The motto of “any person, any study” at Cornell is meant to be emblematic of the diversity of the student population. Specifically, the Cornell Statement on Diversity and Inclusiveness is “Open Doors, Open Hearts, and Open Minds” for both the student body and for the employees. In the latest incoming class, 16% of students are Asian-American, 8% are Hispanic-American, 7% are African-American, and 18% are non-U.S. citizens. This is not specific to Cornell, but represents the overall pattern in universities across the United States, a pattern which is now seeing a rise in international students. According to the Instititute of International Education, 2008 marked the time of the highest number of foreign students currently attending American universities.

While diversity is an integral part of the college experience for both Americans and for those who hail from other countries, there are problems associated with the rapid increase in international students. Undergraduate enrollment of international students has increased much more than the enrollment of graduate students. Graduate programs have historically relied more on the attendance of those from other countries than undergraduate programs. With the decline of graduate enrollment rates from India and South Korea, two of the countries with the most students enrolling in American graduate schools, the question lingers: how much longer can the US rely on foreigners to enroll in graduate programs?

45% of all foreign students at American graduate schools are from India and China. However, the rate of Indian enrollment sharply decreased between 2007 and 2008, which has not slowed down this fall. Graduate programs that usually benefit from a large number of Indian students are suffering the consequences of the worsening job market, which is one of the main factors contributing to the decrease in international students. Students are now enrolling in programs in other countries where the job markets provide more opportunities, or are staying in India because of promises of an expanded higher-education system. Why waste one’s time and money on an international graduate program if there will be no career opportunities at the finish line?

On the other hand, the increase in Chinese students has been continuously increasing in undergraduate programs. What can explain this trend? The Chinese government is attempting to make education more important, but there are simply not enough Chinese universities to meet the demand of the number of Chinese students. Also, the failing American economy has allowed the value of Chinese money in the US to increase, which has led to an increased opportunity of Chinese families to pay for an American education.

As a function of an increased interest of international students in attending American undergraduate and graduate institutions, colleges have become better international recruiters. While the cost of international recruiting may be too high for some universities, schools such as Cornell have utilized new technology, such as Internet-based recruiting and other methods, to attract students from countries that may have never before been represented in this academic community.