By SkillOutlook Research Team, Mumbai: For international student community, the US universities and higher learning institutes are dream destinations. The US, UK, France, Canada, Australia and Germany are currently the most popular destinations for international students while the US is the most dominant market in the world for enrolling foreign students.
India had approximately 4-4.5 lakh students studying abroad in 2015, more than 25% of them in the US colleges. Indian students represent about 13.6% of total foreign students in the USA. India has the youngest population in the world, and with growing global aspirations and focus on education. Here, SkillOutlook presents the key trends that are emerging in the top universities in the USA .These trends will have strong impact on decisions of students aspiring to study tertiary education in the USA and overseas education consulting agencies.
USA is the largest market for foreign students in the world: As per Open Doors data (Institute of International Education), the higher education institutes in the USA posted 10% growth for enrolling foreign students in 2014-15, reaching 9.75 lakh students. China has sent the largest students to the USA market, representing 31.4% while India stood second in sending students to USA universities. The top five nations who contribute to the USA’s international student market are as followed: China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Canada. Open Doors is a comprehensive, national data and information resource on the US and international individuals studying or teaching in the US.
USA continues to remain on the top of ranking table: The performance of USA universities continues to be outstanding on the Rankings released by international higher education rating agencies such as QS World Rankings and The Times Higher Education. There are 154 top universities in the US featured in the QS World University Rankings 2016-2017, far more than any other country in the world. Of these, 32 are in the global top 100, and five in the top 10.
MIT, Stanford, Harvard and Caltech continue to dominate top places: As per the QS World Rankings 2016-2017, the top five universities are as followed: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, Harvard University, California Institute of Technology and University of Chicago. As per the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2016-17, the top five universities in the USA are as followed: California Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University and Princeton University.
Indian students recorded the highest growth with 29.4% in 2015: As per Open Doors Data, out of total foreign students of 9.75 lakh in USA in 2015, Indian students were 1.32 lakh, 13.6% of the total foreign students. The most surprising trend is that India posted sharpest growth rate of 29.4% compared to 2014, when 1.02 lakh Indian students took admission in various universities of the USA in 2014. China posted 10.8% growth while total international students enrolment saw 10% rise.
Florida Institute of Technology has highest share of international students: The share of international students in Florida Institute of Technology is the highest (33%) in the National Universities Category (35%)as per U.S. News & World Report – 2017 Best Colleges rankings. Meanwhile with 32.4% share of foreign students, New York based New School stands second under the National Universities Category. On the other hand, among National Liberal Arts Colleges, foreign students represent 39.5% in Soka University of America (CA), which is the highest. The share of foreign students in Pine Manor College (MA) is 35%, which is second highest in the category.
Top Colleges and Public schools: As per U.S. News & World Report – 2017 Best Colleges rankings, the top colleges under National Liberal Arts Colleges are as followed: Williams College (MA), Amherst College (MA), Wellesley College (MA), Middlebury College (VT) and Swarthmore College (PA). Under top Public Schools- National Liberal Arts Colleges, the top institutes are as followed: University of California—Berkeley, University of California—Los Angeles, University of Virginia, University of Michigan—Ann Arbor ,and University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill.
Top institutes in Business and Management study: Among foreign students in India, a large number of students from India prefer higher study in USA B-Schools. In Business and Management subjects, Harvard University tops other institutes both in the USA and in the globe. Stanford University and University of Pennsylvania stood second and third, respectively in the specialized subject of Business and Management, as per the QS World University Rankings 2016-2017. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) features at fourth place while University of California, Berkeley (UCB) bags fifth position in the Business and Management study subject, as per the QS World University Rankings 2016-2017.
Top Twenty Universities in the USA (QS World Universities Rankings 2016-17)
1 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
2 Stanford University
3 Harvard University
4 California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
5 University of Chicago
6 Princeton University
7 Yale University
8 Cornell University
9 Johns Hopkins University
10 University of Pennsylvania
11 Columbia University
12 University of Michigan
13 Duke University
14 Northwestern University
15 University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
16 University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
17 University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
18 New York University (NYU)
19 Brown University
20 University of Wisconsin-Madison
