Studying abroad is an incredible opportunity for students in the United States. US colleges and universities advertise their programs heavily to attract applications and enrollment. Students who reside outside of the US have similar hopes and goals as international students: to gain experiences outside of where they grew up, and have the incredible opportunities offered by US universities and colleges. This especially applies to the STEM field. International students also positively impact the STEM workforce.
International students are coming to the US for new opportunities. Those students are bringing their incredible talents and knowledge to the US. This means more chances for American growth in the field, a relationship that benefits all parties.
STEM Stats on International Students
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a notable decline in international student numbers. There was a decrease in participation in international programs, which is worth noting when looking at statistics. This shows in statistics from SEVIS, “SEVIS reports that as of January 2023 there are 1.08 million international students with active study visas in the US. This compares to a total of 1.14 million in January 2020, just before the onset of the pandemic (a -5.4% decrease overall).” Even so, there is much to be said about what our society does to either encourage or discourage international students.
Over 1 million international students studied abroad in the US in 2023. This is a number that’s climbing from the decrease due to the pandemic. According to SEVIS, the current numbers are almost at pre-pandemic proportions, though the sending countries have shifted. When China was once a top sender, the numbers have decreased by 28.69%. This applies to other top senders in East Asia and otherwise. Numbers from places such as India and Nigeria have actually grown quite a bit. What does this mean? US attitudes and policies may have driven students away, heading to the UK and Canada where their presence is more certain. Obtaining and keeping a student visa while here has proven to be a difficult feat.
“While international students accounted for 8 percent of the bachelor’s degrees awarded in STEM fields in 2020, they earned 40 percent of STEM master’s degrees and 43 percent of STEM Ph.Ds. that year, according to the U.S. Department of Education” says Jack Corrigan on The Hill. International students have made up a large group of STEM scholars in the US. Their graduate work is vital to furthering the STEM fields.
Pre-University International Students
The phrase “international students” also covers school-aged students that study in the US. Pre-University international students also have the potential to be important contributors to the STEM field. A total of 69,518 international students were enrolled in U.S. high schools in fall 2019, a number that ebbed and flowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
When international talent has access to the opportunities that US schools offer, their abilities will carry through the university systems. This will improve our future STEM community.
Why Barriers Might Hinder Diversity
Some US policies and certain ideals held in American society have been driving away international students that are looking for an education. International students bring important skills and abilities to the United States, and turning them away would be a big mistake. According to Jon Younger at Forbes, international students are a “critical source of top talent” in the STEM workforce.
The consequences of these lower numbers are spelled out by Younger, “U.S. policy actions that make America a less attractive destination for top university talent – students, researchers, and educators – means fewer outstanding new companies, less creative research, a drop in innovation, an erosion of U.S. educational prestige and influence, and less employment opportunity for U.S. citizens because the companies that international students contribute to will be fewer,” he states.
Ultimately, people from different countries and cultures add something very valuable to the engineering field. It would be a mistake not to see the vital contributions that talented international students bring to American universities. It is vital for the American people to look at these points and see the value of learning from those who learned in a different place than we did, and see how our combined knowledge can continue to make engineering innovations.
International students and diversity in STEM classrooms are vital parts of bettering technology for our future. Learn more about fostering diversity in STEM education in this TryEngineering resource.