Journal of Economic Perspectives
ISSN 0895-3309 (Print) | ISSN 1944-7965 (Online)
The Globalization of Postsecondary Education: The Role of International Students in the US Higher Education System
Journal of Economic Perspectives
(pp. 163–84)
(Complimentary)
Abstract
In the four decades since 1980, US colleges and universities have seen the number of students from abroad quadruple. This rise in enrollment and degree attainment affects the global supply of highly educated workers, the flow of talent to the US labor market, and the financing of US higher education. Yet, the impacts are far from uniform, with significant differences evident by level of study and type of institution. The determinants of foreign flows to US colleges and universities reflect both changes in student demand from abroad and the variation in market circumstances of colleges and universities, with visa policies serving a mediating role. The consequences of these market mechanisms impact global talent development, the resources of colleges and universities, and labor markets in the United States and countries sending students.Citation
Bound, John, Breno Braga, Gaurav Khanna, and Sarah Turner. 2021. "The Globalization of Postsecondary Education: The Role of International Students in the US Higher Education System." Journal of Economic Perspectives 35 (1): 163–84. DOI: 10.1257/jep.35.1.163Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- I22 Educational Finance; Financial Aid
- I23 Higher Education; Research Institutions
- I26 Returns to Education