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Rabat – The number of Moroccan students who chose to pursue studies in the US has slightly declined in the 2020-2021 academic year compared to the previous year.
Academic and university platform Erudera said that about 1,294 Moroccan students chose the US as their study destination. The number represents a decline of 205 students compared to the 2019-2020 academic year, when 1,499 Moroccan students enrolled in US universities.
Of the 1,294 Moroccan students studying in the US during the 2020-2021 academic year, 583 students participated in undergraduate programs, 433 students in graduate programs, 31 students in non-degree programs, and 247 were involved in Optional Practical Training (OPT).
A representative at Erudera Alma Miftari told Morocco World News that the high inflation rate could serve as one possible reason behind the slight drop in the number of Moroccan students enrolled in US universities.
“The high prices are leading to drops in enrollments. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, undergraduate enrollment declined noticeably from fall 20119 to fall 2021, resulting in a net loss of a million students,” Miftari told MWN.
She added that colleges have slashed payrolls, “laying off hundreds of thousands of faculty and staff” due to the decline.
Erudera finds that studying in the US could cost international students between $25,000 and $35,000 per year at public universities, while private colleges could charge between $30,000 and $45,000.
The report found that the US has generated an average of $45,290,000 from the 1,294 Moroccan students if they spent the aforementioned fees.
Erudera noted that the number of students from North African countries who traveled to the US for education in the 2020-2021 academic year included Egyptians (3,672), Libyans (563) Tunisians (534); Sudan (324), and Algeria (219).
Morocco also remains one of the “most popular study destinations” for US students in North Africa, the academic platform said.
Erudera quoted former US ambassador to Morocco David Fischer, who said in 2020 that: “American students have long seen Morocco as an excellent destination for study because of the hospitality of the Moroccan people, the richness and diversity of Moroccan culture, and the strong ties of friendship between the United States and Morocco built over 200 years.”
The Institute of International Education said in 2020 that Morocco welcomed 1,749 American students during the 2018-2019 academic year.
The report noted that the number of American students increased by 24 between 2017-2018 and 2018-2019.
