Report improves picture of International Students in Irish Higher Education
17/5/10 - Against the backdrop of a dramatic expansion in student numbers across the globe, a new report called 'International Students in Higher Education in Ireland' gives a detailed overview of this group in the Irish context, including recent and emerging trends. The work of Education Ireland in producing the report adds much to our knowledge of the sector.
The findings in brief:
- Ireland's international student population in higher education spans 159 countries
- 54% of students are female, against 46% male, and reflect growing international participation of female participation.
- 65% study at batchelors level, with 23% at postgraduate level. The 8% of students pursuing PhDs compares favourably with the international average of 6%.
- Humanities (30%), business (28%) and medicine related (13%) courses represent the most popular subject areas.
- The USA remains the leading country of origin with almost 4,500 students, followed by China, France, UK, Germany, Spain, Malaysia and India. Canada and France showed the most striking percentage increases from 2006/07 data.
- International students in higher education in the Republic are estimated to put €428 million into the economy per annum through fees and living expenses.
Publicity surrounding the report's release largely centred on the bottom line - the idea of boosting the economy with a strategy of raising Ireland's international student numbers.
However, ICOS continues to emphasise the importance of quality in the international student experience.