US universities see steep decline in students from China amid political tensions
- Some schools have reported 20 per cent or greater drop in numbers this fall
- To adapt, some universities are stepping up recruiting in other parts of the world and working to hold on to their share of Chinese students
After a decade of booming enrolment by students from China, American universities are starting to see steep declines as political tensions between the two countries cut into a major source of tuition revenue.
Several universities have reported drops of one-fifth or more this fall in the number of new students from China. To adapt, some schools are stepping up recruiting in other parts of the world and working to hold on to their share of students from China.
University administrators and observers say trade conflicts and US concerns about the security risks posed by visiting Chinese students appear to be accelerating a trend driven also by growing international competition, visa complications and the development of China’s own higher education system.
At Bentley University in Massachusetts, the number of new Chinese graduate students arriving on campus dropped from 110 last fall to 70 this time. As a result, the school is reviewing the viability of some graduate programmes that have been most affected by the decline.
“I wouldn’t describe it as catastrophically bad,” President Alison Davis-Blake said. “We’ve been very intentional about knowing that a drop-off was coming and really broadening our international and domestic footprint.”
