Is the globalization of higher education in America a good thing or a bad thing? This was the question posed by The Atlantic last month when it took a deep look into the current state of colleges and universities in the United States. Because many schools are underfunded and experiencing financial woes, many are taking in more international students than ever before.
According to the Open Doors Report on International Exchange by the Institute of International Education, a good majority of students pay for their education through their own personal and family funds. Only about twenty percent of international students receive some form of financial aid. This means most international students are paying full price for their college education, providing a source of income to cash-strapped institutions.
Thirteen of the top 20 schools for foreign students are public universities, which have seen their funding from the state and federal governments diminish over the years. However, the top school is a private school and an expensive one at that. 19 percent of New York University's freshman class for 2015 is international students. The University of Southern California and Columbia University are two and three respectively. They are private institutions as well.
Good Points Can Be Made on Both Sides
The title question for this post is a loaded question because the case could be made on both sides. Adding international students to the population of college campuses creates more diversity. More diversity means exposure, which should hopefully translate into greater acceptance of other cultures. In a world that is getting smaller each day, understanding and acceptance of other cultures is a necessity. This goes both ways too. International students can provide first-hand knowledge of the United States to their families and friends in their home country, which could help dispel any false notions of what this country is like.
However, there are some negative aspects to globalization in higher education too. There have been some instances of fraud where credentials listed on an application weren't true. Universities need to use educational credential evaluators to ensure the credibility of their international student population. Another argument is the fact that many of these international students come from wealthy families who can afford it. By adding diversity, are you taking away potential slots from poorer applicants who are from this country?
You can argue it both ways. Therefore, it should be interesting to see if this trend will continue or if there will be a breaking point, causing administrators to change their recruiting processes.
According to the Open Doors Report on International Exchange by the Institute of International Education, a good majority of students pay for their education through their own personal and family funds. Only about twenty percent of international students receive some form of financial aid. This means most international students are paying full price for their college education, providing a source of income to cash-strapped institutions.
Thirteen of the top 20 schools for foreign students are public universities, which have seen their funding from the state and federal governments diminish over the years. However, the top school is a private school and an expensive one at that. 19 percent of New York University's freshman class for 2015 is international students. The University of Southern California and Columbia University are two and three respectively. They are private institutions as well.
Good Points Can Be Made on Both Sides
The title question for this post is a loaded question because the case could be made on both sides. Adding international students to the population of college campuses creates more diversity. More diversity means exposure, which should hopefully translate into greater acceptance of other cultures. In a world that is getting smaller each day, understanding and acceptance of other cultures is a necessity. This goes both ways too. International students can provide first-hand knowledge of the United States to their families and friends in their home country, which could help dispel any false notions of what this country is like.
However, there are some negative aspects to globalization in higher education too. There have been some instances of fraud where credentials listed on an application weren't true. Universities need to use educational credential evaluators to ensure the credibility of their international student population. Another argument is the fact that many of these international students come from wealthy families who can afford it. By adding diversity, are you taking away potential slots from poorer applicants who are from this country?
You can argue it both ways. Therefore, it should be interesting to see if this trend will continue or if there will be a breaking point, causing administrators to change their recruiting processes.