IE Releases Intensive English Program (IEP) Data on 2017 International Student Enrollments

NEW YORK, NY – Overall, 86,786 international students participated in an intensive English program (IEP) in the United States in 2017, according to recently released IIE data. IEP programs in U.S. are offered by higher education institutions and independent providers, and are one way for international students to initiate their education in the United States. In 2017, 51 percent of IEP students intended to further their study in the United States following the completion of their program.

The latest figures represent a 20 percent decline in IEP enrollment from 2016 to 2017, following a decline of 19 percent the year prior. IEP students studied in the U.S. for an average of 14 weeks in 2017, consistent with the average of 14 student-weeks in 2016. Fluctuations in IEP enrollments are contingent on a variety of factors, but the sharpest declines can be traced to changes in foreign government-funded scholarship programs.

The number of IEP students from Saudi Arabia, the top-sending place of origin from 2010 to 2015, fell by 46.5 percent from 2016 to 2017. Declines in Saudi enrollments are attributable to changes in Saudi Arabia’s government scholarship program. Mexican IEP student enrollments also fell by 58.6 percent, after growing 40 percent from 2015 to 2016.

China is currently the leading place of origin for IEP students, sending 19,756 students in 2017, despite a 7.7 percent drop in enrollment numbers. Of the top-10 sending countries, Brazil was the only place of origin to see an increase in enrollments at 11.1 percent, a reversal from the previous two years of declining Brazilian IEP enrollments after the end of Brazil’s Scientific Mobility Program.

About the Institute of International Education
For nearly a century, IIE has been a world leader in international education. We work to build more peaceful and equitable societies by advancing scholarship, building economies and promoting access to opportunity. As a not-for-profit with 18 offices and affiliates worldwide, IIE collaborates with a range of corporate, government and foundation partners across the globe to design and manage scholarship, study abroad, workforce training, and leadership development programs. For more information visit www.iie.org.

Featured

  • UNL Kiewit Hall

    Designing for Engineering Excellence: Integrating Sustainability and Wellness at UNLs Kiewit Hall

    Kiewit Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln exemplifies how academic institutions can integrate sustainability and wellness into modern learning environments. With an integrated and collaborative team approach, Kiewit Hall addresses enhanced learning and creativity, physical health, and mental wellness, and fosters a sense of community through innovative design, operations, and policy solutions.

  • North Dakota State University Completes Music School Renovation

    North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D., recently announced that construction on the Challey School of Music has finished, according to a news release. The university partnered with Foss Architecture & Interiors for design and Kraus-Anderson for construction services, and construction began in July 2024.

  • Minnesota Middle School Finishes $23.5M Addition and Modernization

    Highland Park Middle School in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $23.5-million addition and remodel project, according to a news release. Saint Paul Public Schools partnered with ATS&R Planners, Architects & Engineers for its design and Kraus-Anderson for its construction.

  • Different Starting Points, Same End Goal

    Higher education campuses can enhance student experience by implementing mobile credentials to streamline building access, on-campus payments, and access to other amenities. This enables students to connect to their campuses through the technology they use most: their mobile devices.

Digital Edition