publish time

05/05/2017

author name Arab Times

publish time

05/05/2017

KUWAIT CITY, May 4, President Donald Trump completed his 100 days in office last week with mixed reactions on his performance so far. As some hail his efforts and others highlight his failings, educators and students in Kuwait have diverse views on how the presidency has impacted overseas study here in particular and the Middle East as a whole. According to data gathered on www.Edarabia.com — the number one education guide in the Middle East, it seems Middle Eastern students are less likely to study in the US now. The following are some highlights from data gathered on www.Edarabia.com for the period Jan to Apr 2017.■ Traffic and student search queries on Edarabia.com has shifted from the US (now in 4th place) to Canada, Australia & UK respectively■ International students contribute over $32 billion a year into the US economy■ 39% of US universities have reported declines in the number of applications from countries in the Middle East, according to a report by the American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers What are the popular study abroad destinations for Kuwaiti students? Canada tops the list, followed by Australia, United Kingdom, USA, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and New Zealand. 42% percent of students in the Middle East study undergraduate courses abroad, while 41.4% study Master’s degree and 16.3% pursued their doctoral degree.The most common courses include Business Management, Finance, Accounting, Computer Science, Engineering, Architecture, Medicine, Marketing, Political Science, and Environmental Science. According to a report by Statista, the United States tops the countries with the highest fees, averaging $24,914, closely followed by Australia at $24,081. Malaysia is at the lowest end of the spectrum, averaging $2,453.On the other hand, Taipei (Taiwan) and Mexico City (Mexico) lead the most affordable cities valued at 83 out of 100 according to general student affordability. With the increase of self-funded international students in the region, the perception of the benefits of studying abroad has grown relatively