Top Emerging Markets for International Student Recruitment
Transcript of Top Emerging Markets for International Student Recruitment
Top Emerging Markets for International Student Recruitment
Published: May 4, 2015
By Yuanyuan Fang, Megha Roy, Alejandro A. Ortiz - WES Research & Advisory Services
The number of international students from just a few countries on major U.S. campuses has
increased to such a level that headlines such as “The University of China at Illinois” have been
appearing in major education news media with increasing frequency. In response, and as
international students continue to flock to the U.S., top universities such as Harvard and Yale
have started to focus on diversifying their student bodies by attracting students of more varied
backgrounds from a broader base of countries, and regardless of their financial means.
While there has been increased interest in recruiting international students, many institutions still
pay too little attention to the diversity of their student bodies. In response, WES released a
research report in 2012 with the goal of encouraging institutions to expand their recruitment
horizons and to prepare for new and emerging markets. Given the complexity of navigating these
emerging markets and the time and effort it takes to cultivate them, schools must be forward-
thinking. Therefore, one of the elements of a sustainable international student enrollment
strategy is to be proactive in identifying and cultivating a diverse portfolio of source countries.
This follow-up study identifies key emerging markets for international student recruitment
through 2018 and seeks to inform higher education institutions’ strategic planning by giving
them a deeper understanding of future international student recruitment markets.
This report addresses two main questions:
1. Beyond the traditional markets (China, India, and South Korea), what are likely to
be the top four emerging markets for recruiting international students in the next
three years, and what exactly makes these promising recruitment markets?
2. What are the most effective strategies and practices for recruiting international
students from these emerging markets?
Methodology
New target markets for recruitment activities are often based on anecdotal evidence. To help take
the guesswork out of the process, we designed this current study based on data and research. To
determine the top emerging markets for international student recruitment over the next three
years, we used a mixed-methods research design to collect data from several primary and
secondary sources, and cross-validated the findings in three phases:
1. Secondary research
2. Quantitative research (survey)
3. Qualitative research (interviews)
In the first phase, the selection of countries was based on the average percentage change of
international students from 2010/11 to 2013/14 (IIE Open Doors) and an in-depth literature
review of these fastest-growing countries. The final four emerging markets were based on the
results of an online survey of international student recruitment/enrollment professionals,
accompanied by phone interviews designed to gather information on best practices for recruiting
in these specific markets.
In order of importance, survey respondents to the WES survey identified Brazil, Vietnam,
Indonesia, and Nigeria as the top four emerging markets to watch over the next three years. In
the past five years, these countries have shown substantial increases in the number of students
studying in the U.S., alongside stable economic growth.
The Top Four Emerging Markets: Best Practices and Implications for
Recruitment Strategies
1. Brazil
Brazil has been one of the most promising markets for international student recruitment for the
past few years due to its large population, strong economy, and the effective Brazil Scientific
Mobility Program (BSMP). According to IIE Open Doors data (2013/14), the number of
Brazilians studying in the U.S. last year increased 22.2 percent versus the year prior. There were
13,286 Brazilian students in the U.S.in 2014, and of those, 38.3 percent were enrolled at the
undergraduate level and 23.5 percent at the graduate level. Approximately one-fifth (22 percent)
were studying in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, and one-
fifth (21.1 percent) were studying business/management.
Government and scholarship programs are key in the decision-making process of many Latin
American students. Since the introduction of the BSMP in 2011, the number of Brazilian
students in the U.S. has steadily increased. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has announced
that the federal government will provide an additional 100,000 BSMP scholarships between
2015 and 2018 at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The program is currently in its
second phase and will be placing an added focus on graduate students who have won awards in
national math, physics, and chemistry competitions in Brazil. In addition, students mustobtain a
merit standard of 600 points on the ENEM (the national high school exam) in order to qualify.
According to WES’ segmentation framework of international students, we believe that U.S.
higher education institutions (HEIs) will welcome more ‘Highflier’ graduate students from
Brazil – those with strong financial resources and high academic preparedness – within the next
three years.
