International Student Numbers Drive Florida STEM Pipeline, New Data Shows
TALLAHASSEE, FL – International students are playing a crucial and sustained role in bolstering Florida’s STEM workforce, according to new data analyzed from the State education Research Center at Florida State University. While academic preferences among international students are shifting – with India surpassing China as the leading country of origin – the overall number of STEM degrees completed by international students in Florida’s State University System (SUS) institutions has remained remarkably stable, representing between 12% and 14% of all STEM degrees awarded between 2019-20 and 2022-23.
The analysis reveals a broader trend of increasing degree completions both at the undergraduate and master’s levels. Though the proportion of international students earning STEM bachelor’s degrees rose between 2016 and 2022, the share of STEM master’s degrees earned by international students declined during the same period. This shift coincides with changes in U.S. immigration policy, including stricter visa vetting procedures implemented following a June 2020 executive order that limited F-1 visa issuances, especially for graduate students from China.
These findings underscore the continued importance of international students to Florida’s efforts to meet degree attainment goals and expand its talent pool in critical, high-demand fields. the data,sourced from SEVIS and the National Center for education Statistics (NCES),demonstrates a dynamic landscape of international student enrollment within the state’s higher education system.