Don't rely too much on Chinese student numbers

Many institutions have relied on international students from China to balance budgets over the last decade. A report from the Center for Independent Studies of Australia analyzed patterns of attendance for Chinese students and found that some institutions' international enrollments represent more than 50% of international students and that total enrollment in some cases generated from 13% to 23% of total revenues. The report warns that the  institutional risk is too great when revenue is so dependent on any specific sub-group.

Enrollment of Chinese students in U.S. institutions bolstered budgets for many universities over the last decade, with large state-supported institutions such as the University of Illinois, University of Iowa, and Michigan State University being examples of the biggest beneficiaries. The numbers are now declining across the board and the combination of demographic decline in college-age Chinese students, the cost of U.S. education, and the perceived hostility toward China in the U.S. are almost sure to mean that the downward trend is the new reality to which the U.S. must adjust.