NTERNATIONAL IINTERNATIONAL S TUDENTS & SCHOLARS STUDENTS & SCHOLARS AT RICE AT RICE
Fall 2017
2018
Office of International Students & Scholars Public Use Version
TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1
ABOUT OISS
2
GENERAL INFORMATION
5
TOTAL INTERNATIONAL POPULATION
5
Who Are the Internationals at Rice University?
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
5 7
International Student Enrollment Trends at Rice University
7
What Do International Students Contribute to the USA?
8
How International Is Rice University?
9
What Is Rice University’s Student Country Diversity?
11
Country Diversity Trends at Rice
11
Enrollment by Regions of the World
12
International Student & Scholars by Country/Region – Fall 2018
13
Top Countries Represented at Rice
14
Top 10 Countries Represented in the USA
15
Enrollment Trends at Rice
16
Graduate vs. Undergraduate International Student Enrollment
16
Undergraduate International Student Snapshot
17
Graduate International Student Snapshot
20
Demographics and Growth of International Students
INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS
23 24
International Scholar Population Growth
24
What is Rice University’s International Scholar Country Diversity?
25
Demographics of International Scholars
26
Fields of Specialization
28
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report serves as a resource about Rice’s 1) international degree-seeking students, 2) exchange and visiting students, and 3) international scholars (researchers, faculty members, short-term lecturers, and visiting research students). All non-immigrant visa-holding students and scholars must be tracked, reported and receive special services through the Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS). A “snapshot” view was taken for this report (for students on 09/04/2018; for scholars on 07/01/2018), as the numbers are ever-changing throughout the year. The most recent International Education (IIE) Open Doors report published for 2016-2017 and NAFSA Public Policy page (Source:2017 Open Doors Report, http://www.iie.org/opendoors and http://www.nafsa.org/eis) serve as primary references. Please note: This report does not include information regarding: 1) Rice Intensive English students and 2) Special international guests and international delegations. In sum, Rice’s international community continues to grow (up 7.2% from last year overall). In the past year alone, the OISS offered services to an overall population of over 3800 internationals. Rice continues to see a significant rise in the number of international applicants, offering the unique opportunity to select from the best and the brightest from around the globe. International degree-seeking students (not including exchange/ visiting students) represent 23.9% of the overall student population, providing a vibrant and diverse student body. In addition, our international scholars are integral to furthering Rice’s research mission with global academic distinction.
FAST FACTS FOR RICE IN FALL 2018
1672 Degree-seeking international students
455
1217 Graduate international students
23.9% Percentage of total degree-seeking student population that is international
11.4% Percentage of undergraduate population that is international
40.6% Percentage of graduate population that is international
912
580+ Incoming international students receiving services for admission to Rice in
Undergraduate international students
Total number of international scholars at Rice in 2017-2018 academic year
spring 2018
3794 Total international population at Rice in fall 2018
1
ABOUT OISS Rice University’s Office of International Students & Scholars' (OISS) mission is to enhance the experience of the international population (which includes all non-immigrant visa students, researchers and faculty) through serving as their chief liaison office for: immigration advising, cultural adaptation, international compliance, networking / public connections, and academic support, with university departments, government agencies, and community advocates. The OISS staff is comprised of 11 staff members and is just as diverse as the international population that we serve. We come from 8 countries, including Brazil, Costa Rica, Finland, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Serbia, and the United States, and speak 10 foreign languages including Finnish, French, Hungarian, Italian, Kazakh, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, and Spanish. As seen below, OISS has more than doubled the number of internationals that we serve in the last 10 years while concurrently mitigating the compounding effect of a significant rise in regulatory requirements to maintain Rice’s F and J visa programs. OISS has addressed many of these challenges by creating workshops, group trainings, online tutorials, group advising, and various methods of communication to support our international population. While OISS has been resourceful in dealing with the challenges, the U.S. government mandates many more transactions per international on a regular basis to meet compliance requirements. In addition, every immigration case is unique and requires individual review and analysis.
Percentage Growth Since 2008 250.00%
200.00%
150.00%
100.00%
50.00%
0.00% 2009
2010
2011
Staff
2012
2013
2014
SEVIS reporting events
2015
2016
2017
2018
Total intls
2
3
One in every four Rice students is international.
OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS & SCHOLARS
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS REPORT? CONTACT: EDITOR OF REPORT: Sandra Bloem-Curtis Director, International Compliance & Administration sandra@rice.edu OR Adria L. Baker, Ed.D Associate Vice Provost for International Education Executive Director, Office of International Students & Scholars abaker@rice.edu
OISS CONTACT INFORMATION: Lovett Hall, Entrance A, Room 201 P.O. Box 1892, MS-365 Houston, TX 77251-1892
(713) 348-6095 (phone) (713) 348-6058 (fax) http://oiss.rice.edu
4
Total International Population Information
TOTAL INTERNATIONAL POPULATION Who are the internationals at Rice University?
The OISS is responsible for tracking, reporting, and providing services for about 3800 internationals at Rice. Note: During admissions season (in spring), this number rises to well over 4000.
This is a 7.1% increase from last year.
Total International Population at Rice Total population = 3794 Practical Training = 608 16%
Dependents* = 408 11%
Research Scholars/Faculty = 912 24% Population Growth 4000
Graduate Students = 1217 32%
Undergrad Students = 455 12%
Exchange & Visiting Students = 194 5%
International Population
3500 3000
**Rice internationals not included in chart:
2500
Dependents on H-4, B-2, TD, L-2
2000
Prospective incoming students = 590
1500
Prospective research scholar/faculty prospects = 82
1000
Processed scholars with governmental delays = 30
500 0 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12 '13 '14 '15 '16 '17 '18
*Student data from 09/04/2018 *Scholar data from 07/01/2018
5
Total International Population Information
Who are the internationals at Rice University? (continued) 
Rice continues to see a rise in its international populations, with the most significant rises being the international graduate students and students pursuing Optional Practical Training (OPT) upon completing their studies. Note: OISS must continue to track, advise, and report employment compliance to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for students on OPT for 12-42 months after they have graduated from Rice. International Population Growth at Rice (2009-2018) 1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
UG
285
340
367
390
452
462
476
472
458
455
GR
767
773
827
898
975
1037
1087
1139
1174
1217
Scholar
532
621
683
698
630
736
862
883
893
912
OPT
137
183
216
215
189
312
339
386
516
608
*Student data from 09/04/2018 *Scholar data from 07/01/2018
OISS provided services for almost 3800 internationals in 2018. Rice’s international community represents 95 countries/regions.
6
New Fall 2018 International Student (Graduate and Undergraduate) Information
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS International Student Enrollment Trends at Rice University  Overall international student population increased 2.5% from last year.  The overall international student population at Rice rose by 11.5% in the last 5 years, and 59% in the last 10 years.
Degree-Seeking International Student Population Growth at Rice (2004-2018) 2000
Number of International Students
1500
1000
500
0
*Student data from 09/04/2018
Rice degree-seeking international students = 1672 7
International Students in the USA Information
What do international students contribute to the USA? (Source: 2017 Open Doors Report, http://www.iie.org/opendoors, http://www.nafsa.org/eis)
International students contributed about $39.4 billion to the U.S. economy in 2016-2017.
International education contributed over $2.14 billion to the Texas economy in 2016-2017.
A record 1,078,822 foreign students studied in the U.S. in 2016-2017. This is a 3.4% increase from the year before, and is the highest growth rate in 35 years.
Texas is ranked third (after California and New York) among all the states in the U.S.A. in numbers of international students with 85,116 students. This is a 3.6% increase from the previous year. International Student Enrollment in the U.S. Top 10 States California New York Texas Massachusetts Illinois Pennsylvania Florida Ohio Michigan Indiana 0K
20K
40K
60K
80K
100K
120K
140K
160K
180K
Population of international students 2016-2017
Over 85,000 international students studied in Texas in 2016-17, bringing in $2.14 billion to the state.
