Between 2011 and 2012, the number of mobile students grew just 2.5%, a significant drop from the average 7% growth seen annually over the previous decade.

“In the current economic climate, shrinking support for scholarships and grants, as well as tighter budgets for individuals, may slow the pace of student mobility,” the report warns but adds that “limited labour market opportunities in students’ countries of origin may increase the attractiveness of studying abroad as a way to gain a competitive edge, and thus boost student mobility.”

Europe as a region continues to attract almost half, 48%, of the world’s tertiary level mobile students. North America is second, attracting 21% of all foreign students, most studying in the US.

However, compared to last year, the US saw a slight 1% fall in market share marking a continuation of the slow loosening of the country’s grip on the market – down from 23% 11 years ago to 16% in 2012 – as it faces competition from other Anglophone countries and non-traditional study destinations gain popularity.

The report spotlights other countries where international student numbers are increasing. “The shares of international students who chose Korea or New Zealand as their country of destination grew by at least one percentage point, while the share of students who chose the United Kingdom or the Russian Federation grew by around two percentage points,” it states.

“Some of these changes reflect differences in countries’ approaches to internationalisation, ranging from marketing campaigns in the Asia-Pacific region to a more local and university-driven approach in the United States.”

Challenges to US dominance notwithstanding, one theme that has arisen in recent years is the increasingly established status of English as the language of global communication.

Four of 2012’s top six receiving countries are English-speaking, taking up a combined 40% of the total market

Four of 2012’s top six receiving countries are English-speaking, taking up a combined 40% of the total market. Not only that, but 41% of the overall increase in tertiary foreign enrolments worldwide between 2000 and 2012 is down to increases in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK and the US – all of which use English either as the official language or lingua franca.

Additionally, large proportions of students from English speaking countries tend to enroll in universities in other English speaking countries.

The report also reveals that increasingly, international students are beginning to represent larger proportions of tertiary student bodies.

In Australia, 18% of students enrolled in tertiary education are from another country, according to the report. Similarly, international students represent 15% of total tertiary enrolments in Austria, 16% in New Zealand, 16% in Switzerland and 17% in the United Kingdom.

“In contrast, international students account for 3% or less of total tertiary enrolments in Chile, Estonia, Norway, Poland, Slovenia and Spain,” it says.

The report also identifies a connection between length of study and the destination country.

The report identifies a connection between length of study and the destination country

In 2012 on average international students represented 6% of total enrolments in shorter and vocationally oriented programmes with Luxembourg attracting the largest proportion of students (49%) followed by New Zealand (21%).

Meanwhile, international students enrolled in largely theory-based programmes accounted for an OECD average of 8% of total enrolments.  Luxembourg again was the country with the largest proportion of international students at this level, with 34% of the total, followed by Australia with 19%, the United Kingdom with 18% and Switzerland with 17%.

And at the advanced research level, all reporting countries except Germany have a larger proportion of students studying at this level than any other tertiary enrolment.

“In Switzerland, more than 50% of all students enrolled in this type of programmes are international students, and in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, more than 40% are,” says the report.

And not surprisingly, the number of international students received by OECD countries is higher – and in some cases much higher – than the number of students they send abroad.

In 2012, Australia, the UK, the US and New Zealand all had more than 10 incoming international students for every outbound student.

Australia, the UK, the US and New Zealand all had more than 10 incoming international students for every outbound student

Australia was notably higher with 18 foreign students for every one Australian student abroad.

According to Phil Honeywood, Executive Director of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), the discrepancy can be attributed to differing historical internationalisation strategies.

“Historically, Australia was quick to recognise the advantages of having a strong international education industry, while other nations including the US, Canada, UK and New Zealand are now actively competing for the same global marketshare,” he told The PIE News.

“Conversely, countries such as the US and Canada have long placed strong emphasis on study abroad programs for their own domestic students while Australia was late in recognising the benefits to our own population from more formalised outbound programs.”

China continues to be the dominant country of origin for foreign students in the OECD area accounting for 22% of all mobile tertiary students. Still, the report underlines the importance of inter-regional mobility over global.

Some 21% of all foreign students came from countries that share land or maritime borders with the host country, the report shows.

“Higher levels of mobility from neighbouring countries are not only the result of being in a particular geographic situation, as in the Czech Republic, but may also reveal cost, quality and enrolment advantages that are more apparent to students in neighbouring countries,” it adds.

In addition to geographical and cultural ties, tuition costs also weigh heavily on study destination decisions.

Fees vary widely among the OECD and G20 countries analysed, but the report concludes that “high tuition costs do not necessarily discourage prospective international students, as long as the quality of education provided is high and its potential returns make the investment worthwhile.”

“Countries that charge international students the full cost of education reap significant economic benefits,” it goes on to say.

“Some countries in the Asia-Pacific region have actually made international education an explicit part of their socio-economic development strategy and have initiated policies to attract international students on a revenue-generating or at least a cost-recovery basis.”