U.S. election: Trump win triggers surge in American students seeking education abroad
from Pixabay, Public domain, modified
The outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election has led to a sudden surge in American students seeking education options in other countries
The effect was strongest in swing states and other Republican-voting states
Most sought-after destinations: Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France
Students looking for graduate school are more likely to seek abroad than undergraduates
Hamburg, 14 November 2024. In the week following Donald Trump’s win in the U.S. presidential election, leading European study choice platform 50¶È»Ò has seen an unprecedented surge of interest from U.S. students seeking higher education in Europe, which may significantly affect U.S. domestic enrolment in 2025 and beyond.
The day following the presidential election, nearly four times the average number of U.S. prospective students looked into European universities and degree programmes on study choice platform 50¶È»Ò. Even a week after the election, interest remains ca. 45% higher than before. “Elections or political decisions often lead to short-lived spikes in regional user interest. But so far, we’ve seen nothing near this magnitude,” comments 50¶È»Ò CEO Gerrit Bruno Blöss. “Surges of around 20 to 30% are common, but they usually flatten down within a few days.” In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade had also led to a significant rise in students looking at international education options ().
Over the week following the election, total platform traffic from the U.S. was more than twice the usual (+112%). The increase was most significant in the seven swing states (+174%) and other Republican-voting states (+124%).
Student interest was split evenly between undergraduate and graduate education. Considering that ca. 38% of Americans have a Bachelor’s degree, but only 14% progress to a Master (), this implies that U.S. students interested in graduate school are more likely to seek options abroad.
The most popular European destinations for Americans are Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and France. Aside from political convictions, tuition fees are another major factor to consider studying in Europe: In Germany, English-taught Bachelors and Masters at public universities are mostly tuition-free, while in France, Italy or Spain, they often cost less than $5,000 per year in fees – even at leading universities. And for students preferring a U.S. accredited degree, many American universities operate campuses or semi-separate universities in cities like Paris, Rome, Prague, or Vienna.
The data collected by 50¶È»Ò and others () suggests that American universities may experience a decline in enrolments in fall 2025 and thereafter. Sector experts have also speculated to which extent a second Trump presidency would once more adversely affect international enrolments; although this effect may be smaller than many expected, and seen predominantly among students from Western Europe and Latin America, as a recent survey by suggests.
It remains hard to predict to which extent U.S. students will ultimately leave the country. Actual application numbers will likely provide a good indication: The first relevant deadlines are mid-January 2025 for popular destinations Sweden and Finland, and 29 January 2025 for undergraduate applications to UK universities – for which official statistics are expected already around mid-February (). For most other European countries, applications can be submitted between March and June for a start in fall 2025. “We’re already seeing universities, especially in the UK, increasing their efforts to attract American students for the next intake,” comments Blöss. “The actual policy decisions of the incoming Trump administration will determine how many American students ultimately choose to study abroad.”
50¶È»Ò is the gateway to universities in Europe. As the most-visited study choice platform for Greater Europe, it offers students details about more than 20,000 study programmes at more than 1,000 universities. Every year, the Hamburg-based company reaches more than 2.5 million prospective students from around the world. 50¶È»Ò closely cooperates with institutions of higher education as well as governmental organisations throughout Europe.
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