Post-study work rights are no longer a perk—they are the cornerstone of international education’s financial logic. According to recent research from INTO, Chinese and Indian students can cut the time to recoup education costs by as much as six to eleven years if allowed to work after graduation. Without this window, a U.S. private degree may take decades to pay off, making it an implausible investment.
Policy shifts in the U.S. and UK that threaten post-study work risk threatening a system that delivers $40bn annually to the American economy alone. As students seek value, protecting schemes which enable them to Instead of fee cuts, universities must adopt hybrid and transnational models that lower costs while preserving international credentials.
Students, meanwhile, are increasingly pursuing in-country or regional options over traditional destinations. Post-study work isn't about immigration—it’s about return on investment. For governments seeking skilled workers and universities courting global talent, the maths must work—or the students will continue to focus their search in markets where their investment is more likely to pay off.