International Financial Aid Blog » Study in the USA

Increase Demand for US MBA Programs

jfrankel — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:00:25 +0000

The economic downturn is evident worldwide. Even with signs of growth in many countries, the employment figures are lagging behind. Those individuals who have the ability will seek higher education as a way to build skills for the competitive job market.

One way people are doing this is by enrolling at a MBA program in the US. Many students and professionals see education in the US as one way to build connections, increase one’s skills, and develop a worldwide prospective. According to a recent report by Council of Graduate Schools, the increase demand for US MBA Programs jumped 6% over last year. Bloomberg BusinessWeek reported that 33.4% of MBA programs are made up of international students. The primary reason for this increase was due to the number of Chinese applicants, followed by Taiwanese and Vietnamese.

The increase demand for US MBA programs has been helped by the increase in F-1 international student visas issued in the US. An increase of 54,000 visas were issued last year, totaling 385,210 visas. This increase in visas has been directly attributed with increasing the number of foreign students enrolling in MBA programs in the US.

This comes as good news to MBA programs in the US, who are competing with other higher education institutions from around the world. Because of the expense and difficulty of going to a US institution, many international students have been opting for schools in Canada or the United Kingdom. With the help of the Department of State, there has been a shift back to America where this year has been the largest increase in demand for US MBA Programs since 2007.

Cornell saw a 12% increase in their international enrollments in New York. On the western coast, University of Southern California saw that 75% of their one-year international MBA program was from Asia. This is just two of the many graduate programs seeing an increase in their international student numbers.

As economies recover, recruiting efforts expand, and the need for a business degree becomes ever more important, it is likely that this is the beginning of a trend for MBA programs in the US as long as the US State Department continues it’s visa policies for international students.

Number of International Students in US Grows

Keith Clausen — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:14:35 +0000

The annual Open Doors Report, published on November 14 by the Institute of International Education, shows that the number of international students studying in the USA for the 2010/2011 academic year increased by 5%, to a total of 723,277. This follows an increase of 3% last year, and continues the upward trend that started in 2005/2006, when enrollment numbers started to rebound after post-9/11 setbacks.

Countries of Origin

A big story this year, like last year, is Chinese student enrollment. The number of Chinese undergraduates studying in the US increased by 43%, and overall Chinese enrollment increased by 23% to 157,558, ensuring that China was the largest sending country again this year. Saudi Arabia also had a large percentage increase of 44%. Here are the top ten countries of origin for international students in the USA:

Rank	Place of Origin	2009/10	2010/11	2010/11 % of Total	% Change
	WORLD TOTAL	690,923	723,277	100.0	4.7
1	China	127,822	157,558	21.8	23.3
2	India	104,897	103,895	14.4	-1.0
3	South Korea	72,153	73,351	10.1	1.7
4	Canada	28,145	27,546	3.8	-2.1
5	Taiwan	26,685	24,818	3.4	-7.0
6	Saudi Arabia	15,810	22,704	3.1	43.6
7	Japan	24,842	21,290	2.9	-14.3
8	Vietnam	13,112	14,888	2.1	13.5
9	Mexico	13,256	13,713	1.9	2.0
10	Turkey	12,397	12,184	1.7	-1.7

Taken together, the top 3 countries sending students to the US (China, India and South Korea) account for almost half of all international students in the US.

Leading Host Institutions and Fields of Study

The University of Southern California maintained its top spot as the US school hosting the most international students with a total of 8,615. Here are the ten schools in the United States, by total international student enrollment:

TOP 10 INSTITUTIONS HOSTING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS, 2010/11
Rank	Institution	City	State	Total Int’l Students
1	University of Southern California	Los Angeles	CA	8,615
2	University of Illinois – UC	Champaign	IL	7,991
3	New York University	New York	NY	7,988
4	Purdue University – Main Campus	West Lafayette	IN	7,562
5	Columbia University	New York	NY	7,297
6	University of California – Los Angeles	Los Angeles	CA	6,249
7	Ohio State University – Main Campus	Columbus	OH	6,082
8	University of Michigan – Ann Arbor	Ann Arbor	MI	5,995
9	Michigan State University	East Lansing	MI	5,748
10	Harvard University	Cambridge	MA	5,594

International students have been consistent in the fields of study that they choose, as the top five have not changed. Business and Management and Engineering are by far the most popular two choices for international students at US schools, followed by Physical and Life Sciences, Math and Computer Science, and Social Sciences to round out the top five.

