Do your prospective students or promising undergraduates have the information they need to consider the benefits of graduate education? Do they understand the options for financing a graduate degree? Make CGS flyers a standard part of your orientation packets and info sessions throughout the year! Three of our most popular flyers are newly revised for 2018.

Titles include: Financing Graduate Education, Open Doors with a Doctorate, and Why Get a Master's Degree?

Flyers are available for purchase online. Bulk rates available for CGS members. For complete details on CGS publications, visit cgsnet.org/publications.

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.

Dear CGS Member,

As we all know, higher education is the focus of ongoing debates in the U.S. and internationally. Graduate leaders are called upon to make decisions in many important areas—to name only a few, student access, institutional accountability, diversity and inclusion, online education, and career outcomes for master’s and doctoral students. As no one can predict the future of graduate education, one of our best leadership strategies is to equip ourselves with the best information available.

This is where CGS plays a critical role, providing graduate leaders at 500 institutions with essential data and “best practice” expertise. As a think tank for graduate education in North America and around the world, CGS research has shaped innovative practice in a broad range of areas: financial education, professional development, master’s education, student career pathways, degree completion for underrepresented students, Preparing Future Faculty, and learning assessment, to name only a few. The CGS website is an up-to-date source of information on our recent Best Practice initiatives and data analysis related to trends in graduate education. CGS web tools, meetings, webinars, and publications are designed to give our global network useful, just-in-time information.

As a former graduate dean, I am also aware of the important role that deans play in public discussions of graduate education. Now more than ever, it is critical for graduate schools to demonstrate the ways in which graduate education and research are strengthening the workforce, economy, and society as a whole. CGS actively supports these advocacy efforts, providing public policy resources that help members “make the case” for graduate education in conversation with policy makers and the public. Through our GradImpact initiative, we are also pleased to feature members’ examples of graduate education contributing to the public good.

Of course, the continued success of any organization depends upon the good ideas of its members. I welcome opportunities to learn more about the priorities of your institution and your suggestions for how CGS can help support its goals. 

Sincerely,

Suzanne T. Ortega

Brief Bio

Selected Articles by Suzanne Ortega

• Now More than Ever: An Argument for the Humanities
• A Guide to the New Academic Year and Beyond: Critical Issues in Graduate Education

CGS is pleased to offer opportunities to connect with graduate school leaders at the 2021 CGS Annual Meeting and beyond.
 

Our partnerships take many forms including:

• Participation in the CGS Sustaining Membership Network
• Thought-leader sessions at the 2021 CGS Annual Meeting (Dec 1-4; New Orleans, LA) 
• Traditional event sponsorships
• Research projects
• Custom events and workshops
• Webinar programming for CGS members
• Exhibiting at CGS convenings
• Advertising in CGS publications, including GradEdge

Check out the 2021 CGS Partnership Prospectus and contact Adrienne Vincent with questions, to learn more, or to propose a custom partnership that brings value to your organization and to CGS members.

CGS would like to thank the following organizations for their generous support of the 2021 CGS Annual Meeting:
 

Sponsors:

• Cayuse
• Duolingo English Test
• EAB
• ETS
• IELTS USA
• Liaison International
• Nature Portfolio
• pd.education by DoctoralNet
• ProQuest
• Wiley Education Services

Exhibitors:

• Cayuse
• Duolingo English Test
• EAB
• ETS
• Liaison International
• National Science Foundation/National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics
• Nature Portfolio
• pd.education by DoctoralNet
• Prodigy Finance
• ProQuest
• Slate by Technolutions
• Studyportals
• Wiley Education Services

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.

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

Appointment of Senior Academic Leader for UNC System to Begin July 1

Washington, D.C. – The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) today announced the appointment of Suzanne Ortega, currently Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs for the 17-campus University of North Carolina, as its sixth president. Dr. Ortega has held a diverse range of senior academic leadership positions in higher education and in graduate education specifically, serving as Chair of the CGS Board in 2005 and as Chair of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools in 2003.

Dr. Ortega will assume the chief leadership role at the Council beginning on July 1. Debra W. Stewart, CGS’s President since 2000, announced her plan to step down from the role in October 2013.

“We are delighted that Dr. Ortega has agreed to lead the Council as it furthers its mission to improve and advance graduate education,” said James Wimbush, current Chair of the CGS Board. “Her deep knowledge of graduate education—and understanding of CGS’s diverse membership—will ensure that CGS’s impact continues to grow in the United States and internationally.”

