International student recruitment operations in the U.S are still a fairly nascent market when we compare it to the U.K. or Australia, with U.S institutions historically prioritizing domestic recruitment. The 2023-24 intakes saw over 1.1 million international students admitted to colleges and universities across the country—a record high—but this still makes up just 6% of the total number of students in U.S higher education, according to the latest IIE Open Doors report. In comparison, the latest data from the UK Government shows that in 2022-23, 26% of students enrolled at U.K. universities were from overseas.
While the impact of Trump’s second term on the American higher education market remains to be seen, early signs suggest increased hesitancy from international students. According to our recent survey data at Keystone, 42% of international students say the election result has hurt their desire to study in the U.S.
To compound this, the dominance of the top few institutions that enroll the lion’s share of the total international student base leaves the vast majority of institutions competing for the remaining minority.
It’s a fiercely competitive environment, which is a key reason why 99 colleges and universities shut down completely between 2022-23 and 2023-24, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
For institutions currently competing in this environment, the responsibility for international student recruitment falls upon overstretched admissions teams, often consisting of one person, to oversee everything from the first point of inquiry through to enrollment.
Unsurprisingly, this often means the applicant experience suffers. In the most recent Enquiry Experience Tracker, conducted by Edified in partnership with UniQuest, one in four U.S institutions did not respond at all to inquiries from prospective students. Of those institutions that did respond, only 20% subsequently followed up with the student.
So, how do institutions improve their processes to ensure the long-term diversity and sustainability of their student body?
While there are digital tools and service organizations that might support institutions with optimizing their international recruitment activity, the reality is that many institutions would benefit greatly from getting the fundamentals right.
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It’s easier said than done, and requires taking a detailed look at your institution’s approach to international student recruitment operations. How do students enquire today, what is their experience from that point onwards, and how are you following up over the months and years it takes an international student to enroll following an initial inquiry?
This should include assessing your communication channels. It’s great in theory to have an array of channels to engage students, but what value do they offer if you’re unable to manage them all effectively? Students expect quick, and often instant, responses that are both authentic and accurate. If you’re not able to deliver this they’ll look elsewhere. So be selective in what you do, and do it well.
Consider your admissions process. We know from our data that international student conversion is at its highest if applications are turned around within one week. So, is your admissions process as straightforward and clear as it can be? If you require multiple, time-consuming forms to be filled in just so a student can pay a deposit, not only does your admissions team have a greater workload, you’re also actively encouraging these students to look elsewhere.
The most recent Enquiry Experience Tracker results underline the power of human connection in the student journey. This is an important point to remember when automation tools feel like they might be ‘easily’ deployed to solve a volume and resourcing issue related to inbound inquiries.
Student recruitment is not transactional, and while applying AI in the background to reduce inefficient manual tasks is highly valuable, maintaining authentic connections with prospective international students on the frontline is key in nudging them towards application and enrollment.
Make sure you understand the top of your funnel, as it’s vital to consider where your student base is coming from. 54% of international students in the U.S are from India and China. These are likely to continue being dominant feeder markets primarily due to their size, demographics and local capacity. However, this does expose institutions to adverse enrollment effects due to circumstances outside of their control, like domestic instability, an economic crash, an epidemic or natural disaster, or war. We have seen this at one time or another in all major recruiting destinations, with institutions then struggling to fill income gaps.
This means developing a clear strategy for recruitment, including how to diversify your enrolled cohort – while having realistic expectations about your pipeline outside of key feeder markets. Understand how different markets work: is it a heavily agent-driven market like India? Is there a lot of in-country recruiting, and do you have the networks in place for this? How effective are school partnerships and articulation arrangements? Blanket approaches to international student recruitment simply don’t work.
International student recruitment is a complex and ever-changing environment to navigate. It’s never been as simple as pouring leads into the top of a funnel and expecting results at the other end. Student expectations continue to change as they engage with all brands in their universe digitally. It’s critical that institutions get their engagement with this global and digital audience right, and ensure that—whatever the prevailing regulatory environment—they’re in a position to succeed.
