RECRUITMENT OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS TO THE UNITED STATES: IMPLICATIONS FOR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Margaret A. Goralski
Quinnipiac University
Ahmad Tootoonchi
Frostburg State University
ABSTRACT
The number of international students in the United States is at a record high of more than
4% of the total number of students at institutions of higher education. In the academic year 1972-
1973, there were approximately 146,000 international students studying in the U.S., and the
number grew to nearly 820,000 by 2012-2013 (Institute of International Education, 2013a). As the
number of international students has increased so has the intensity of competition among U.S.
colleges and universities to recruit and retain them. This study will examine the recruitment of
international students into U.S. institutions of higher education, the global recruitment
competition for these students, and its implications on higher education. The study will also
attempt to discuss how the influence of technology in online education will continue to impact
recruitment and retention of international students by colleges and universities in the United
States.