutional Level Data Submission Workbook”, upload to: https://cgs.workplace.datto.com/filelink/68049-61bacb27-8f20cce3f4-2
• If you have any questions about the current survey, please contact Enyu Zhou and Janet Gao at research@cgs.nche.edu

Historical reports

Reports, press releases, survey definitions, and questionnaires dating back to 2007 are available free online here.

Contact

For more information about the CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, please contact Janet Gao.

Shifts Emerge in Student Demographics, Fields of Study

Contact:
Julia Kent
jkent@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791

Washington, DC — The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) today reported that first-time enrollment of international students at U.S. graduate institutions has grown for the fifth consecutive year. Between 2013 and 2014, first-time enrollment of international graduate students increased by 8%, while total graduate enrollment also increased by 8%. The findings are based on the 2014 CGS International Graduate Enrollment Survey, Phase III: Final Offers of Admission and Enrollment.

The new data indicate that U.S. graduate programs continue to be a destination of choice for many of the world’s prospective graduate students, despite increasing global competition to attract top talent. This trend is consistent with a growth in applications from prospective international students, which has grown each year over the past nine years.

CGS President Suzanne Ortega noted that the growth trends may also reflect the fact that U.S. graduate institutions have become more strategic about recruiting international students to their campuses. “Given the growing international competition for top students, U.S. institutions have been developing new ways of communicating with prospective students and offering students who matriculate stronger support services after they arrive. Universities understand that they can’t afford to lose the contributions of these talented students to research and innovation on their campuses.”

Despite the general upward trend of first-time enrollments of international graduate students, survey findings also indicate emerging shifts in students’ countries of origin and fields of study. For example, first-time enrollment of students from India increased 27%, marking the second year in a row of double-digit growth in first-time enrollments of students from that country. The increase in Indian enrollment offset a 1% dip in first-time enrollments of students from China in 2014, the first decline measured since the survey was initiated in 2004. This change in Chinese first-time enrollment concerns a relatively large number of students, since Chinese students constitute 33 percent of the total enrollment of international graduate students in the U.S.

The survey report also provides a glimpse of shifts in interest in various fields of study. Fields that have historically drawn a high proportion of graduate students, physical & earth sciences and engineering, showed the highest growth in first-time enrollment for 2014, at 20% and 11% respectively. On the other hand, arts and humanities programs, not traditionally associated with international graduate students, have shown modest but steady gains in first-time enrollment, increasing by 3% for 2014, and following gains of 9% for 2012-2013, 5% for 2011-2012, and 5% for 2010-2011. A 2% increase in first-time enrollment in business marks a slowing down of growth documented earlier in this field, which had seen an increase in first-time enrollment of 6% for 2012-2013, 15% for 2011-2012, and 9% for 2010-2011.

Trends by country/region of origin

Substantial variations in growth were found among the sending countries and regions analyzed in the study:

• First-time enrollment of students from India increased 27% in 2014, following a 40% increase in first-time enrollment in 2013.
• First-time enrollment of Chinese students decreased 1% in 2014.
• First-time enrollment of students from Brazil increased 91% in 2014, following a 17% increase in 2013 and a 14% increase in 2012. It should be noted that these increases concern a relatively small number of students.
• First-time graduate enrollment of students from South Korea and Taiwan declined 7% and 8% respectively in 2014.
• Changes in first-time graduate enrollment of students from the Middle East were the largest among the three regions followed (8%), a trend that has been consistent for the past three years.

Trends by broad field of study

First-time enrollment of international graduate students increased in all but one of the fields for which the survey collects data. Survey data showed a 1% decrease in first-time enrollment of international students in education, although it is important to note that the number of international students pursuing graduate studies in this field is relatively small compared with other fields. The largest gains in enrollment occurred in physical and earth sciences (20%) and engineering (11%), followed by life sciences (7%), arts and humanities (3%), ‘other’ fields (2%), business (2%), and social sciences and psychology (2%). Changes in first-time enrollment by field are shown in the table below.

*Includes Mathematics and Computer Sciences

International first-time graduate enrollment increased at both public institutions and private, not-for-profit institutions in 2014. At public institutions, international first-time graduate enrollment increased 9% in 2014 following an 11% gain in 2013, while at private not-for-profit institutions, international first-time graduate enrollment increased 6% in 2014 following an 8% increase in 2013.

About the report

Findings from the 2014 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase III: Final Offers of Admission and Enrollment is based on the third phase of a three-part annual survey of international graduate student applications, admissions, and enrollment among U.S. member institutions. The survey had a response rate of 62%, including 80 of the 100 institutions that award the largest number of graduate degrees to international students. The report is posted at http://www.cgsnet.org/benchmarking/international-graduate-admissions-survey. Overall, the 308 institutions responding to the Phase III survey conferred 67% of the approximately 109,000 graduate degrees awarded to international students in the United States in 2011/12.

The Council of Graduate Schools provides benchmarking and consultation services to assist member and nonmember institutions, boards, and state agencies in making strategic decisions about the administration of graduate education. CGS’ benchmarking and consultation services draw upon its deep best practice and benchmarking research as well as the insights of experienced graduate deans from around the country.

