Photo provided by Indiana News Service.

News Release

INDIANA — As people head back to college soon, professors may notice an increase in the number of international students. A new report finds these enrollment numbers are increasing and may be influenced by politics.

Almost 27,000 international students are enrolled at Indiana’s universities.

The survey of almost 2,500 foreign students found 44% would be more likely to choose the United States as a college destination under a Democratic administration, which they perceived as a more welcoming cultural environment.

Caitlin Andersen, founder of a graduate admission consulting firm, said others would feel more at ease with a Republican administration.

“Thirty percent of people that said they would be more likely to consider studying in the U.S. under a Trump presidency said that the reason was because, ‘it’s inspiring us, because there’ll be more jobs, there’ll be more opportunities,’ and he’ll be less focused on intervening in international affairs,” she said.

About one-third of the respondents said politics won’t make a difference in their college choice. Andersen said many foreign students come here to pursue STEM degrees. More also are seeking graduate business courses at Ivy League universities – that are, in turn, actively recruiting international students.

Andersen added foreign students come to the U.S. to advance their careers and build an international network.

“They’re just really passionate about doing that,” she continued. “And that’s actually something that is very true across cultures. The other motivator is going to be, they bring skill back to their homes, to their families, and use it in their home countries.”

She noted universities are reforming their review process by actively using artificial intelligence to provide an unbiased application process. The goal is to uncover information before a human admissions staffer sees a student’s name, or information that could reveal their country of origin.