Chile sees growth in foreign and exchange students
International student enrolments across Chile showed modest growth in 2016, with most degree seeking students originating in neighbouring Latin American countries and study abroad growth driven by students from Europe and North America.
According to the second annual survey from SIES (Servicio de Información de Educación Superior) degree seeking international students in the county reached 19,219 last year, up 674 students from 2015’s figures and accounting for about 1.5% of all higher education enrolments.
More than half (54%) of degree seeking international students were residents in the country before starting their studies, many of whom originated from the country’s largest student source markets: Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia.
“There are many students that come from neighbouring countries, for example from Peru,” remarked Talia Haim, coordinator at Learn Chile, a consortium of 21 higher education institutions.
“They could have moved here as a child or be children of immigrants who have residence in the country, so when they go to study they’re considered international students even though they were already living the country.”
More than three-quarters of degree seeking students (76.5%) come from South America.
Most degree seekers in the country (63.3%) study at universities, with private universities attracting 31% of foreign students, more than both the state-owned or private universities in the Universities of the Rectors’ Council (Cruch) group of institutions, which were founded before the 1980s.
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and the Universidad de Chile were the top recievers of foreign students in 2016.
Meanwhile, around a quarter of degree seekers were enrolled at a professional institution and the remaining 10% at a technical training centre.
Undergraduate courses were the most popular among foreign students, led by commercial engineering and business degrees.
Exchange student enrolments also rose in 2016, totalling 8,703 – up from 7,993 students in 2015.
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