Higher education institutions are struggling to evolve from a limited market of international student recruitment. Right now, almost one in two international students in the United States is from either China, India, or South Korea. This is because these countries provide an existing market for recruitment, making it easier, quicker, and cheaper to gain diversity through these countries rather than reaching out to other locations. The problem with such a narrow spectrum for higher education diversity is that the economic growth of both China and India is decelerating, which could impact enrollment of international students.

World Education Services (WES),  a non-profit organization and the leading source of international education intelligence, has released a new research report, “Beyond More of the Same: The Top Four Emerging Markets for International Student Recruitment.” As many institutions are attempting to diversify their student bodies by seeking international students from a broader range of countries, WES provides suggestions for which countries are the most promising and how to begin recruiting internationally. The report discusses the top four countries in which the higher education institutions (or HEIs) in the United States would benefit. In order of importance, they are Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Vietnam, and Turkey.

According to Rahul Choudaha, Director of Research and Advisory Services of WES, “Emerging markets in this report are characterized by their growth potential to send international students overseas. This is a function of at least two primary variables–economic growth which fuels aspirations of upward mobility and ability to afford foreign education; and second, size and growth of college-ready education pipeline.”

Recruiting international students is competitive and complex. According to the report, institutions are expected to “recruit quality students, while ensuring diversity within the shortest span of time and with limited financial resources.” This makes it difficult to recruit from other locations, though it would be wise to look into other markets. “Working with emerging markets, however, is a double-edged sword. While it presents potential rewards, there are also challenges to achieving international student enrollment goals, particularly in finding academically prepared and self-funded students,” states the report.

Choudaha told Toonari Post that over-reliance on just a couple source countries can make total enrollment of international students at HEIs sensitive to uncertainties in these countries. “For example, economic uncertainty in China and India could adversely influence not only overall international student enrollment but also diversity of international student body.”

China, India, and South Korea are still expected to retain a high number of prospective students, but the United States should cultivate emerging markets to expand diversity. WES used the Delphi method to gather predictions and opinions from experts of higher education to identify possible growth markets.

The full report can be viewed here.

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New York, U.S.A. — International students seeking to attend an American higher education institution differ by academic preparedness and financial resources. These differences impact their preferences and information-seeking behavior during college search according to a new report from World Education Services (WES)–a New York-based non-profit with over 35 years of experience in international education research and credential evaluation.

The publication of ”Not All International Students Are the Same: Understanding Segments, Mapping Behavior” presents findings from a survey of international students in the process of applying to U.S. colleges and universities. The survey, which was administered from October 2011 to March 2012, received responses from nearly 1,600 prospective international students from 115 countries.

The report identified four distinct international student segments based on academic preparedness and financial resources: Strivers, Strugglers, Explorers and Highfliers.

Strivers form the traditional segment of students coming to the U.S. They are highly prepared for academic work and expect to receive financial aid from their host institution. In contrast, Explorers form an emerging segment of students who can cover tuition fees but are not fully prepared for college-level coursework, indicating their need for academic support, particularly in English language training.

Highfliers are the most sought after as they are academically prepared and financially able. However, their attraction to a narrow circle of top-ranked institutions makes it difficult for lower ranked institutions to compete for them. Strugglers are less selective about their college choice, but they require additional pre- and post-enrollment assistance and have less access to financial resources.

The study found that just one-sixth of the survey respondents reported that they had used an recruitment agent during their college search. Student segments with lower academic preparedness—Explorers and Strugglers—were found to be more likely to use agent services.

“Segment-based information makes higher education institutions more aware that choice of recruitment and information channels should be mapped with the student segment they are interested in recruiting. This also means that the debate of using or not using commission-based recruitment agents should be grounded in an understanding of the agent-using student segments and an assessment of its implications on institutional capacities and priorities,” says Dr. Rahul Choudaha, director of WES Research & Advisory Services and author of the study.

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