Prior benchmarking and consultation services have addressed such topics as: 

• Effective organization of the graduate school
• Building an inclusive graduate community
• Administration of graduate fellowship and assistantship programs
• Organizing effective program review systems
• Graduate enrollment and degrees at peer institutions
• New graduate program development
• Preparing for and responding to accreditation
• Integrating research administration with the graduate school
• Developing responsible conduct of research guidelines
• Organizing efficient graduate admissions process
• Ph.D. completion and attrition management
• Preparing Future Faculty

Strategic Consultation

To help institutions gain expert recommendations about structure, staffing, operations, or programs, CGS arranges for a one to three person review team to develop detailed recommendations in response to a particular charge. The reviewers are experts in the consultation topic and have experience in institutions that are peers of the requesting institution.  The findings and recommendations are based upon background material provided by the client and interviews undertaken during the on-site visit and are delivered as a written report.

Strategic Benchmarking

To help institutions compare aspects of graduate education on their campus to other institutions, CGS provides customized benchmarking data to inform strategic decision-making processes. Using in-house best practice and benchmarking data sources, as well as national surveys and comprehensive datasets, CGS provides the client with a written report which includes data tables, charts, etc., as appropriate, in response to a particular charge.  

For more information on strategic benchmarking, please contact Jeff Allum, Director of Research and Policy Analysis at (202) 223-3791.

The benchmarking and consultation services fee schedule is as follows:

CGS members have access to a special online report, Graduate Enrollment and Degrees by Fine Field: 2003 to 2013.

This report includes data tables on first-time and total graduate enrollment data by field of study (chemistry, history, philosophy, etc.), gender, citizenship, and race/ethnicity, and also includes, for the first time, data on graduate degrees awarded by field of study, degree level (master's vs. doctoral), and gender.

Data for 2013 are presented, along with one-, five-, and ten-year trends.

You must be logged in to access the report online.

For more information, please contact:

Jeff Allum

Enrollment of U.S. citizens fell 0.9%, while enrollment of temporary residents rose 11.5%

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

Washington, DC — The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) today reported a 1.0% increase in first-time enrollment between fall 2012 and fall 2013. More than 459,000 students enrolled for the first time in graduate certificate, education specialist, master’s, or doctoral programs for the fall 2013 term, according to institutions responding to the CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment and Degrees, an annual survey that has been conducted since 1986.

Despite the gains in first-time enrollment, total graduate enrollment fell 0.2% between fall 2012 and fall 2013 following a 2.3% decline in the previous year. Total graduate enrollment was about 1.7 million students in fall 2013.

The data show diverging trends by residency status. While first-time enrollment of U.S. citizens and permanent residents shrank by 0.9%, the increase of 11.5% in first-time enrollment of temporary residents was enough to push the overall rate of change into positive territory. Temporary residents represented one-in-five new graduate students at U.S. programs in fall 2013.

CGS President Suzanne T. Ortega pointed out that graduate enrollments are increasingly important to U.S. economic competitiveness. “People with graduate degrees are driving growth and innovation in our economy, and graduate-level skills are in higher demand every year. However, enrollments are not keeping pace with the projected growth in jobs requiring advanced degrees. We can’t put more qualified American workers into these high-level jobs until we create more opportunities for them to earn graduate degrees. To meet the needs of our economy, we must invest in graduate education and better support the students who enroll in master’s and PhD programs with more grants and fellowships to reduce their reliance on loans.”         

Ortega added that the strong growth in enrollments of international students was an encouraging trend. “International students are making vital contributions to graduate education and research. Welcoming more of the world’s top talent will help our economy, especially if we allow more international graduates to stay and work in the U.S. after completing their degrees.”  

First-time enrollment for Hispanic/Latino students rose 5.7%. Such growth is important, as Hispanic/Latino students have long been underrepresented in graduate programs. However, other underrepresented groups lost some of the ground gained in previous years, as first-time enrollment fell 4.9% for American Indians/Alaska Natives and 0.1% for Blacks/African Americans between fall 2012 and fall 2013. Meanwhile, first-time enrollment of White students fell 2.1%. For Asian/Pacific Islander students, first-time enrollment grew 0.7%.

Other report findings include: 

Trends by field

• The largest one-year changes in graduate applications between fall 2012 and fall 2013 occurred in mathematics and computer sciences (11.2%), health sciences (11.0%), and physical and earth sciences (-6.3%).
• Applications to graduate programs in business fell 0.9% between fall 2012 and fall 2013.
• First-time enrollment in education programs decreased 2.2% for fall 2013.
• The largest fields by total enrollment were education and business, respectively accounting for 19% and 16% of total graduate enrollment at responding institutions in fall 2013.