US Students Abroad

Not only are the numbers for international students growing, but so are the numbers of US students going overseas. According to the Open Doors Report, the number of US students studying abroad increased almost 4% to 270,604. Consistent with previous year records, the most popular destinations for US study abroad students included the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France and China as reflected below:

Rank	Destinations	2008/09	2009/10	2009/10 % of Total	% Change
	WORLD TOTAL	260,327	270,604	100.0	3.9
1	United Kingdom	31,342	32,683	12.1	4.3
2	Italy	27,362	27,940	10.3	2.1
3	Spain	24,169	25,411	9.4	5.1
4	France	16,910	17,161	6.3	1.5
5	China	13,674	13,910	5.1	1.7
6	Australia	11,140	9,962	3.7	-10.6
7	Germany	8,330	8,551	3.2	2.7
8	Mexico	7,320	7,157	2.6	-2.2
9	Ireland	6,858	6,798	2.5	-0.9
10	Costa Rica	6,363	6,262	2.3	-1.6

Interestingly, while there are more students studying overseas they are going to non-traditional destinations. There was an eight percent increase for each of the following destinations: Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

For more information, please visit the 2011 Open Doors Report published by the Institute for International Education.

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Study USA – Creating a Budget

Keith Clausen — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 18:32:42 +0000

One of the most important parts of international education is figuring our what you can afford. Can you attend that high-priced private school in an expensive city? Or is a more affordable option required? You can get basically the same education in an area with a lower cost of living, or attend a state school or community college. You can work, get loans and apply for scholarships. But until you know how much money you will need, its hard to figure out how you’re going to get it.

Creating an overall budget is a critical part of affording your study overseas. Truly, there are options for people regardless of what your overall budget is, but you have to know the budget to know your options. The Study USA section of InternationalStudent.com has a good article on creating a budget. Also review these earlier posts on this blog on Estimated vs. Actual School Budget and Evaluating School Program costs .

With a little effort, you can have a much better handle on where your money will be going, and what schools and programs you can afford.

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Interest Rates Still Low on International Student Loans

Keith Clausen — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:47:54 +0000

One positive by-product of a relatively weak ecomony is the continuing low interest rates for international student loans for study in the USA. Interest rates for loan programs offered by International Student Loan range from 2.25% APR to 9.11% APR with no origination fees. When you consider that there is no collateral required for a student loan, unlike a home or car loan, it is impressive that student loan programs can operate at such rates. Since student loans are often based on LIBOR, a low LIBOR is certainly helping the situation.

Lenders offered through the loan center on InternationalStudent.com also offer excellent rates, and you can compare and contrast them. A quick search today showed current APRs beginning at 3.16%.

Private student loans are available for international students studying at approved schools in the United States. All international students need a US co-signer. The interest rate for each student is set by the loan underwriter based largely on the credit score and income history of the US co-signer, so a stronger co-signer can mean a lower rate. You can apply for up to the total cost of education, minus other aid received.

Check both options to figure out which works best for you and your school:

http://www.internationalstudentloan.com

http://www.internationalstudent.com/loans/

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Hult MBA Offers Scholarships to African Students

Keith Clausen — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:24:13 +0000

Hult International Business School is a highly regarded business education institution, offering MBA, Masters and Undergraduate programs in five locations around the globe: Boston; San Francisco; Dubai; London; and Shanghai. Hult was ranked the 27th best business education in the world, and the 17th best business education in the U.S. by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The Financial Times has also recognized it as one of the Top 100 business schools worldwide.

Hult offers a very popular one-year MBA program, which allows you to study at up to three of their five worldwide locations. Finishing in one year instead of two, as required by most MBAs, can be a very efficient way to improve your career opportunities faster, saving you money on the way.

Hult also offers scholarships to deserving, accomplished students. See Hult’s profile page on International Scholarships to see more about their scholarship offer for students from Africa:

http://www.internationalscholarships.com/

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Rotary Clubs a Great Source of Scholarships / Georgia Student Rotary Program

Keith Clausen — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:46:42 +0000

Rotary clubs around the world are a great source of scholarships for international study, and for any student trying to study abroad, Rotary Clubs should be top on the list to research any relevant scholarships. For instance, Rotary Clubs in the State of Georgia (USA) have sponsored the Georgia Rotary Student Program since 1946.

