Study undercuts state’s doubts over international students

A new analysis showing that international masters students in Denmark perform just as well as their domestic counterparts and contribute towards the national economy after graduation undercuts the logic of the Danish government’s hesitation over international study places, say academics.

The report, published by Danish think tank DEA, analyses registration data from Statistics Denmark of almost 100,000 international students during the period 2000 to 2023 and compares international masters students against Danish students in relation to study results, type of work after graduation and salaries.

The report argues that international students play an important role in Denmark – both in education and in the labour market. However, at the same time, the political direction constantly shifts between expanding and restricting admissions.

The report comes in the wake of last year’s elevated political temperatures over claims that increasing numbers of students from third countries such as Bangladesh and Nepal were entering the country’s universities, apparently without the requisite qualifications, as a back door into the labour market.

Significant increase in international students

The DEA report notes that the number of international students on masters programmes has increased significantly since 2007 – from approximately 2,200 annually to the current level of around 6,000. Today, international students make up just over one-fifth of all masters students.

It states that the increase in international students in masters programmes is mainly driven by more students from EEA countries, the UK and Switzerland, although students from non-Western countries also make up an increasing share of master's admissions in recent years. The share is highest among technical engineering subjects, where more than 40% are international students.

The report finds that international students generally complete their masters programme to at least the same extent as Danish students, with the completion rate within four years being around 80-90% for both Danish and international students. Students from European countries in particular have a higher completion rate than Danish students.

It finds that graduates from neighbouring countries are more likely to return home after graduation while graduates from the Nordic region are more likely to leave Denmark after graduation than other international students.

The report found that 22% of Nordic students are still in Denmark five years after graduation, while the same applies to almost 35% of graduates from the EEA and approximately 40% of graduates from countries outside Europe.

Almost 95% of international graduate students who are in the Danish workforce five years after graduation are employed, regardless of which country group they come from, and often in a job category that requires them to make use of their academic skills to at least some extent.

The report’s authors state that the proportion of international students who stay in Denmark after graduation is higher among those who have had a student job and/or have taken a course in Danish. “This also applies when we take into account differences in background, grades and educational choices,” they say.

Comparable salary earnings

Most international candidates perform academically and in terms of salary on a par with Danish candidates, assessed on the basis of grade point average.

Among candidates from non-Western countries, there is a large variation in grade point average, but the group is overall lower than the other international groups, the authors note. The lowest averages are seen especially among those who later do not obtain management positions or academic positions.

“When we take into account which education the students complete, the adjusted salary of Danish candidates is approximately DKK435,000 (US$69,000) five years after graduation.

“Candidates from Western countries outside Europe are at a similar level, while candidates from the Nordic countries and the EEA are slightly lower, with approximately DKK410,000 and DKK 403,000,” the authors state.

The authors say that non-Western graduates have the lowest average salary at just over DKK360,000, which reflects, among other things, that fewer of them work in management or academic positions.

“If we look exclusively at graduates in management or academic positions, the salary for non-Western graduates is close to the Danish ones and on par with Nordic graduates, while the salary for EEA and other Western graduates is on par with and above the level of Danish graduates, respectively.”

Associate Professor Brian Arly Jacobsen, based in the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies at the University of Copenhagen, told University World News the DEA DEA report confirmed what many at the universities have long known: “That international students perform academically just as well as Danish students, and a large proportion also go on to make a significant contribution to the Danish labour market after graduation.

“This makes the recurring political hesitation about international study places both short-sighted and self-contradictory,” he said.

“At the same time, we can see that the likelihood of staying in Denmark increases markedly if students have had a student job and learned Danish. The conclusion is therefore clear: if politicians want a higher ‘return on investment’, they should not close the door to international students – they should open the door to the labour market and to the language.”

Arly Jacobsen said it was crucial that internationalisation is not reduced to an instrumental labour-market project.

“International students are first and foremost students and future graduates who contribute to quality, diversity, and academic development at the universities. This requires stable admission frameworks, decent study and working conditions, and an active integration effort – not a political zig-zag course and symbolic caps on English-taught programmes.

“If Denmark wants to be a knowledge society in practice and not only in ceremonial speeches, we must dare to pursue a long-term and coherent policy for international education, research, and recruitment. The DEA report provides a solid empirical foundation for exactly that,” Arly Jacobsen said.

Jesper Langergaard, director of Universities Denmark, told University World News the report confirms that international students make a positive contribution to Danish society and businesses and enrich the country’s universities by boosting Danish students’ international outlook and collaboration skills.

“At the same time, the study highlights areas for improvement, including better tools to assess applicants from third countries with diverse educational systems.

“The results also underline the value of EU students, who perform well in the labour market and represent a clear net gain for Denmark,” Langergaard said.

Integration, language training

Rune Boelsmand Bak, vice-chair for academic matters at the National Union of Students in Denmark, told University World News the findings of the DEA report were “complete non-news” to Danish students.

“We are well aware that our international counterparts in the master programmes are just as qualified as we are.

“Further, we benefit from studying in international environments. It makes us reflect on our own culture, on our academic traditions, and on the political landscape that forms possibilities or barriers of academic success.

“With that in mind, it seems preposterous that the Danish government currently works on a proposal to limit the access to masters education in Denmark for students from countries outside of the EEA,” he noted.

Boelsmand Bak said the DEA report notes that this group has a tendency to earn less than their peers, “if they hold non-management or academic positions”.

“I will speculate that the defining factor here isn’t academic prowess, but rather fast integration into democratically based systems – educational and civic.

“If the intention of the report is to raise the quality of international graduates’ participation in the Danish labour market, then such integration, along with training and proficiency in Danish, is the area to invest in,” he added.

Boelsmand Bak said the National Union of Students in Denmark would never stop claiming this point: “Denmark needs international graduates to grow. And, for the same reason, the international community needs Danish graduates. The belief that some groups are less fit to study in our country – or anywhere, for that matter – must be fought, tooth and nail.”