Trends by degree level

• About 73% of all graduate students in fall 2013 were enrolled in programs leading to a master’s degree or a graduate certificate, according to survey respondents.
• Responding institutions awarded approximately 71,000 doctoral degrees, 522,000 master’s degrees, and 34,000 graduate certificates in 2012-13.
• Between fall 2012 and fall 2013, first-time enrollment decreased by 4.0% at the doctoral-level and increased by 2.0% at the master’s-level.

Student demographics

• About 57% of all first-time graduate students in fall 2013 were women, according to survey respondents.
• According to survey respondents, women earned nearly two-thirds (66.2%) of the graduate certificates, 59.2% of the master’s degrees, and 52.2% of the doctorates. Academic year 2012-13 marked the fifth straight year women earned a majority of doctoral degrees.
• In fall 2013, 54% of all temporary resident graduate students were enrolled in biological and agricultural sciences, engineering, mathematics and computer sciences, physical and earth sciences. In contrast, only 16.0% of U.S. citizens/permanent residents were enrolled in these fields.

About the report

Graduate Enrollment and Degrees: 2003 to 2013 presents the findings of an annual survey of U.S. graduate schools, co-sponsored by CGS and the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) Board. It is the only annual national survey that covers enrollment in all fields of graduate study and is the only source of national data on graduate applications. The report includes responses from 655 institutions, which collectively confer about 74% of the master’s degrees and 93% of the doctorates awarded each year. The survey report presents statistics on graduate applications and enrollment for fall 2013, degrees conferred in 2012-13, and trend data for one-, five- and ten-year periods.

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

Washington, DC – The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) today reported that initial offers of admission from U.S. graduate schools to prospective international students increased 9% from 2013 to 2014. The new data marks the fourth consecutive year of 9% growth in offers of admission to prospective international graduate students.

The shift in sending countries first reported by the 2013 series of CGS International Graduate Admissions surveys appears to continue. Prospective students from China are submitting fewer applications, and this year the offers of admission to Chinese applicants was stagnant, ending an eight-year run of growth. Applications from and offers of admission to prospective graduate students in India and Brazil are surging, and offers of admission to prospective graduate students from the Middle East continues to be strong.  

Suzanne Ortega, President of the Council of Graduate Schools, commented that “American graduate schools continue to attract students from around the world. We should be excited about the fact that new growth is emerging from a host of different regions and nations. International students are important to the U.S. economy because our workforce will continue to face shortages of graduate-level talent over the next decade. To support our economic competitiveness, we should make it easier—for international graduates who wish to do so—to remain and work in the U.S. after completing their degrees.”

Admissions trends by country

The increase in the overall number of offers of admission to U.S. graduate schools was driven by a 25% increase in initial offers of admission to prospective students from India, following a 27% gain in 2013. Considering that India’s year-to-year numbers have often fluctuated, this continued growth stands out as an important trend affecting U.S. graduate schools.

Furthermore, gains from India helped to offset the sluggish admission numbers from China. For the first time since 2006, offers of admission to prospective students from China failed to increase, as the 2014 figure was unchanged from the prior year. China continues to represent the largest source of prospective international graduate students, comprising 37% of all offers of admission in 2014.

Building on impressive growth of 46% in 2013, the offers of admission to prospective students from Brazil nearly doubled in 2014, with a gain of 98%. Although prospective students from Brazil constitute only 1% of the total offers of admission to prospective international students, the sustained growth is notable.   

Other regions and countries with growth in offers of admission from 2013 to 2014 included the Middle East (9%), Canada (4%), Africa (3%), and Europe (2%). Declines were reported for South Korea (-9%), Taiwan (-6%), and Mexico (-1%).

Admissions trends by field

The survey results show that initial offers of admission increased in all broad fields of study in 2014. The largest increases were in physical & earth sciences (13%) and engineering (11%), followed by ‘other fields’ (7%), business (6%), social sciences & psychology (6%), life sciences (6%), arts & humanities (5%), and education (1%).

Admissions trends by region

Offers of admission by U.S. graduate schools to prospective international students increased in all four major regions of the United States from 2013 to 2014. The Midwest saw the most growth (12%), followed by the West, the South, and the Northeast, with 9%, 9%, and 8% increases respectively.

About the report

Findings from the 2014 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase II: Final Applications and Initial Offers of Admission is based on the second phase of a three-part annual survey of international graduate student applications, admissions, and enrollment among U.S. member institutions. Data on offers of admission in the report are preliminary; final data will be published in the Phase III report, to be released in November 2014. The Phase II results are typically an early indicator of what international first-time enrollment is likely to be in fall 2014. The 299 institutions responding to the Phase II survey conferred about 66% of the 109,000 graduate degrees awarded to international students in the United States in 2011-12, suggesting that the survey results accurately depict recent trends in the participation of international students in U.S. graduate education. The full report is available online at http://www.cgsnet.org/benchmarking/international-graduate-admissions-survey.

CGS Director of Research and Policy Analysis, Jeff Allum, shares with The Guardian encouraging statistics from recent Graduate Enrollment and Degrees reports that show gains in total enrollment for women and minority students in graduate fields traditionally dominated by white males, such as computer and information sciences. 

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.