Not only is this good for the diversity of international student bodies, but also for U.S.
universities looking to collaborate with Brazilian partners. Sarah Rodriguez, formerly Assistant
Director of International Student Admissions and Orientation at Indiana Institute of Technology,
found that a partnership with the Institute of International Education (IIE), which administers
BSMP in the U.S., brought a large number of short-term Brazilian students to the university. She
also pointed to the benefits of enrolling Brazilian graduate assistants and representatives who are
able to forge good relationships and build connections with specific universities in Brazil.
Effectively engaging in partnerships with local government, universities, and the ministry of
education will build pipelines through which U.S. institutions can recruit and retain Brazilian
students into the future.
The use of popular social media sites and messaging services such as Facebook and WhatsApp
have also proven to be effective recruitment tools, as they allow admissions professionals to
connect with students in groups as well as on an individual basis. As social media and
networking platforms differ by country, seeking advice from current international students is a
good first-step to understanding effective ways to penetrate country-specific social networks
before actively beginning recruitment campaigns.
2. Vietnam
As identified in WES’ previous Emerging Markets report, Vietnam is and remains an important
recruitment market, with outbound mobility growing significantly over the past 13 years. In
2013/14, there were 16,579 Vietnamese students studying in the U.S., making Vietnam the
eighth-ranked nation among all sending countries. With steady growth in both the number of
students arriving from Vietnam and also in the size of the country’s economy, Vietnam looks set
to continue as a strong growth market. Vietnam’s economic growth will also enable parents from
its growing middle class to send their children to study in the U.S. at a younger age. An
increasing pool of Vietnamese secondary-school graduates in the U.S. also represents an
emerging and significant recruitment channel for HEIs.
However, Vietnam is a country still in transition, and issues of affordability still persist. Today,
approximately 90 percent of Vietnamese students overseas are self-funded. Although the
country’s GDP per capita (PPP) has increased in recent years, the number is still projected to
remain below $7,000 by 2020, which is considerably less than that of most developing nations.
As a result, many Vietnamese students choose to study at more affordable community colleges in
the U.S.; these students constituted 7.4 percent (6,509) of the total international student body at
community colleges in 2013/14. Indeed, more than half of Vietnamese tertiary-level students in
the U.S. are enrolled in community colleges, making Vietnam the third-ranked place of origin
after China and South Korea.
Institutions that wish to enroll more Vietnamese undergraduate students should consider
promoting scholarship and financial aid opportunities. Vietnamese students tend to be
academically well prepared, but they often lack financial resources. Ann Rahmat[1], who has
served as a Senior Assistant Director for International Recruitment at Miami University, said that
on average, Vietnamese students at her school are able to pay approximately $20,000 per annum
on average. They are attracted by merit-based scholarships, which help to compensate for the
remaining costs of attendance. Though some experts have also commented that Vietnamese
students’ financial conditions are better than those of students from other countries in the
Southeast Asian region, identifying local scholarship programs within Vietnam as well as
designing and communicating their own scholarship programs could help institutions attract
more international students from Vietnam.
Some of the recruitment professionals interviewed for the study have made many high school
visits to Vietnam, finding it to be a highly effective method of recruitment, especially as relates
to creating brand awareness. They also found that smaller cities (in terms of population) like
Hanoi offered them more prospective students than bigger cities like Ho Chi Minh City. Another
promising and cost-effective method of recruitment is for universities to partner with other U.S.
universities when planning recruitment trips, such that they can reach out to secondary schools
directly in Vietnam and explain the potential benefits of earning a four-year degree through
transfer arrangements between community colleges and universities.
As a word of caution, as more and more agents are coming under public scrutiny, institutions
should be cautious when using agents to recruit students from Vietnam.
3. Indonesia
Indonesia is a notable emerging market and is recognized as one of the world’s most significant
emerging economies due to its rapid GDP growth and large population. A 2012 report from
McKinsey & Company notes that by 2030, Indonesia’s economy is predicted to become the
seventh largest in the world. As with many developing countries, a growing economy often
corresponds with growth in educational spending. Indeed, the number of Indonesian students has
increased in China, Malaysia, and Japan, since those countries offer affordable quality education
and scholarships for international students.
