What Would be the Economic Impact on the United States if we Send 1,000,000 U.S. Students to Study Abroad?

There has been much written in the media and blogosphere over the last year or so about the economic impact that international students have on various nations, provinces/states and even cities across the globe. Most recently, NAFSA: Association of International Educators released their annual Economic Impact Statements for 2008-2009 which you can access here.

Here are some questions I have on this topic but don’t currently have answers for:

What was the economic impact on the United States of sending 262,416 U.S. students to study abroad during the 2007/08 academic year?

What would be the economic impact on the United States if we send an additional 86,835 U.S. students to study in China (thus meeting President Obama’s stated goal of sending 100,000 U.S. students to China)?

What would be the economic impact on the United States if we send 1,000,000 U.S. students to study abroad annually?

To be sure, there are many, many more variables that would need to be considered and calculated into this economic impact equation compared to what I imagine is a bit simpler equation for calculating the economic impact of international students in the United States. Any mathematically/economically inclined people out there have ideas on how to calculate this?

I just think it is important to present data on both sides of this economic trade coin…I think a future IHEC Blog post on GATS should be in the works!

If you are interested in the economic impact of international students you might find the following resources to be of interest:

Related IHEC Blog posts on the economic impact of international education (worldwide focus and not specific to the United States):

- The Economic Impact of International Students – New Paper Released Today
- The Economic Contribution of International Students in Australia
- Dublin Enters the International Student Recruiting Market with The Lord Mayor of Dublin International Scholarships

- International Students Contribute $15.54 Billion to U.S. Economy
- Aberdeen City Council Investigates Economic Impact of International Students

- Manitoba’s International Education Strategy


Stuart Hughes who maintains the IDP Database of Research on International Education commented on my Aberdeen City Council blog post listing the following state level reports:
- Brisbane - city of education : the economic impact of international students. (2004 and 2007)
- The economic impact of London's international students. (2007)
- Report : international student spending. Dunedin: Dunedin City Council. (2004)
- International students : economic benefits for Auckland city. (2003)
- International students : their impact on Auckland city. (2003)
- Vancouver's English language school sector. (2003)
- A report on the demographic, social and economic impact of international students on North Shore City [Auckland]. (2002)
- The economic impact of the overseas student industry: special reference to the Wollongong economy. (1998)
- Domestic economic impact of exporting education: a case study of the University of Wollongong. (1995)

Those of you on Twitter might want to follow the IDP Database of Research on International Education at: http://twitter.com/IDPDRIE

Photo by SqueakyMarmot