8
Overall International Student (Graduate and Undergraduate) Information
How International is Rice University?  Rice not only continued to increase in total international student numbers, but also remained steady in the percentage of the overall student body that is international.  Almost one in every four students at Rice is an international student. Percentage of Rice Enrollment that is International (1998-2018)
Percent of Total Enrollment
25
20
15
10
5
0
International students make up over 23.9% of the degree-seeking student population. 9
Overall International Student (Graduate and Undergraduate) Information
International Student Enrollment at Rice from 1989-2018 A 30 year history Acad. Year
Undergraduate IS*
Graduate IS
Total IS
Overall total
IS%
89-90 90-91 91-92 92-93 93-94 94-95 95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 2018-2019
85 65 72 77 81 89 82 81 74 74 84 77 72 93 103 99 111 139 168 203 285 340 367 390 452 462 476 472 458 455
378 401 400 390 384 370 374 386 389 435 434 471 551 569 571 592 644 662 684 718 767 773 827 898 975 1037 1087 1139 1174 1217
463 466 472 467 465 459 456 467 463 509 518 548 633 662 674 691 755 801 852 921 1052 1113 1194 1288 1427 1499 1563 1611 1632 1672
4220 4239 4291 4268 4257 4178 4235 4187 4285 4312 4184 4372 4300 4733 4864 4950 4947 5179 5259 5337 5577 5763 6080 6402 6354 6563 6692 6805 6907 7009
10.97 10.99 11.00 10.94 10.92 10.99 10.77 11.15 10.81 11.80 12.38 12.53 14.72 13.99 13.86 13.96 15.26 15.47 16.20 17.26 18.86 19.31 19.64 20.12 22.46 22.84 23.36 23.61 23.63 23.86
IS: International degree-seeking students (non-immigrants only) IS%: Percentage of Rice student population that is, or was, international * Totals do not include visiting/exchange international students ** Data collected on 09/04/2018
International students make up 11.4% of the undergraduate student population. International students make up 40.6% of the graduate student population.
10
Overall International Student (Graduate and Undergraduate) Information
What is Rice University’s student country diversity? International students at Rice hail from 85 countries/regions. Underrepresented regions of the world at Rice are Africa and the Middle East, while almost 80% of all Rice international students come from Asia. The focus on the importance of country diversity can be seen in the upward trend over the last 5 years. Number of Countries Represented by Students at Rice University (2009-2018) 95 90 85 80 75 70 65
International Population Regional Composition Changes (2009-2018) 100%
80%
Oceania Africa
60%
Middle East America Europe
40%
Asia 20%
0%
*Student data from 09/04/2018
All six habitable continents of the world are represented at Rice. 11
Overall International Student (Graduate and Undergraduate) Information
ENROLLMENT BY REGIONS OF THE WORLD AFRICA: 22 Central Africa Cameroon Eastern Africa Kenya Rwanda North Africa Egypt Sudan Tunisia Southern Africa Mauritius South Africa Zimbabwe Western Africa Nigeria
ASIA: 1303 East Asia China Hong Kong Japan South Korea Macau Taiwan Vietnam South & Central Asia Bangladesh India Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka Uzbekistan Southeast Asia Indonesia Malaysia Philippines Singapore Thailand MIDDLE EAST:45 Iran Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Palestinian Authority Saudi Arabia Syria
EUROPE: 127 Eastern Europe Albania Belarus Bulgaria Hungary Poland Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia Ukraine
AMERICA: 161 Caribbean Bahamas Jamaica Trinidad & Tobago Central America/Mexico Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Mexico Nicaragua Panama South America Argentina Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Peru Uruguay Venezuela North America Canada
Western Europe Austria Belgium Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Iceland Ireland Italy Netherlands Norway Spain Switzerland Turkey United Kingdom
EUROPE 7%
OCEANIA: 14 Australia New Zealand
MIDDLE OCEANIA EAST 1% 3%
AFRICA 1%
AMERICA 10%
ASIA 78%
12
Overall International Student (Graduate and Undergraduate) Information
13
Overall International Student (Graduate and Undergraduate) Information
Which countries/regions had the greatest representation in Fall 2018 at Rice? Rice's International Graduate Student Population China
679
India
145
Korea, South
45
Mexico
30
Iran
29
Canada
27
Taiwan
25
Brazil
23
Turkey
15
Japan
12
Ten years ago the top five countries/ regions represented by students at Rice University were:
0
200
400
600
800
Graduates: 1. China 2. India 3. Mexico 4. Taiwan 5. Turkey
*Student data from 09/04/2018
Undergraduates: Rice's International Undergraduate Student Population China
252
Korea, South
41
India
22
Canada
21
United Kingdom
