Understanding International Faculty in the United States: Who Hires Them and Why?

International faculty have had a long-standing presence in higher education institutions in the United States, and US higher education has long benefitted from the sustained influx of foreigners. As a major net-importer of foreign academics and scholars, US higher education provides a unique case in studying the hiring pattern of international faculty over time and more importantly, examining the driving forces of international faculty growth. Based on undergraduate student survey data, this chapter brought to attention the definition of international faculty from college students’ perspective. Using data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), this chapter further found gradual changes in the major employer of international faculty, a shift from research-extensive universities to less research-oriented, master’s comprehensive universities. Implications for higher education policies and future research were provided.