10 Countries Outsourcing College Education

As our world becomes increasingly connected through technology, the economy, and shared culture, it should come as no surprise that many aspects of college education have gone global. Students and schools are reaching out to other nations, with many sending record numbers of students abroad or even outsourcing grading and teaching through online programs. We’ve collected just a few countries here that rely heavily on other nations for higher education support, making them among the top outsourcers of college education in the world.

1. China:

   

   While Chinese colleges are attracting more international students than ever before, the country is still the leader in sending students abroad. Between 1978 and 2010, more than 1.9 million Chinese students left their home country to attend college. 2010 was a record year for Chinese students studying in the U.S., with a 30% increase from prior years, though the U.S. is certainly not the only country where Chinese students choose to matriculate. While studying abroad isn’t generally a bad thing, for China it hasn’t been all good news. Of the almost 2 million students it has sent overseas for education, just 632,000 have returned home after graduation to work in China, prompting the nation to create incentives to keep students at home and to improve college education in order to counter this large brain drain.

2. The United States:

   

   During the 2010-2011 school year, more than 270,000 American students studied abroad, and while study abroad programs have grown, less than 1% of American students will get some part of their education in another country. So why is the U.S. making this list? Because colleges in the U.S. are keeping American students right where they are but outsourcing many aspects of the higher education experience overseas. Foreign companies now build online courses, do grading, and even teach a number of college programs at online and traditional schools around the nation, something that’s raised the ire of a number of students and educators. Regardless, it’s a tide that doesn’t look to be stemming anytime soon, as outsourced programs and educational resources are generally cheaper and have not, as of yet, proven to lower the quality of the education students receive.

3. India:

   

   Over the past few decades, India has become an amazingly powerful economic force and has built a few outstanding universities, especially those focusing on STEM topics and business. The opportunities offered by India’s colleges and economy haven’t stopped students from going abroad for their college in droves, however. There are more than 103,000 Indian students studying in the U.S. alone, with tens of thousands of others choosing countries like the U.K. and Australia. Education experts say that this outsourcing of higher education isn’t likely to slow anytime soon. A growing affluent class in India (despite the crippling poverty that affects most) has made overseas education more attainable, and top-quality colleges and universities in India are still scarce, making study abroad a desirable aspiration for many bright students.

4. South Korea:

   

   Last school year, South Korea sent more than 73,000 students to the U.S. for study and 32,000 more to other nations around the world, making it one of the largest senders of study abroad students in the world. (If elementary and high school students are included, it far outpaces even China, which has a population 27 times larger than that of South Korea.) While South Korea boasts some incredibly high-tech and high-quality universities, many students head to international destinations to brush up on their English or to pursue job opportunities abroad, but the vast majority do it for the prestige, and it’s almost expected for many top students in this education-obsessed nation. Yet South Korea isn’t sitting idly by and letting students walk out the door: it wants to become a major player in international education and a major destination for international students. They are making progress by developing a number of high-quality distance learning options for students, and the dropping value of the Won has made study abroad more financially difficult for students. But it is likely that study abroad will remain the top choice of many students for years to come.

5. Japan:

   

   The number of Japanese students studying abroad has declined a bit in recent years but still holds among the top 10 in the world. While the U.S. and other English-speaking countries are still big draws for Japanese students, more and more are turning to their Asian neighbors for study abroad opportunities. In recent years, China has become a popular destination, due to its close proximity to the island nation and the economic ties the two share. Today, almost equal numbers of Japanese students choose China and the U.S. for foreign study, looking to improve their Mandarin while working on a degree. While Japanese students may be keen to study abroad, it may not help them in the job market once they return home. Many young, internationally educated Japanese grads are finding it hard to get jobs with Japanese companies, which seem reluctant to tap into the experiences and expertise of these globally minded students. Some suggest that this may be holding back companies in the banking, electronics, and automotive industries, as they are missing out on some of the best international talent.

6. Taiwan:

   

   This small island nation doesn’t have any reservations about sending students abroad. The government has pledged $5 million dollars to send 116 students to the world’s top universities and research facilities between 2013 and 2016. The move was spawned by government concerns that not enough Taiwanese students were matriculating at top educational institutions in the U.S. and Europe. The program is an addition to a current scholarship program sponsored by the government that encourages overseas study, which may be a big part of the reason that there are currently more than 28,000 Taiwanese students in the U.S. alone, many pursuing post-baccalaureate education.

7. Saudi Arabia:

   

   The number of students from Saudi Arabia in the U.S. has increased 28% from prior years to 12,661, largely due to scholarships and incentives from the Saudi government, and has also grown in the U.K. and Canada. Yet English-speaking nations aren’t the only destinations this Middle Eastern nation has set its sights on. It has recently announced plans to send more students to China, India, Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea for post-graduate studies in science and technology fields with the goal of filling growing gaps in the Saudi job market. Currently, about half of Saudi students studying abroad receive government assistance covering the cost of their foreign degree programs, and the new Asian-focused program will offer an additional 25,000 more scholarships to students in STEM fields.

8. Vietnam:

   

   Since 2000, the Vietnamese government has been funding study abroad for top students, sending more than 2,598 people to foreign universities tuition-free during that time. While the program has been put on hold for the time being due to budgetary concerns, the number of Vietnamese students studying abroad hasn’t slowed. In fact, in the U.S. alone it has increased by 46%, with 12,823 students currently pursuing a degree at an American educational institution. Part of the drive to send students abroad is to help staff the nation’s hospitals, universities, and industries with highly trained professionals, something that is a bit of a challenge for a nation that has few top-notch higher educational facilities domestically. In 2010, the government announced plans to send 1,000 students abroad for Ph.D. training in France, Australia, the U.S., the U.K., China, Thailand, and Japan. Studying abroad is a growing trend from Vietnamese families, who see it as the optimal choice for higher education, and with numbers increasing every year, it could soon rank among the top nations for sending students overseas for college.

9. Brazil:

   

   South America, even economically booming Brazil, has traditionally sent few students overseas for study, but the past few years have demonstrated that there could be some major changes in this trend. In 2011, the Brazilian government announced plans to offer 75,000 scholarships for local students to study abroad through 2014, with the private sector sponsoring another 25,000. The move is one of necessity, as the nation simply can’t find enough skilled researchers, engineers, and highly-skilled workers to maintain its current rate of growth. An educational exchange program, announced by President Obama and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in 2011, is also helping to motivate both American and Brazilian students to choose study abroad. Currently, only about 8,700 Brazilian students study in the U.S., but these plans will likely boost those numbers.

10. Germany:

    

    Germany is both one of the most popular destinations for foreign students and one of the biggest senders of students abroad. The country is home to some of Europe’s premier educational institutions, but that doesn’t mean that students don’t want to seek out an education somewhere else. Each year, around 102,000 of Germany’s students pursue their education outside of their home country, a number that makes it the fourth largest exporter of students in the world. Study abroad for German students isn’t the result of a lack of educational opportunities at home, however; in fact, it’s just the opposite. Germany offers students the same financial support whether they choose to study at home or at any university in the European Union’s 27 member states, which means many students choose universities that are close by but which still offer cultural and linguistic differences that can be an asset in the competitive job market.

Taken From Online Degrees