Prior to her appointment at UNC, Dr. Ortega was Executive Vice President and Provost at the University of New Mexico from 2008-2011. She served among the group that CGS most directly represents, graduate deans, while Vice Provost and Graduate Dean at the University of Washington (2005-2008) and also at the University of Missouri-Columbia (2000-2005). An expert in mental health epidemiology, health services, and race and ethnic relations, Dr. Ortega received her PhD in sociology from Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Ortega has also led the graduate community through a number of board and committee service positions, including the Executive Board of NASULGC (APLU)’s Council on Research Policy and Graduate Education; the National Academy of Science’s Committee on the Assessment of the Research Doctorate; the CGS-ETS Commission on Pathways through Graduate School and into Careers; and the CGS Advisory Committee on Minorities in Graduate Education.

“For over fifty years, CGS has helped graduate institutions meet the challenges of our nation and local communities,” said Dr. Ortega. “American higher education is at a critical juncture, and I look forward to working with graduate deans, faculty, and students at member institutions to advance best practices and develop and advocate for federal policies that strengthen graduate education and research.” Dr. Ortega added, “Debra Stewart has been an extraordinarily effective leader for CGS, and I am deeply honored to follow her as president.”

Contacts:
Julia Kent, CGS: (202) 223-3791 / jkent@cgs.nche.edu
John McCool, TIAA-CREF: (888) 200-4062 / media@tiaa-cref.org 

The Council of Graduate Schools and TIAA-CREF Collaborate to Deliver GradSense Website to Help Students Make Informed Financial Decisions about Their Education and Careers

Washington, D.C. – The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), a nonprofit organization devoted to graduate education and research, today launched GradSense, a novel online tool designed to help students plan financially for their education and future careers.

With student debt at historically high levels, students have a limited number of resources for assessing the investment they will be making in an advanced degree. To fill this knowledge gap, CGS collaborated with leading financial services provider TIAA-CREF to design and develop GradSense, which features a Debt to Salary calculator, among other tools.

In developing GradSense, CGS researchers brought together two important pieces of information for the first time – federal data on education debt and federal data on median salaries for specific occupations. While this information is available, it is not easily accessible. Students must sift through these datasets using separate databases, which obscures the relationship between investing in a specific degree to pursue a desired profession. To help students make more informed career decisions, GradSense combines these two pieces of information in a simple-to-use tool, providing students with one screen of data that allows them to more accurately align their choice of degree and field of study with their desired career.

Using GradSense, students enter their degree type, desired field of study and preferred career. The student is then shown the median debt of students pursuing their specific degree, along with the starting, median and expert salary levels expected in their desired career. Together, these two informative data sets can help students better understand the impact of their chosen degree on future earnings.

GradSense is part of the Enhancing Student Financial Education project, an initiative of CGS in collaboration with TIAA-CREF. The program has awarded grants to 15 colleges and universities across the country to develop innovative financial literacy programs that teach students about successful strategies for borrowing, lending and managing personal finances. Lessons and data from each of the 15 university programs and many of the 19 affiliate partner universities will inform the development of new financial education resources for students nationwide.

“The best practices developed through this program – and the GradSense tool – can help prepare our nation's students for lifelong financial well-being,” said Laura Levine, president and CEO of Jump$tart Coalition. “I applaud the commitment of CGS, TIAA-CREF and the participating universities.”

The GradSense website also includes a compound interest calculator that shows students the long-term impact of common spending decisions, advice for repaying student loans, guidance on transitioning from graduate school to a career and tips for evaluating and negotiating job offers. 

“GradSense provides students with crucial financial information that was never easily accessible or available before,” said Debra W. Stewart, president of CGS. “This clear, customized tool empowers students to make more informed decisions about their educational and career pathways.”

“We are extremely proud of our collaboration with the Council of Graduate Schools, and especially pleased to see tangible results and useful tools already emerging from this program,” said Roger W. Ferguson, president and CEO of TIAA-CREF. “This underscores the combined strengths the business and education sectors bring to bear on addressing the student loan debt issue, and when working together, the valuable impact we can have on the financial futures of our nation’s students.”

In addition to the GradSense website, the tool will also be featured on the websites of universities participating in the Enhancing Student Financial Education program, as well as the websites of other CGS member schools. To use GradSense, visit: www.gradsense.org.

