Working Paper: NBER ID: w28342
Authors: John Bound; Breno Braga; Gaurav Khanna; Sarah Turner
Abstract: In the four decades since 1980, US colleges and universities have seen the number of students from abroad quadruple. This rise in enrollment and degree attainment affects the global supply of highly educated workers, the flow of talent to the US labor market, and the financing of US higher education. Yet, the impacts are far from uniform, with significant differences evident by level of study and type of institution. The determinants of foreign flows to US colleges and universities reflect both changes in student demand from abroad and the variation in market circumstances of colleges and universities, with visa policies serving a mediating role. The consequences of these market mechanisms impact global talent development, the resources of colleges and universities, and labor markets in the United States and countries sending students.
Keywords: International students; Higher education; U.S. labor market; Visa policies; Global talent
JEL Codes: I2; J24; J6
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| international student enrollment (I23) | global supply of highly educated workers (J24) |
| international student enrollment (I23) | financing of U.S. higher education (I22) |
| demand from abroad and market circumstances (F29) | international student enrollment (I23) |
| visa policies (Z38) | international student enrollment (I23) |
| reductions in foreign student flows (F69) | negatively impact university resources (I23) |
| reductions in doctoral student flows (Y40) | disrupt academic research (D29) |