The number of citizens and permanent residents enrolled in science and engineering (S&E) graduate programs in the United States declined in 2012, while the number of foreign students studying on temporary visas increased, according to new data from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The 1.7% drop in U.S. citizens and permanent residents was countered by a 4.3% increase in enrollment of foreign S&E graduate students on temporary visas. Overall growth of S&E graduate student enrollment stalled for the second year in a row in 2012, the most recent year for which data are available, after experiencing annual increases of 2 to 3% from 2005 to 2010. S&E graduate enrollment grew by less than 1% in 2011 and 2012.
These and other findings are from the fall 2012 Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering, cosponsored by the NSF and the National Institutes of Health. For more information, see the Survey of State Government Research and Development: FYs 2010 and 2011.
Source: National Science Foundation
