International Graduate Admissions Keep Rising

The number of international students admitted to U.S. graduate schools has increased for the fourth straight year, up 9% for fall 2013 from the same period in 2012, says a report from the Council of Graduate Schools. The large increase wasn’t expected because the number of international applications to U.S. graduate schools was essentially flat for fall 2013, rising just 2% after larger gains in the previous two years. “This is a sign that U.S. graduate programs continue to see international applicants to graduate programs as competitive, high-caliber students,” says Debra W. Stewart, president of the Council of Graduate Schools. The largest increase in international student admissions is in engineering, up 16% for fall 2013 after a 9% gain the previous year. Physical and earth sciences, which include chemistry, are not far behind, with increases of 11% for fall 2013 after a 7% gain in fall 2012. Life sciences and education are the two areas in which international student admissions declined for fall 2013.