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After eight years, Macro Polo has ceased operations as the Paulson Institute will focus its independent research on supporting its programs as it continues to diversify its scope.

We appreciate the community that has grown around Macro Polo and the fruitful engagement we’ve had with our legion of smart and sharp audience. You’ve pushed us to deliver even more original work and innovative products. Our body of work speaks for itself, and we hope it will have a long shelf life – that was the intent from MP’s inception.

MP’s website is now archived and no new work will be published henceforth on this site. Please visit www.paulsoninstitute.org for future research and policy work on a range of global issues.

Thank you all for the support over the years, it has been a privilege to have had a home at the Paulson Institute and to have built it the way we did.

- Team Macro Polo

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Education

After the Global Financial Crisis many American universities sought to offset declining revenues by enrolling more Chinese students, particularly undergraduates, most of whom pay full tuition. As a result, China became by far the largest source of international students in the United States. Chinese students’ spending—including tuition, airfare, and living expenses—more than tripled between 2010 and 2018, before dropping 11% in 2019.

Annual enrollment growth declined from a peak of nearly 30% to just 1.7% for the 2018-2019 academic year. These arrivals have also created frictions, as some American politicians accuse Chinese students, especially those in STEM fields, of stealing intellectual property or serving as conduits for political influence.

Chinese Students in the US
Chinese Students in the US
International Higher Education Students by Place of Origin (2019)
Takeaway Numbers
Takeaway Numbers
Heat Map of Chinese Students in Higher Education (2019)

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Sources: Department of Commerce, National Travel and Tourism Office; Institute of International Education, Open Doors 2019