International education has a data problem. It’s time to do something about it

There is an increasingly critical need for better and more timely data in international education, and one that is being driven by a number of overlapping factors. Students, for example, are looking for stronger evidence of the return on investment they can expect from study abroad. At the same time, policymakers and other stakeholders want clear and current statistics for international enrolments, including indicators of student performance and outcomes.

It is widely acknowledged that there are significant data gaps across the international education sector. We generally don’t have as much information as we could use in terms of how students are recruited, where and how they study, how they perform in their programs, graduation rates, and student outcomes. Further, there can be a real issue with timeliness of the data we do have. In the UK, for example, high education enrolment figures often lag well behind the actual reporting period. This year, they were released months later than usual and arrived a full 16 months after the academic year in question.

This absence of comprehensive, transparent, and up-to-date data creates vulnerability for the sector. It undermines the impact and narrative around the benefits of global education. To take just one recent example, during a September 2024 media briefing, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller asserted that foreign college graduates mainly go on to work at low-paying jobs in Canada. Many educators may have wanted to contest the point, but often lack the student outcomes data that could tell a different story of that student experience.

Telling a better story

Jamie Arrowsmith, director of Universities UK International believes, “We need a new narrative around international higher education and the global role of universities. It’s about foregrounding the academic, social, and cultural benefits that come from internationalization, and bringing those to the fore in the public discourse and public policy.”

“The availability of data and evidence is crucial for making the case for international education,” agrees Dr Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of NAFSA. As international education increasingly works to link student mobility to larger economic goals, the necessity of data to help address skills gaps and meet labor market demands is increasingly obvious.

“The fact that we can cite that one in four of the United States’ billion-dollar start-ups has been founded by former international students is powerful,” says Dr Aw. “We can show that 42% of the major companies making advances in AI have been established by former international students. That’s important. We use this data to prove the value of international education.”

Nick Miller, chief marketing officer of QA Higher Education, agrees. “We must be more deliberate about the types of provisions that feed the employment opportunities of our economies,” he says.

Beyond meeting student and economic needs, data-based narratives are essential for effective advocacy with governments and other stakeholders. Significant policy shifts in major study destinations across the past year have emphasized the sector’s vital need for stable policy. “If the policy doesn’t match the rhetoric about welcoming international students, particularly around immigration, it creates a disconnect,” says Anne Marie Graham, chief executive of UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA).

International education can do more to advocate for the policies that enable student mobility. And it should do more. “If we are not proactive in shaping policy then others will make a policy for us in a way that’s not always as well informed as it could be,” says Arnold Persoon, who has served as a board member of the European Association for International Education.

The sentiment is echoed by Bobby Mehta, pro vice-chancellor (global engagement) at the University of Portsmouth. Highlighting the need for collaboration, Mr Mehta says, “As a sector, as an ecosystem, we must really work together to give the assurances to governments that international education is managing and delivering contributions to society. This is essential to creating the conditions for a stable policy environment.”

To be effective, those assurances need evidence. They need to be grounded in data. “Data allow us to show how policy changes impact the sector, and to advise on protecting it,” says Rachel MacSween, director of partnerships at IDP.

Ms MacSween points out international growth strategies are at risk even before migration policies change. “Our data show that international student demand for a country often starts to decline well before any policy changes. That is typically driven by negative public feelings or rhetoric, which policies then tend to respond to.”

“Anti-immigration and nationalism is rising in several parts of the world,” adds Professor Sarah Todd, vice president (global) for Griffith University. “That’s a challenge that we really need to think about as an international education community, regardless of where we live.”

“There is a stereotyped image of what an international student looks like, who they are and how much money they have,” says Professor Todd. “It reflects neither what we’re doing as education providers nor the role of recruitment agencies. So how do we ensure international students are seen as a benefit to the communities they live in, regardless of what countries are doing on migration? As education providers, we have a role to play in that. I think we’ve all got a little bit of branding and reputation enhancement to do.”

Dr Aw points back to evidence-based insights as critical. “The idea that students from Africa are not of as good quality as those from another part of the world is simply not true,” she says. “Data show that students from diverse regions, like Africa, often excel academically, with strong graduation rates and job placements. Disaggregating data debunks these misconceptions and proves that quality is not tied to geography.”

A call to action

The call for better data to inform accurate narratives that generate support for international education is clear. Institutions can start by joining the conversations to explore opportunities for improvements and collaboration. They can examine their internal data and take deliberate steps to improve data collection, analysis, and communication. Mr Mehta urges for greater openness in the sector. He says, “The more transparent we are in these areas, the better. Unifying as an industry to make the case will give education leaders the space to focus on our individual institutions, putting energy into the subject areas and the research that we specialize in.”

“We cannot do this work without making the case, and we can never stop making the case for international education,” concludes Dr Aw. By focusing on transparency and collaboration, institutions can lay the groundwork for a more coherent and comprehensive approach to data collection at both national and international levels.

When parsed by factors such as field of study and country of origin, these indicators will enable the sector to tell a clearer and more compelling story at the institutional, national, and international levels. A story of international student success and the broader benefits of global education. And a story that is fundamental to shaping a sustainable future.

We should all begin this work today.