A small but growing group of U.S. universities is betting that their future lies, at least in part, offshore. From India and Indonesia to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, institutions are opening or expanding branch campuses to regain ground in an increasingly volatile international market.
Who is expanding overseas?
Two universities will host new classes in Asia this fall. Illinois Institute of Technology is the first U.S. institution approved to open a fully degree‑granting branch campus in India, with plans to enroll thousands of students in engineering, computing and business fields over the next decade.
In April, the University of New Haven received accreditor approval to open a branch campus in Saudi Arabia. The Riyadh-based campus will serve more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students through colleges in business, engineering and the applied sciences.
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New Haven’s international campus was partly established to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy and strengthen connections across industry and private higher education, said President Jens Frederiksen.
“Securing our accreditor’s approval to establish an international branch campus in Riyadh advances this work, strengthens our global presence, and reinforces our commitment to providing transformative learning opportunities for students from across the globe,” he said.
A trend through the years
U.S. higher education’s 97 branch campuses in 40 countries are more than any other nation, according to the Cross-Border Education Research Team.
New York University has long served as a model for international expansion. Its campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, launched in 2010 and 2012, offer a slate of academic programs across disciplines, as well as different research institutes.
Other universities have opted for a more specialized presence abroad. Purdue University and the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad recently established the U.S.-India Centre of Excellence in Semiconductors. The partnership targets advanced research and product development in a country that has become a key base for global semiconductor firms.
In 2023, Georgetown University opened the School of Foreign Service in Indonesia to extend U.S. diplomacy into Southeast Asia. The project follows Georgetown University in Qatar, which renewed its operating agreement last year. Applications for the class of 2030 rose by 92%, which officials partly credit to major shifts in international student mobility.
Why build abroad?
A recent report from consulting group Deloitte forecasted that changing federal policy could steepen a decrease in international students. New enrollment in the U.S. fell by 17% in fall 2025, even as total enrollment remained near record highs.
As a result, more colleges may choose to export their education, particularly to India, to retain enrollment.