9
Taiwan
9
Singapore
9
Mexico
8
Vietnam
7
0
50
100
150
200
250
1. China 2. South Korea 3. Canada 4. India 5. Mexico
300
*Student data from 09/04/2018
14
International Students in the USA Information
Top 10 Countries/Regions in USA (Source: 2017 Open Doors Report, http://www.iie.org/opendoors, http://www.nafsa.org/eis)
Seven of the top ten countries/regions represented in the USA are the same as Rice’s top countries/regions. Vietnam, Japan, and Saudi Arabia made it to the top 10 countries represented in the US, but remain underrepresented at Rice. The same two continents represented in Rice’s top 10 countries/regions are the same top two continents represented in the USA overall. China, India and South Korea have been the top three countries of origin for the past ten years. Top 10 Countries Represented in USA (2016-2017) China India South Korea Saudi Arabia Canada Vietnam Taiwan Japan Mexico Brazil 0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
15
Overall International Student (Graduate and Undergraduate) Information
Graduate vs. Undergraduate International Student Enrollment 
The overall graduate international student population increased by 3.7% from last year. Total graduate internationals = 1217

The overall undergraduate international student population stayed the same from last year. Total undergraduate internationals = 455 Graduate vs. Undergraduate International Student Enrollment (2003-2018) 1400 1200
800 600 Graduate Undergraduate
400 200
2018-19
2015-16
2012-13
2009-10
2006-07
0
2003-04
Number of students
1000
*Student data from 0904/2018
Fall 2013
Fall 2008
Fall 2018
GR 68%
GR 78%
UG 22%
GR 73%
UG 32%
UG 27%
* GR = Graduate UG = Undergraduate
16
Overall Undergraduate International Student Information
Undergraduate International Student Snapshot  The undergraduate snapshot below illustrates the international undergraduate
student enrollment over the past 10 years. It has increased by 60% . Undergraduate International Student Total Enrollment (2009 - 2018) 500 476
455
400
Number of students
390 300 285 200
100
0
*Student data from 09/04/2018
Percentage of Undergraduates that are International (2009–2018) 15% 12.1%
Percentage of UG population
12% 11.4% 10.1%
9% 8.6% 6%
3%
0%
International students make up 11.4% of the total undergraduate population. Total number of undergraduate international students = 455 17
Overall Undergraduate International Student Information
Undergraduate International Student Snapshot (continued) 
The undergraduate snapshot below illustrates the international undergraduate enrollment by education level and by major. Just over half of all international undergraduates study in one of the Engineering fields. International Undergraduate Students by Level (Fall 2018) UP 2%
Freshman 22%
Sophomore 19%
Senior 32%
Junior 25% *Student data from 09/04/2018
International Undergraduate Enrollment by Major (Fall 2018)
Music 2% Social Sciences 25% Business Administration 0%
Architecture 12% Natural Sciences 5%
Humanities 4% Engineering 52%
18
Overall Undergraduate International Student Information
Undergraduate International Student Snapshot (continued)  The undergraduate snapshot below illustrates the international undergraduate
enrollment by region for this year, as well as our regional enrollment trends over the past 10 years. 2018-2019 International Undergraduate Enrollment by Region Americas 10% Europe 9%
Oceania 2%
Africa 1%
Middle East 0%
Asia 78% *Student data from 09/04/2018
International Undergraduate Population Regional Composition Changes (2009-2018) 100%
80%
Oceania Africa Middle East
60%
America Europe 40%
Asia
20%
0%
*Student data from 09/04/2018
19
Overall Graduate International Student Information
Graduate International Student Snapshot The graduate snapshot below illustrates the increase in international graduates over the past 10 years by 59%. (Note: The graduate totals also factor in all MBA programs, including the professional and executive programs). Graduate International Student Total Enrollment (2009-2018) 1400 1217 1200
1087
Number of students
1000 898
800 767 600 400 200 0
*Student data from 09/04/2018
Percentage of Graduate Students that are International (2008-2017) 50%
Percentage of GR population

40% 39.5% 30%
33.7%
40.6%
35.3%
20%
10%
0%
International students make up 40.6% of the graduate population. Total number of graduate international students = 1217 20
Overall Graduate International Student Information
Graduate International Student Snapshot (continued) 
The graduate snapshot below illustrates the international graduate enrollment by education level, highlighting the steep growth that is occurring in the Masters level programs, an increase of over 400% in the last 10 years.

