In international education — international student recruitment in particular — we are in a unique position when it comes to perspective. We are tasked with attracting young people and scholars to our country, our states, our towns and cities, and most specifically, our institutions. That means we are never and can never be insulated from the forces that shape how young people view our country, our state, or our institutions. We understand that all sorts of factors go into where undergraduate and graduate students ultimately decide to invest their time and futures. To succeed at our work, we have to understand the full picture of students and the choices in front of them.
From global pandemics to pop culture icons to hurricanes, the headlines about our state and our country become part of those forces. As we look to the next academic year and the nearly 90,000 international students who are either in Texas or making their decision on where to attend next fall, it is time to take stock of what we know and the best way to leverage that data to adapt our way forward.
What the Latest Numbers Tell Us
This fall, TIEC was honored to have IIE’s Dr. Mirka Martel unpack the latest Open Doors Report data and celebrate the 75th year of the report’s release. For TIEC, there’s much in the latest data about international student mobility that gives us reason to celebrate and also helps point us to where to go next. As we make our way through recent uncertainty, let us start first with the big numbers and a wide lens.
First, Texas held our place as the #3 top destination for international students in the United States. The 2023/2024 academic year also showed the number of international students coming to the United States at an all-time high — and an end to the dropoff we saw during the COVID pandemic. There’s good news for Texas: while the percent change for the country as a whole was seven percent, our state saw an 11 percent increase from last year’s report in the number of international students studying at our higher education institutions. The demand for Texas schools and programs grew faster than the nation as a whole.
Going back to our prospective students and the choices in front of them: Outside of the U.S. coasts, Texas is a clear favorite. Our colleges and universities offer top programs with a lower cost of living than those in New York and California, the states with the #1 and #2 highest number of international students in higher education. Texas leads in affordability, especially for those living off campus as housing prices increase in New York and California. Beyond affordability, Texas cities boast strong diaspora communities that provide cultural familiarity, support networks, and professional opportunities, making the state an even more attractive destination for international students.
Overall, graduate students coming to the U.S. had the highest percentage increase of any academic level of international students, building on growth over the last two years. Undergraduate numbers, on the other hand, remained nearly steady and did not reflect a significant rebound from pandemic numbers. While that’s not huge news, it does continue to guide our Texas institutions as we work to attract new students, particularly as STEM programs continue to attract the most international students.
Regionally, Asia continues to send the most significant percentage of students to U.S. institutions. In Texas, as in the broader United States, we’ve seen a significant increase in students from India. Nationally, India overtook China as the top country of origin for international students. We’ve certainly seen that increase in Texas, as students coming from India now make up 44 percent of all international students here. This fall, the Indian government announced efforts to slow students from going abroad to study. As a state, we need to keep our eyes to how those efforts unfold and the degree to which our own institutions may need to adjust and work to broaden the countries of origin we welcome.
Africa, while not leading overall, also showed significant increases as a region last year, particularly students coming from Ghana. African diaspora communities, like the vibrant ones in Houston, are paving the way for international students coming from countries like Nigeria to find their way to Texas colleges and universities.
TIEC sees opportunity for Texas to become a premiere destination, with more strategic engagement and resources for students from Africa and Southeast Asia going abroad. In the coming months, we want to be a resource for our Texas members looking to increase engagement in both of these areas.
Making the Case in Our Own Communities
As the national conversation continues to evolve, let our community not shy away from talking about the concrete benefits international students bring to our institutions and our communities. We have to remember that outside of our (sometimes insulated) field of international education, the facts are not always well known.
For instance, international students coming to study in the United States are overwhelmingly self-funded. In other words, the majority of students who come to U.S. colleges and universities pay their host institution the full amount of tuition. Conversely, many U.S. students do not — whether that’s through discounted in-state tuition, scholarships, or grants. International students in the U.S. also pay rent, buy groceries, and spend money at local shops and restaurants. In general, they support local and state economies during their time in Texas. What many people outside higher education may not realize is the scale of that local economic contribution. Thanks to Open Doors and its collaboration with the U.S. Department of Commerce, we know that last year alone, international students brought an estimated $2,460,515,674 to Texas’ economy. For all 50 states, the total came to $50 billion.
Nearly $2.5 billion for the 23/24 academic year is not a small amount of money — and it goes to colleges and universities across the state of Texas, both public and private. International student tuition helps pay for our schools’ in-state student scholarships, academic research, and sports programs, not to mention a host of local community businesses that benefit from these scholars.
Texas higher education institutions depend on and gain much from international students. With these stakes in mind, we need to become advocates and educators even for our own colleagues and campuses. Let us use the economic benefits to help make way for the myriad of intangible benefits that we see from our global campuses and open doors.
Closing Thoughts
In times of big change, our networks are more important than ever. They keep us tied to the things we share as humans. For formal TIEC member institutions and our wider circle of friends and partners, we should all lean on each other and be purposeful about keeping the lines of communication open.
TIEC is grateful to have built a strong network among our international education professionals in colleges and universities large and small across Texas. We’ve seen firsthand the way international students enrich our campuses. We are better for the relationships and people-to-people connections that come from welcoming international students and scholars to our classrooms. We’ve seen those relationships grow and continue over time, and the informal networks that endure and work to check stereotypes and shortcuts against real-life experiences and deeper understanding of other cultures.
