The US continues to be a top destination for international students. As other anglophile countries find new reasons to limit their student intake (we’re looking at you Canada, Australia, and UK), there is still competition for student attention. Now is no time for US institutions to rest on their laurels.
The macro numbers around student mobility are always interesting. But the fact is that each institution has tremendous potential in any given market if it plays its unique cards well.
It starts with market intelligence, understanding your consumer, their motivations, influencers, and how the unique attributes of your institution relate to those consumer insights. There are questions you and your recruitment team are asking:
- Are you reaching the right prospective international students?
- Are your markets diversified enough? Targeted enough?
- How do you know if you are doing all of this well?
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Over the past year we’ve offered insights into regions we think are well worth watching on 3 continents – China, India, Vietnam, Tanzania, Guyana. Each of these countries offers something interesting for international student recruiters to think about. All won’t be right for every institution, but each are right for some.
Read on to understand how we’re thinking about these markets and to link to our more in-depth articles each one.
About the Chinese student market.
While the declining enrollment of Chinese students in America is so much about politics (in both countries), it’s the day-to-day reality of this cohort that should get your attention. The volume of students and their interest in a foreign education will continue to produce significant enrollment opportunities. Important that your strategy adapts to the times employing the right programs and messaging. Read more here.
About the Indian student market.
For years (15 or so), India has played second fiddle to China in student mobility numbers. The balance has shifted though it is unclear to us whether that will remain so. What we have witnessed: the number of international students coming from India into US institutions has roughly doubled in the last decade. And the sheer size of the young Indian population means there’s more than enough demand to keep that trend growing. Yet, other factors are at play. Read more here.
About the Vietnamese student market.
The US is the third most popular study abroad destination for outbound Vietnamese students, with nearly 22,000 coming to the US in 2023 per IIE Open Doors data. The reasons for choosing a US education we most often hear when we talk to Vietnamese students:
- A US degree is strong (career value)
- Classroom instruction encourages creativity and develops critical thinking (product value)
- Soft skills are taught (product value)
- Access to a multinational job market (career value)
That all makes sense from a prospective student perspective. But, what might make these students interested in your institution specifically? And will recruiting in Vietnam be a worthwhile effort for your institution’s enrollment growth? Read more here.
About the Tanzanian student market.
Tanzania, the fifth most populous country in Africa behind Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, and the Congo, has passed key milestones in recent years that make it a more attractive market for international student recruitment. And, importantly, while Swahili is the main language spoken in Tanzania, English is the country’s commercial language. There is far less competition for institutions here than other student sources, though, of course, the total volume of students is much smaller than other sources. Read more here.
About the Guyanese student market.
This small South American country used to be among the Western Hemisphere’s poorest. But that’s all changing since Exxon Mobil discovered oil just offshore in 2015. And not just some oil, but more than 11 billion barrels of recoverable oil and gas. The country is now on track to be a top 20 oil producer by 2027. And, in 2022, it was reclassified as a high-income country by the World Bank. This is the kind of ripening market that should catch your attention if your role is about expanding your international student recruitment to new markets. Read more here.
What is next?
These are just five of the many potential student recruitment markets available to you. Check out our resource center and plug in your country of choice to gain even more global insights. Need a partner to think through which regions are a best fit for your institution? We’ve got just the team. Be in touch.
