Abstract

In any given year, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater attracts more International Students than it sends overseas. As a result, there is a net economic gain to the community and region of this trade. This paper initiates the discussion of the attraction of International Students as an engine of economic growth; adding it as a topic in the field of economic development. This paper uses “input output analysis” in an effort to estimate the economic value of these students. While there is limited research directly in the area of the economic impact of International Students, this paper adds to a body of literature which often views the retention of these students as a “brain gain” for the host country. This paper looks at the immediate impact of their consumption and spending.