In contrast, PhD level international students have increased by 27% over the last 10 years, while the MBA program has maintained a steady level of international students. Graduate International Student by Degree Level (2009-2018) 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
MBAs
114
104
106
107
120
103
100
92
103
108
Masters (non-MBA)
75
89
127
162
224
293
303
367
383
376
PhDs
578
580
594
629
631
641
684
680
688
733
*Student data from 09/04/2018
2018-2019 Graduate International Student Enrollment by Major
Social Sciences 10% Business Administration 11%
Music 4%
Architecture 3%
Natural Sciences 17%
Humanities 2%
Engineering 53%
21
Overall Graduate International Student Information
Graduate International Student Snapshot (continued) 
The graduate snapshot below illustrates the international graduate enrollment by region for this year, as well as our regional enrollment trends over the past 10 years. 2018-2019 Graduate International Student Enrollment by Region Americas 9% Europe 7%
Oceania 1%
Africa 1%
Middle East 4%
Asia 78% *Student data from 09/04/2018
Graduate International Population Regional Composition Changes (2009-2018) 100%
80%
Oceania Africa
60%
Middle East America Europe
40%
Asia
20%
0%
22
Overall International Student (Graduate and Undergraduate) Information
Demographics of International Students at Rice University *Student data from 09/04/2018
Undergraduate Internationals by Gender (Fall 2018)
Graduate Internationals by Gender (Fall 2018)
Female 47%
Female 37%
Male 53%
Male 63%
Undergraduate Internationals by Immigration Status (Fall 2018)
Graduate Internationals by Immigration Status (Fall 2018) J-1 2%
J-1 0%
F-1 98%
Other Visas 2%
Other Visas 5%
F-1 93%
Primary Sources of International Student Funding (Fall 2018) Rice University 53.9%
Personal/Family 44.7%
Other 0.4%
Government Funding Sources (US & Foreign) 1%
23
Overall Scholar Information
INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS *Scholar data from 07/01/2018
Researchers (junior and senior level) Faculty members One-time visitors (lecturers and consultants) Other foreign visitors conducting scholarly works (includes non-degree seeking research students)
The Rice international scholar population has increased 4.7%, despite the increase in visa denials and governmental processing delays that have impacted our international scholars. The total number of international scholars processed by OISS for 2017-2018 was 912.
We have seen a 71.4% rise in international scholars in the last 10 years. International Research Scholar/Faculty Population Growth at Rice (1998-2018) 1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0
Total number of international scholars at Rice during the 2017-2018 academic year = 912. 24
Overall Scholar Information
What is Rice University’s international scholar country diversity? Rice international scholars represent 69 countries/regions and 6 continents. As was the case with students, China is the leading country among those represented by international scholars at Rice. Top 10 Countries Counts of Rice International Scholars (2016-2017) China
272
India
105
Brazil
42
Japan
40
Turkey
39
Norway
39
Mexico
31
Canada
30
Germany
28
South Korea
23 0
50
100
150
200
250
300
The top ten countries/regions represented by scholars in the USA are: 1. China 2. India 3. South Korea 4. Germany 5. Canada
6. France 7. Japan 8. Italy 9. Brazil 10. Spain
International scholar numbers have almost doubled in the last 10 years.
Rice’s international scholar population has increased by 71.4% in the last 10 years. The international scholar population in the US rose 0.3%, while at Rice it has increased by 4.7%.
25
Overall Scholar Information
Demographics of International Scholars at Rice University International Scholar Immigration Status Growth (2008-2018) 600
500
# Scholars
400
300
200
100
0
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
J-1
204
259
312
337
365
390
478
568
536
527
530
H-1B
101
90
111
107
125
112
104
103
120
81
116
All Other 175
183
198
239
208
128
154
191
227
263
266
After a temporary suspension of H-1B premium processing in 2017 that significantly impacted Rice’s use of the H-1B and Rice’s overall scholar numbers, Rice was able to recover in 2018. 2017-2018 International Scholars by Immigration Status
All Other Visas 39%
J-1 61%
26
Overall Scholar Information
Demographics of International Scholars (continued) Scholars by Gender Female 34%
Male 66%
Primary Scholar Function Other 16%
Teaching 5%
Research 79%
Scholar Type Breakdown Short-term Visitors 14%
Scholars 86%
27
Overall Scholar Information
International Scholar Specializations (2017 - 2018)
 International scholars are represented in fields of study at Rice through conducting research, teaching, conducting workshops, and/or performing.
Engineering 46% Humanities & Music 7% Architecture 0% Business Administration 7%
Other 10% Social Sciences & History 3%
Humanities Art & Art History Hispanic & Classical Studies History Linguistics Music Philosophy Religious Studies Architecture Other Interdisciplinary Programs
Social Sciences Anthropology Economics Political Science Psychology History
Natural Sciences Biochemistry Biology Chemistry Geology Physics Mathematics
Natural Sciences & Math 27%
Engineering Bioengineering Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Civil and Environmental Engineering Computational & Applied Mathematics Computer Science Electrical and Computer Engineering Materials Science and Nano Engineering Mechanical Engineering Statistics Business Administration
28