As a price-sensitive country, Indonesian enrollment volume in the U.S. declined until
2010/11from 2000/01, despite a one-year increase in 2007/08. However, Indonesian enrollment
is now slowly but steadily bouncing back. In 2013/14, there were 7,920 Indonesian students in
the U.S., the highest number in ten years. According to the United Nations Population Division,
by 2015, the Indonesian undergraduate population (those aged between 20 and 24 years old) will
constitute nearly 8 percent of the total population (20.46 million), and the share will remain the
same through 2020. Currently, the majority of Indonesian students in the U.S. (68.4 percent) are
undergraduates. The most popular areas of study are STEM fields (31.8 percent).
International admissions experts interviewed for the study found it effective to use digital lead
purchases (e.g., e-mails) and social media marketing to attract undergraduate students from
Indonesia. Jacqueline Vogl, Assistant VP of Global Education at SUNY Plattsburgh, works with
a data solutions company to utilize e-mail marketing and to send promotional materials to
students who took standardized exams such as the TOEFL and SAT. From this practice, they
were able to compile an e-mail list of prospective students based on open and click-through rates,
which showed where their brand message was resonating most.
Although the use of social media for international recruitment is still new compared to its use for
domestic recruitment, data show that there are nearly 69 million Facebook users in Indonesia,
most of whom are young people; the number is expected to reach 97.5 million by 2018.
Therefore, an effective use of social media strategy is key in reaching prospective students from
Indonesia.
4. Nigeria
In 2014, Nigeria was the largest economy in Africa and it is a rising star on the U.S. higher
education scene. A booming economy has resulted in a stable flow of Nigerian students to
institutions in the U.S. and elsewhere. The U.S. is currently the second-most popular destination
for Nigerian students after the United Kingdom.
The generally poor quality of Nigeria’s domestic higher education system and increasing demand
from middle- and high-income Nigerian families who can afford to send their children overseas
means that recruiting prospects from the West African nation look set to remain strong.
According to the most recent IIE Open Doors report, Nigerian student enrollment in the U.S. has
increased more than 25 percent in the past five years. In 2013/14, there were 7,921 Nigerian
students studying here. Half (50.9 percent) of Nigerian students in the U.S. are enrolled at the
undergraduate level; nearly two-fifths (35 percent) of students are at the graduate level and more
than half (56.8 percent) are STEM majors.
Overall, the international admissions experts interviewed for our study noted that Nigerian
students tend to be quite proficient in English as it is the official language of the country. Those
at the undergraduate level are often academically well prepared, especially in science-related
subject areas. Nigerian students are mainly concentrated in the ‘Highflier’ and ‘Striver’
segments. Strategically developing better scholarship packages will attract more students from
Nigeria. In addition, if institutions have a history of enrolling high quality Nigerian students and
retaining a good alumni base, our experts suggested that engaging alumni in recruiting and
starting student ambassador programs could be useful.
Like Vietnam, agencies and education fairs in Nigeria seem to be drawing scrutiny. Based on our
interviews with admissions experts, we found that connecting with international schools in
Nigeria is one of the best practices for undergraduate recruitment. They prefer this method over
others, as it offers direct communication with high school students and counselors. Furthermore,
it is a cost-effective way to reach out to prospective students, as opposed to study tours organized
by government agencies.
Diversify Target Countries and Recruiting Practices
Diversifying international student populations on university campuses, many of which have
limited budgets and information resources, is a complex challenge that requires sustainable
international student enrollment strategies. To maximize institutional resources and achieve
recruitment goals, U.S. institutions are encouraged to investigate the different segments of
international students and to adopt a portfolio approach to recruiting.
In building a portfolio of countries from which to recruit, we recommend that institutions focus
their near-term recruitment efforts on Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Nigeria, in addition to the
traditional markets. A more targeted approach can help institutions save time and effort when
looking toward emerging markets.
Institutions should cultivate and implement multi-pronged international student recruitment and
enrollment strategies based on students’ unique needs. Adopting a portfolio of practices based
on evidence-based enrollment strategies can help U.S. institutions better understand students
from emerging markets. It can also reduce risk and maximize enrollment opportunities. It is
important to “zoom out” and look at the big picture when it comes to emerging markets,
including economic and education indicators, and then to “zoom in” to understand the students’
profiles and needs in each unique context.
[1] Ann Rahmat is currently the Director of International Recruitment and Global Engagement at
Missouri Western State University.