Analysis
Why fewer students are crossing borders to study
Applications from abroad fell for a second year. Universities blame visas; students point at rent.
World affairs reporter
6 min read
Lecture halls are full; the share of students from abroad is not.
For two decades the number of students studying outside their home country rose almost every year. It has now fallen twice in a row.
The universities that depend most on their fees are the ones feeling it first.
Two explanations
University leaders point to tighter visa rules and longer waits for appointments. Student surveys put a different cost first: a room near campus now takes more than half of a typical grant.
The offer letter is the easy part. Finding somewhere to sleep is where people give up.
Both are probably true. The drop is sharpest in cities where rents rose fastest, regardless of the visa regime.
Who replaces them
Some universities are opening campuses abroad instead. Others are building their own housing, a slower and more expensive answer that may last longer.
Amara Diallo
World affairs reporter
Amara reports on trade, borders and the places the world economy passes through.
