There has been a 12% decline in the number of Indians applying for Masters and Doctoral programmes at universities in the United States of America in 2009. These findings are featured in the latest report by the Council for Graduate Schools (CGS), a national body that compiles research and information on graduate programmes offered in the USA.
The report states, “Graduate applications from prospective students from India fell 12% in 2009, following an increase of 2% in 2008, and double-digit increases in both 2007 (12%) and 2006 (26%).”
Authored by Nathan E Bell, director, research and policy analysis, CGS, theCGS 2009 International Graduate Admissions Survey covered 501 colleges and universities in the US. It found that while students from India, China and South Korea constitute one-half of theinternational student population atAmerican universities,the decline in admission offers and applications has been seen only in South Korea and India. “Given the large decline in applications from students from these two countries in 2009... first-time graduate enrolment of Indians and South Koreans will undoubtedly decline again in Fall 2009.”
The number of admission offers made by US varsities to Indians in 2007-2008 fell by 2% and in 2008-2009 it fell by 16%. The report calls this drop “troubling”.
This could be indicative of the influence of factors like varsities cutting down on financialaid for international students due to the global recession and US citizens being given more preference during admissions.
“Given the current economic situation for many universities... it is possible that the dollar amount of the financial aid offers that accompanied offers of admission were smaller in some cases than expected. If financial aid offers were indeed smaller in some cases in 2009 than in previous years, this will likely have a negative effect on first-time international graduate student enrolment,” stated the report.
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