Yes! You should be in China, but here’s the thing…

Chinese student numbers are sobering. The latest IIE data showing a 21.7% decline in total U.S. incoming students from China between 2018/19 – 2022/23. While some say Chinese student demand for study abroad will rebound, the current downward trend leaves a mark and prompts questions.

Has your leadership posed this to you: “Should we be in China at this point?”

Times like this call for a hard look at market diversification. It?is?a winning strategy. Your admissions team as well as the campus community stand to gain so much by building a diverse student population. Beyond the diverse, cross-cultural learning that is part of your mission, diversifying where you draw students from offers more financial confidence and resilience to your institution.

Markets fluctuate. Diverse revenue streams stabilize.

But giving up on Chinese students is not in your best interest, nor is it in theirs. Diversify your market reach, yes. But tamping down your work with prospective Chinese families will limit your opportunities and future success. Maybe especially now.

For over two decades China has solidly been the top sender of students to the U.S. In 2021 alone this singular cohort added $10.5 billion to the U.S. economy per the U.S. Department of Commerce. And that’s on a down year.

Let’s be clear: giving up on Chinese students during this downturn would be a mistake.

The volume of students and their interest in a foreign education will continue to produce significant enrollment opportunities. Important that your strategy adapts to the times employing the right programs and messaging.

Check out our Resource Center for a bigger, broader take on the Chinese student market among many others.