International students largely “indifferent” about US election  

While a significant majority of students (70%) indicated a positive perception of Kamala Harris, new analysis by Intead and Studyportals found that “many sudents remain indifferent to who is in the US White House when making their personal decisions about their education”.  

“International students tend to prioritise and focus on their educational opportunities and personal goals without significant regard for specific political figures in office,” said the report.  

The analysis of over 1,000 student responses from August-September 2024 followed an earlier survey of nearly 2,500 respondents, analysing student perceptions of the initial presidential race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.  

The new report found a higher approval percentage for Harris (70%) than Biden (61%), and while the former emerged as “a figure of compassion and progress”, the overall sentiment towards Harris largely matched attitudes towards Biden, the survey revealed.  

While 17% of respondents said that they were more likely to study in the US under Harris than Trump, 36% in the first survey expressed no clear preference for either candidate. 

I am concerned that many people live their lives thinking government is corrupt or ineffective or simply inconsequential

Ben Waxman, Intead

In the first survey in June 2024, 43% of respondents expressed that the US president, current or future, does not influence their decision to pursue an education in the US at all. 

“This sentiment may stem from either a sense of cynicism – believing politics don’t impact [students’] opportunities,” the report suggested.  

“Or a strong confidence in the structural integrity of the US education system and visa policies… no matter who holds office.” 

And yet, Intead CEO Ben Waxman called the apparent lack of caring about the election outcome “concerning”. 

“No one lives in a bubble… policies impact the business climate and the availability of services. And government policies absolutely impact student access to visas, education, and jobs. 

“I am concerned that many people live their lives thinking government is corrupt or ineffective or simply inconsequential,” Waxman told The PIE News.  

43% of respondents said the US president, current or future, does not influence their decision to pursue an education in the US at all

Notably, a very large percentage of respondents interested in pursuing a business degree expressed a distaste for Trump’s economic policies, with 74% indicating a strong preference for Biden’s economic policies in the first survey. 

“Trump’s favoured big businesses over smaller ones, which is concerning,” wrote one aspiring business major, with another disapproving of his “short-term” economic strategies.  

The perception of Trump as a racist leader emerged as a recurring theme in the first survey, with 12% of free text responses specifically using the term “racist” in their comments about Trump or identifying him as acting against minorities. 

Approximately 7% expressed opinions that a democratic administration was more welcoming to immigrants, particularly international students.