Highly marketable degrees offer pathway to STEM careers

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

Washington, D.C. – The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) today released the results of its fourth annual Professional Science Master’s Enrollment and Degrees Survey documenting applications, enrollments, and degrees awarded in Professional Science Master’s (PSM) programs. The PSM is an innovative graduate degree designed to allow students to pursue advanced training in science or mathematics while simultaneously developing workplace skills highly valued by employers.

The 2013 report shows that PSM programs stand out as a bright spot for U.S. institutions in terms of domestic enrollment trends. From 2010 to 2013, first-time enrollment of domestic students rose 19% in PSM programs. For U.S. graduate education as a whole, first-time enrollment of domestic students rose only 1.9% in the five year period between 2007 and 2012, according to the latest CGS/GRE Graduate Enrollment and Degrees report. In contrast, first-time enrollment of international graduate students rose markedly from 2010 to 2013 in both PSM programs and in U.S. graduate programs overall.    

Additional studies on the career outcomes of PSM graduates show high levels of student satisfaction and employment rates, which may be contributing to enrollment growth in PSM programs. According to a 2013 CGS survey, 91% of responding PSM graduates were employed in a job related to their field of study, and 68% of those employed full-time reported annual earnings above $50,000.

“Today’s STEM graduate students are seeking degrees that prepare them for success in a wide range of professional settings,” said CGS President Debra W. Stewart. “The real-world experiences and internships gained by PSM graduates make them highly marketable to employers in all sectors of the economy.”

The CGS study was supported in part by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. From 1997 to 2012, the Sloan Foundation made more than $23 million in grants in support of the PSM degree, including start-up funding for PSM programs at colleges and universities around the country; the founding of the National Professional Master’s Science Association, which provides professional support for PSM faculty and administrators; and a partnership with the Council of Graduate Schools to collect data on PSM programs and to administer a PSM affiliation process that ensures affiliated programs meet the highest standards.   

“The Sloan Foundation is extremely proud to have played a founding role in the creation of the PSM degree,” said Elizabeth Boylan, Program Director of the Sloan Foundation’s programs in STEM Higher Education. “The continued growth of enrollments and the remarkable success graduates have had in the job market marks the PSM degree as one of the most successful innovations in 21^st century higher education.”

This year represents a milestone in PSM development, as CGS will now transition the responsibilities for PSM program recognition to the Keck Graduate Institute (KGI).

“CGS’s expertise and guidance have been keys to a thriving PSM movement since its inception in 1997,” said Jim Sterling, KGI Vice President of Academic Affairs. “The Keck Graduate Institute looks forward to leading PSM programs into the future of professionally-focused science master’s education. Continuing to track the career outcomes of PSM graduates will be part of that commitment.”

The 2013 PSM Enrollment and Degrees report includes data on applications received and accepted for fall 2013, as well as enrollment data for fall 2013 and degrees awarded during the 2012-13 academic year. Data from 85% of all PSM programs worldwide are included. Additionally, the report offers comparisons to data from the previous surveys, documenting growth in applications, admissions, and enrollment over the past four years. Key findings include:

Applications:

• Over 7,000 applications were received for fall 2013 admission and 46% were accepted.
• Between fall 2010 and fall 2013, there was a 59% increase in applications received for admission into PSM programs.

First-Time Enrollment:

• Over 1,900 students were enrolled for the first time in PSM programs in fall 2013.
• Nearly two-thirds of all first-time PSM students were enrolled full-time while the remaining one-third were part-time students.
• 28% of first-time enrollees in U.S.-based PSM programs were temporary residents (i.e., international students).

Total Enrollment:

• Total enrollment in PSM programs has grown 23% since 2010, to exceed 5,800 students in fall 2013.
• Men comprised 53% of all PSM students and women made up 47%.
• Total PSM enrollment in fall 2013 was dominated by four fields of study: computer/information sciences (21%), environmental sciences and natural resources (15%), mathematics and statistics (15%), or biotechnology (14%).

Degrees awarded:

• Institutions responding to the survey awarded 2,038 PSM degrees in academic year 2012/13.
• 54% of PSM degrees awarded by respondents in academic year 2012/13 were awarded to men and 46% to women.
• 18% of graduates of U.S.-based PSM programs were international students.
• Among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, 23% of PSM graduates in 2012/13 were underrepresented minorities.

The report is available in pdf format at cgsnet.org and at sciencemasters.com.

Attendees at the Annual Meeting of the Council of Graduate Schools, Dec. 4-7, Hotel del Coronado, San Diego. (click to view album on Facebook)