Borders or Barriers?

The United States’ security concerns and scrutiny of international visitors and immigrants in recent years have affected people who wish to earn graduate degrees at U.S. schools. Between 2002 and 2004, international enrollment numbers dropped sharply at many American colleges and universities. Increased scrutiny of visa applications or the perception of the United States as unwelcoming or unsafe has deterred many potential students.

Now, educators report that international enrollment numbers are edging back up. Twin Cities Business contacted three local universities to ask how their international admissions have changed in the past year.

Tracy Keeling
››          Associate director, admissions and recruiting for the full-time MBA program
››          Carlson School of Management
››          University of Minnesota

Nancy Hellerud
››          Associate dean and assistant professor
››          Hamline University
››          Graduate School of Management

Nichole Pazdernik Hanson
››          Director of international admissions
››          St. Cloud State University

››› Twin Cities Business: The Council of Graduate Schools is reporting that first-time enrollment of international graduate students at its U.S. member institutions increased by 1 percent from 2004 to 2005 (though total enrollment of international students is down 3 percent). How have your institutions’ international application numbers changed in the last 12 months? Has the situation improved since 2002?

››› Tracy Keeling: Our enrollment of international students in fall 2002 for the full-time MBA program was 40 students, [which was 30 percent of the international students granted admission]. In fall 2003, this was 31 students, 26 percent of international admits.

In fall 2004, it was 37 students, 34 percent of international admits. In fall 2005, it was 38 students, 38 percent of international admits.

As you can see, the raw number of international students enrolling in our program has increased just slightly this year, and is nearly back to the level it was in 2002. The more important number for our purposes is how many of the students we’ve admitted actually enroll, and this year’s percentage is the highest it has been in recent memory.

››› Nancy Hellerud: At the Hamline University Graduate School of Management, the number of international graduate students is down somewhat in the past two years. However, this is probably not because of the post-9/11 visa issues. Instead, we are seeing a shift in our international graduate student body makeup: We have fewer students from particular countries that have changed their scholarship and loan programs for study abroad. However, we are seeing students from different parts of the world (such as the former Soviet republics). I expect our international student population makeup will look more diverse in the coming years.