- Summary
- Introduction
- Acknowledgements
- Indicators Part I: Population and School Enrollment
- Indicator 1: School-Age Population
- Indicator 2: Enrollment in Formal Education
- Indicator 3: Trends in Enrollment in Formal Education
- Indicator 4: International and Foreign Students in Higher Education
- Indicators Part II: Academic Performance
- Indicators Part III: Contexts for Learning
- Indicators Part IV: Expenditure for Education
- Indicators Part V: Education Returns: Educational Attainment and Income
- List of Tables
- List of Exhibit and Figures
- References
- Appendix A: The Education Systems of the G-20 Countries
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Indicator 4: International and Foreign Students in Higher Education
G-20 Countries Included: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States
International students made up a smaller percentage of enrollment in higher education in the United States (3 percent) than in every other G-20 country with data, including Australia (20 percent), the United Kingdom (17 percent), Canada (7 percent), and Japan (4 percent).
This indicator presents the prevalence of international and foreign students studying in higher education in the G-20 countries in 2011, including students in academic programs below the doctoral level and at the doctoral level. International students refer to students who have left their country of origin (i.e., where they obtained their prior education credential) for the purpose of studying; six G-20 countries report data for these students. Foreign students refer to students who are not citizens of the countries in which they are enrolled, but may be long-term residents or may have been born in that country; 10 G-20 countries report data for these students. Both types of data provide information on the internationalization of higher education; however, the former measure may provide a more accurate measure of student mobility.
In higher education overall, the United States had the smallest percentage of international students (3 percent) of the five G-20 countries with data, including Australia (20 percent), the United Kingdom (17 percent), Canada (7 percent), and Japan (4 percent) (Germany did not report data at the overall level) (figure 4-1). However, while the relatively small U.S. percentage suggests that the impact of international students on the overall education system is low, the absolute number of international students in the United States is larger than in any other G-20 country reporting data (OECD 2013, web table C4.7).
International students made up a smaller percentage of enrollment in academic higher education below the doctoral level than at the doctoral level in every reporting G-20 country except Germany. (Australia had the largest percentage of international students enrolled below the doctoral level, at 21 percent.) At the doctoral level, international students made up more than 20 percent of enrollment in four of the six G-20 countries reporting data: the United Kingdom (41 percent), Australia (31 percent), the United States (28 percent), and Canada (22 percent). Japan followed closely, with international students making up 18 percent of enrollment at the doctoral level. In Germany, international students made up only 6 percent of enrollment at the doctoral level.
In higher education overall, foreign students made up less than 5 percent of total enrollment in 8 of the 10 G-20 countries reporting this measure (figure 4-2). In South Africa and France, foreign students made up 7 percent and 12 percent, respectively, of the total enrollment in higher education.
Similar to the data reported for international students, all seven countries that reported data for foreign students at all levels had smaller percentages of enrollment in academic higher education below the doctoral level than at the doctoral level, except Indonesia (where enrollment rounded to zero at both levels). Below the doctoral level, foreign students made up the largest percentage of enrollment in France, at 13 percent, while they made up less than 4 percent of enrollment in the rest of the G-20 countries reporting data. At the doctoral level, foreign students made up 42 percent of enrollment in France, followed by 11 percent in Italy and 8 percent in the Republic of Korea. In Turkey, Brazil, China, and Indonesia, foreign students made up less than 4 percent of enrollment at the doctoral level.
Definitions and Methodologie
"Higher education" is used synonymously with "tertiary education," which includes "tertiary type A" programs (ISCED97 5A), which are largely theoretically based and designed to provide qualifications for entry into advanced research programs and professions with high skill requirements; "tertiary type B" programs (ISCED97 5B), which are more occupationally oriented and lead to direct labor market access; and advanced research programs (ISCED97 6), which lead directly to the award of an advanced research qualification (e.g., a Ph.D.). "Academic higher education below the doctoral level" is synonymous with "tertiary type A" (ISCED97 5A)." Academic education at the doctoral level" includes ISCED97 6. For more information on the ISCED97 levels, see appendix A.
International students refer to students who have left their country of origin (i.e., where they obtained their prior education) for the purpose of studying. Foreign students refer to students who are not citizens of the countries in which they are enrolled, but may be long-term residents or may have been born in that country. As described in the accompanying figures, education levels are defined according to the 1997 International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED97). For more information on the ISCED97 levels, see appendix A.