Chinese-students.jpg (Photo : Reuters)
The Council of Graduate Schools reported on Wednesday that the number of Chinese first-time enrollees in U.S. graduate schools dropped slightly in 2014.
According to the council, the number of Chinese students in the U.S. decreased by 1 percent this year, the first time their number declined since the survey started in 2004, according to a China Daily report.
Chinese students were at the forefront of the increase in the percentage of international students enrolling in U.S. graduate schools from 2008 to 2013, which was seen going from seven percent to 10 percent during the period.
The drop in the percentage of students from China, which peaked in 2012, means a significant decrease in their actual number since they make up 33 percent of the total enrollment of foreign students in the U.S.
"This is the first year that it has gone down," said Jason Lane, an international education professor at the State University of New York in Albany.
"Previously, there had been huge increases in Chinese students. Last year the increase of one percent and this year there was a one percent decline," he said.
Philip G. Altbach, director of the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College, attributes the drop to improved graduate program in China.
"China has increased its number and capacity of high-quality graduate programs," Altbach said.
"Chinese students now have options at home to pursue advanced degrees they didn't have several years ago," he continued.
Lane agreed and added that Chinese students have been presented other options when it comes to studying abroad.
"China has always been a leading sender of students, and Canada has been aggressive in recruiting foreign students, as have several European countries," he said.
Meanwhile, Indian students have overtaken Chinese enrollees in U.S. schools, with their number increasing by 30 percent and 24 percent in the last two years.
