Math Courses at Laurentian University of Sudbury
9 Aug 2020
Laurentian University's Increasing Dependence on International Students
Daniel
Due to recent changes in higher education by Doug Ford, several adjustments are likely to occur at schools in Ontario this coming educational year. Soon, there will be serious implications for international students attending schools in Ontario.
In response to the ten per cent drop in domestic tuition this year, part of Doug Ford's changes, some Ontario schools will likely be hoping for higher enrolment and tuition fees for international students to counterbalance the expected drop in income.
In order to visualize the patterns that have been occurring regarding tuition and enrolment at Laurentian University, we analyzed tuition and enrolment data for international and domestic students over the past 12 years.
As many adjustments will be made among Ontario universities, this report was created to give students (namely international students) a better idea of what to expect once the chances come into effect.
Our analysis found that Laurentian University, along with many other schools, has been increasing international tuition and enrolment at rates far higher than their domestic counterparts.
Laurentian's increasing focus on international students has been developing for more than a decade.
See the study below.
*When a year is stated, it is the beginning of that academic year. (ie. 2006 refers to the 2006-2007 academic year)
*Data was collected mainly from CUDO (Common University Data Ontario) by the Council of Ontario Universities, school documents such as tuition fee schedules and school-specific CUDO data.
*Tuition fee data was based on the tuition cost for an average undergraduate arts and science full-time degree as this is the metric CUDO uses as a common metric among all Ontario universities.
*The tuition fees stated below refer to the tuition cost for the first-year of studies.
Laurentian University Tuition Fees
The Increase in International Tuition Increase Was 2.96x and 3.75x higher than Domestic Tuition and Inflation, Respectively
International tuition exceeded the increase in domestic tuition and inflation rate by more than three times from 2006-2017.
In 2007, a domestic student studying arts and science (full-time) at Laurentian University would have paid a tuition fee of $5,287 (in 2017 dollars), while ten years later, in 2017, the tuition fee was $6,473; which corresponds to an increase of only 24.59 per cent.
However, international student tuition increased from $12,871 in 2007 (in 2017 dollars) to $22,241 in 2017; an increase of 72.80 per cent.
The increase in international tuition easily and significantly outpaced the domestic tuition rate and the inflation rate by 2.96x and 3.75x, respectively.
International Tuition Rose Eight Times More than Domestic Tuition in the Same Period
International education has risen more than $800 each year compared to domestic charges.
This divergence is due to the international tuition rate being eight times higher than the domestic tuition rate, in terms of dollar values, each year.
From 2006 to 2017, the average annual domestic tuition increase was only $116, while the average annual increase in international tuition $937.
Adjusted for inflation: numbers shown are in 2017 dollars. International tuition data for 2006 not available.
Analyzing the increase in tuition year by year further emphasizes the significantly higher international tuition increase rate compared to the domestic tuition rate, and Laurentian's growing reliance on international tuition revenue.
International Tuition Rates have Significantly Increased Each Year Since 2010, Compared to Domestic Tuition
A focus on increasing international tuition rates has been observed since 2010. International tuition increase for 2006-2007 was unavailable.
Since 2010, Laurentian University has consistently raised international tuition much more than domestic tuition.
Starting in 2009-2010, the increase in international tuition was at least double the size of domestic tuition for most years.
For instance, international tuition increased by 5.5x more than domestic tuition in 2016-2017.
*International Student Fees NOTE:
One important thing to note is that the fees being used to calculate international fees do not include ancillary fees, UHIP, Ontario's International Recovery Fee, etc.
Although ancillary fees are typically equal for both domestic and international students, extra fees such as UHIP and Ontario's International Recovery Fee could add an additional $1000-$2000 to an international student's yearly fees.
Which would further widen the gap between total international and domestic fees.
*Enrolment data is based on both full time and part time students for all levels of degrees including Bachelor’s and 1st Professional Degrees, Master’s Degrees, and Doctoral Degrees.
Laurentian University Enrolment
International Enrolment has Almost Doubled while the Number of Domestic Students Almost Remained the Same
International enrolment significantly outpaced domestic enrolment from 2006-2017.
Looking at how enrolment differed from domestic to international students, it's clear that Laurentian has placed its focus on international students over the past decade.
The international student population of Laurentian University has effectively nearly doubled from 304 international students in 2006 to 571 in 2017.
Meanwhile, between 2006 and 2017, the amount of enrolled domestic students increased from 8422 to only 8473.
Which means that from 2006 to 2017, enrolment of international students increased 144x more than the enrolment of domestic students.
Laurentian University Student Enrolment Breakdown
Since 2008, international student enrolment has gradually increased. Between 2006 and 2017, the number of students has effectively nearly doubled.
Domestic student enrolment had only minor fluctuations over 12 years, with only a very slight increase from 2006 to 2017.
Observing the trend of international and domestic enrolment over the years, there is an undeniable difference between the two student groups.
The number of international students has increased significantly since 2006, while the enrolment of domestic students has remained almost unchanged.
Looking at the year-over-year enrolment numbers for international and domestic students from 2006 to 2017, it is evident that Laurentian University has completely shifted its focus to enrolling more international students than domestic in the last decade.
On Average, International Annual Enrolment is 64.4x Larger than Annual Domestic Enrolment
Annually, Laurentian has enrolled 6.44 per cent more international students.
While the average annual increase in international students was 6.44 per cent, domestic enrolment rose by only 0.10 per cent.
This drastic difference means that, on average, Laurentian enrolled more international students, each year, at a rate of 64x more than domestic students.
Over the past 11 years, the rate of international enrolment has far exceeded the domestic enrolment change.
Observing the 2006-2017 period, the majority of years were dominated by much higher international enrolment rates compared to domestic enrolment.
For example, the change in enrolled international students in the years 2008-2009 was nearly 10 times larger than the increase in domestic students.
Between 2006 and 2017, the Proportion of International Students at Laurentian University Nearly Doubled
Laurentian University's student population is comprised much more of international students in 2017 than in 2006.
From just 3.61 per cent in 2006 to 6.74 per cent in 2017, Laurentian University has shown more interest in increasing the proportion of international students, especially since 2008.
The proportion of international students in 2006-2017 increased by 1.87x. If this trend holds, the number of international students could double again over the next 12 years.
Lately, Laurentian has shifted its attention to increasing the number of international students who also happen to bring much higher tuition revenue compared to domestic students.
It then becomes plausible that universities could take the increasingly higher international demand from the renowned quality and accessibility of Ontario's schools as an opportunity to increase their revenue by increasing international tuition and enrolment, much more than their domestic counterparts.
Current and prospective students should also note that, with the changes coming into effect soon, like the ten per cent drop in domestic tuition, it would not be surprising if international tuition and enrolment were to increase.
Notes:
*Ancillary fees, Incidental fees, UHIP, Ontario’s International Recovery fee, and any other fees were excluded from calculations; only tuition fees were included.
*Enrolment data was collected from CUDO by the Council of Ontario Universities.
*See here for a similar analysis but on Ontario as a whole:
Ontario Universities' Increasing Reliance on International Students
Sources:
Laurentian University CUDO Data
CUDO Tool by the Council of Ontario Universities
Related:
Ontario Universities' Increasing Reliance on International Students
Students Say Ford's Performance-Based Funding is Misguided
Queen’s University by the Numbers: An Intuitive Financial Analysis For Students
Should Higher-Ed Admissions Be Federally Regulated?
Author: daniel @ oneclass . com
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