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There is, of late, a growing fear, concern or in some cases, rejection of immigrants among a relatively large number of people in the United States. This is despite, according to the Pew Research Center, the U.S. has more immigrants than any other country, a longstanding reality. In fact, in 1880, the United States had approximately 15% of its population born abroad, and in 2023, that proportion remained about the same or slightly lower.

Why the fear exists today is beyond me, given that the existence of immigrants has been historically part of our culture, and crime rates are currently lower than they have been. Indeed, we are rapidly becoming a majority minority country where our differences are our strengths, and they are commonplace and should be unremarkable. And yet, many are having discussions at this time, which are sometimes emotional and too often political. In my humble opinion, we should focus more on what makes us better as a country, what advances the most significant benefits for the greatest number of people, regardless of their background, and our place in the world now and into the future.

Relatedly, there is an argument to return to a mythical period in the past when the United States was self-sufficient, its economy was isolated and uncomplicated, and where egocentrism prevailed. Frankly, the days of isolation have been gone for more than a century. Global economic realities and interconnectedness require openness if one wishes to be genuinely competitive, grow businesses and markets, and achieve long-term success. As Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., recently stated, “Leadership comes with a price, but it also comes with rewards. Our nation needs to step back and carefully consider the basic diplomatic, economic, and military calculus before we resign the benefits and burdens of global leadership.” Young argues, I believe, that we need to be present, not isolated. We need to lead, not follow, and this requires us to understand, engage with, and embrace the global business culture that currently exists to achieve our full potential.

Given all of this context, I believe I can make a compelling argument that international college and university students are highly beneficial to the United States due to the direct and immediate benefits, the indirect benefits and the long-term benefits.

The current overregulation, desire to keep students out, is not well serving American higher education or businesses.

First, the direct benefit from international students derives from the fact that they spend a significant amount of money living in and studying in the United States. The last time I checked, we live in a capitalist system where generating revenues from our services should exceed expenses, and that is considered productive and a net benefit. While international students qualify for and earn scholarships, they also bring financial resources to the country, using them for various expenses, including tuition, housing, entertainment, travel and more. Yes, some earn scholarships in competition with domestic students, as it should be in a merit-based world. In addition, international students’ families also spend and send money to their students while they are in the country. Universities, colleges, and all related businesses directly benefit from these direct expenditures.

By the numbers

Let me help put numbers to this direct benefit so I can hopefully drive home the point that international students have a significant financial impact. According to Inside Higher Ed, there are approximately 1.1 million international students in the United States. This number represents the largest share of international students in the world and comprises about 6% of enrollments in colleges and universities in this country. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average tuition cost for private institutions was $40,700 in the 2022-2023 academic year. If half of the international students attend private institutions, that translates into $22.385 billion in tuition revenue alone, which does not account for housing, board, purchases and other expenditures they make. Significantly fewer other industries are generating that level of revenue in this country, and there is a consistency in this stream of cash.

The current overregulation, desire to keep students out, is not well serving American higher education or businesses.

If jobs in educational services generate 2.6 times the economic impact as a multiplier, the straight-line estimate is that spending on tuition alone would generate $58 billion a year for American businesses that are colleges and universities. This figure does not take into account the direct jobs created by international students, who would require 30,000 or more faculty members to teach them one course (30 students per faculty member) and 140,000 or more to teach them a full-time load, which translates into an economic impact of more than 380,000 jobs in the economy. Colleges and universities also have hundreds of staff who have homes and families and are sustained, in part, by international enrollments. The direct impacts of international students are significant and good for the country in simple financial terms.

Second, the indirect benefits, beyond some of the educational spending measured 6% of national income in 2019, which exceeds defense spending and spending on welfare programs (Roll, Ridder, Hannon and Pfajfar, educationmultipliers.pdf). These investments are usually motivated by the well-documented effects that education has on well-being and economic growth in the long run. It is clear that when international students return to their home countries that they and their families – and indeed their home countries – benefit over their lifetimes. Higher education continues to improve one’s opportunities for professional employment, and it is a public good leading to more democratic institutions, improved human rights, political stability and lower health care costs, lower crime rates as well as higher levels of home ownership and happiness in life (See BIS Research Paper number 146 The Benefits of Higher Education Participation for individuals and society: key findings and reports, “The Quadrants” October 2013).

Long-term benefits

The long-term benefits of having international students at our colleges and universities are also significant. Most international students return to their home country and bring American values and practices with them. While many would like to remain, and we should, in my view, allow the talented students to stay, their presence has impacts beyond the actual on-the-ground time on campus. They understand our ways and bring them home. It is frankly difficult to imagine how the United States could have become such a dominant global presence, particularly since World War II, without having these alumni ambassadors in every country on the planet.

It is also essential to recognize the impacts international students have on domestic students. It helps us, as Americans, to understand the world in a much more intimate way than occasional vacation travel or studying. I have traveled to China, for example, a few dozen times. Each time I have read a book about the country, I have practiced my basic Mandarin and met dozens of associates, as well as new ones, while there. All of that is so different from my time in college when I lived with a Chinese roommate who taught me their point of view, their customs and about their country. While I certainly did not agree with all of their ways, I understand them better; I know why I disagree and why I agree with them. Most critically, I have a friend whom I taught about the U.S., and he helped me understand his country like no professor, book, or travel experience could. Frankly, my roommate worked harder at his studies than I have ever seen anyone work, and his family expected no less of him.

International students at colleges and universities are beneficial to the United States in both the short and long term, both directly and indirectly. We have been the world’s leader in higher education and should fight to keep that status. We need to truly be the land of opportunity because it benefits us from a business perspective and also because it makes us more, not less. It is always right to do what is right for our country.

Jeffrey Senese is president of Caldwell University.