An undeniable shift is taking place across U.S. campuses with the number of international students increasing rapidly. Between 2003 and 2013, the number of foreign students studying in the United States increased by 55 percent with continuing growth anticipated in the years ahead.
This has led to some concerns about domestic students being displaced by more affluent international students who can afford to pay rising tuition costs. Inherent in this view is the assumption that the primary obligation of U.S. universities is toward their local residents and that financial interests are driving the trend.
A common claim is that “cash-strapped public universities” are “aggressively recrui[ting] students from abroad.”
In our view, these are flawed assumptions.
It is very likely that the increasing pace of globalization is playing a role, but it is important to note that U.S. campuses have historically witnessed demographic shifts as a result of social and economic changes that took place around them.
These demographic shifts gradually broadened U.S. universities from a domain of elite, white men to one that included veterans, women, and increasing numbers of underrepresented minorities.
