{"id":31516,"date":"2023-12-06T05:36:38","date_gmt":"2023-12-06T05:36:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interstride.com\/?p=31516"},"modified":"2025-04-07T19:07:44","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T19:07:44","slug":"demonstrating-roi-to-prospective-international-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/interstride.com\/blog\/demonstrating-roi-to-prospective-international-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Demonstrating ROI to prospective international students"},"content":{"rendered":"

With almost 4,000 colleges and universities in the US, international students have a lot of choices of which institution to attend. They also have a big decision to make when choosing the school with the best value for their undergraduate education. Higher education in the US is more expensive than it is in many other countries. Before choosing a US college or university, students and their parents often think about the return on investment (ROI) of their education.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

ROI is the amount of money a student makes on their investment (i.e. their degree) versus how much the investment costs initially (i.e. college costs). On average, graduates in the US who have a bachelor\u2019s degree see a <\/span>38% return on investment from their education<\/a><\/strong> after 20 years of working. A good ROI on someone\u2019s education means they earn a lot more money than they invested in their degree. In other words, their college degree has a high profit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The importance of ROI in international student recruitment<\/b><\/h2>\n

Employment is top of mind for parents and students. A <\/span>report from Interstride and NAGAP<\/a><\/strong> shows that the number one factor that would affect prospective international graduate students\u2019 decisions to attend an institution is a better understanding of career outcomes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another <\/span>study<\/strong><\/span><\/a> found that 90% of prospective international students chose to study abroad specifically to improve their future employment options. While employment outcomes are not the only way to demonstrate the value of a college education, they are clearly the primary factor for most international students.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to demonstrate ROI to prospective students<\/b><\/h2>\n

ROI for higher education is commonly calculated based on post-graduation wages. However, with the increasing cost of higher education and the current job market, this limited version of ROI no longer speaks to many prospective international students. There are many ways to demonstrate ROI to prospects and their families. Use the actionable tips below to drive recruitment and enrollment of international students by clearly demonstrating the ROI of your institution.<\/span><\/p>\n

Highlight employment opportunities and outcomes for international students through OPT data<\/b><\/h4>\n

Admission offices can show that international students have opportunities to translate their academic learning into real-world professional practice with <\/span>Optional Practical Training (OPT)<\/a><\/strong>. OPT provides international students with one year of work authorization in a job that relates to their field of study. OPT can be used before or after graduation, and <\/span>eligible STEM majors<\/a><\/strong> get an additional two years of OPT after graduation.<\/span><\/p>\n

International prospects may not know about these opportunities and utilizing them can significantly increase the ROI of their degree. The admissions office can also provide digestible statistics on what percentage of international students use OPT and what percentage get a job offer after OPT expires. Include breakdowns for pre-graduation and post-graduation OPT and what percentage of international students get internships during school. If possible, include separate data sets for different academic majors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Use employment data<\/b><\/h4>\n

Other employment data for international students and graduates can also demonstrate ROI. The International Student Services office at your school captures this data and can share it with you. This includes:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n