The GRSP brings in 80 international students per year for one full academic year, and pays their tuition, book allowance, meal allowance and on-campus room, at a college or university in the State of Georgia, USA. To be eligible, you must be between 18 and 25 and be an undergraduate student in your home country, and have never studied in the USA. In addition, you must be recommended by your home Rotary Club. Visit the Georgia Rotary Student Program website to learn more about their international scholarships.

Also, you can read a good story about Benjamin Ikaal from Kenya, who is a Rotary scholarship recipient studying at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia.

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Chinese Students Recruited by US Universities – Online Fair March 12, 2011

Keith Clausen — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 22:07:34 +0000

Students from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong are in very high demand at US colleges and universities, leading Hobsons to host a virtual student fair specifically for these students. If you are from one of these countries, register now for the Greater China Virtual Student Fair to be held March 12, 2011. At the fair, you will be able to video conference or chat live with admissions representatives from over 60 schools; download school information; and learn about the admissions process from schools you may be interested in. Best of all, its free, and you can do all of this from home, or from anywhere that you have an internet connection.

Ramapo College of New Jersey Offers Full Scholarships to International Students

Keith Clausen — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:47:12 +0000

Ramapo College of New Jersey is a public, liberal arts college, founded in 1969 and rated by Kiplingers in 2010 as one of the “100 Best Values in Public Colleges.” With 5,660 students, including several hundred international students, Ramapo offers degrees in the arts, business, the humanities, the social sciences, and the sciences, as well as in professional studies programs such as nursing, social work and Teacher Education.

Scholarships available to international students include the Presidential Scholarship and the Provost Scholarship:

Presidential Scholarship (Full tuition waiver for four years): To be considered for the Presidential Scholarship, an international student must be in the top 10 percent of their high school class with SAT scores of at least 1300 in Critical Reading and Mathematics. For more information, visit: http://www.InternationalScholarships.com/Ramapo Presidential

Provost Scholarship ($10,000 per year for four years): To be considered for the Provost Scholarship, an international student must be in the top 10 percent of their high school class with SAT scores of at least 1230 in Critical Reading and Mathematics. For more information, visit: http://www.InternationalScholarships.com/Ramapo Provost

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Indonesian Students Recruited by US Universities – March 5th Student Fair

Keith Clausen — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 09:00:51 +0000

Participate in (free) virtual fair to win $5,000 in prizes! Student fair March 5th – enroll today.

Hobsons is taking student recruitment to the next level, as they roll out their virtual student fairs. With the Hobsons virtual fairs, students can log into the virtual fair from their home or anywhere they have an internet connection. Once logged in, they can talk directly with admissions representatives from dozens of US colleges, they can download information on the colleges they are interested in, they can view videos, take a campus tour and talk with other students – basically all of the things, and more, that you can do at a live student fair.

In addition, every student that registers and attends the fair that day can win prizes! Hobsons will award $5,000 in prizes to students that attend the fair that day.

The March 5th fair is open to students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

International Student Loans Available

Keith Clausen — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:25:42 +0000

Student loans are available for international students studying at approved schools in the United States. There are multiple loan programs available – today we will highlight the main two. International students are not eligible for US federal loans, for which you need to be a US citizen or permanent resident. However, the following two private loan programs are an excellent resource for non-US citizens:

InternationalStudentLoan.com – International Student Loan is the main online resource for school loans for international students, and has been for years. Currently, International Student Loan offers loans up to the total cost of education, as determined by your school, minus any other aid received. These loans are school certified (as all student loans are now), meaning your school financial aid office must certify the final amount of the loan to ensure that you are not borrowing more than you need. And the kicker – the school determines how much you need, based on their total cost of education minus any other aid you receive. The approved school list is quite long, meaning most US schools are approved for loans. With this loan program, interest payments are required while you are in school, with full repayment beginning 6 months after separation from school.

http://www.InternationalStudentLoan.com

InternationalStudent.com - InternationalStudent.com is the primary portal site for international education, and on its loan page it features a loan comparison tool with multiple lenders. The school list is even longer, and you can find loans on the comparison tool that do not require any interest repayment while in school.

http://www.internationalstudent.com/loans/

Check them both to figure out which is the best financing option for you.

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