Summary

Israeli students represent a distinct opportunity for American suppliers of accredited post-secondary educational services. Best prospects are for accredited U.S. educational institutions that offer a degree integrated with practical work experience.

Study USA Fairs in Tel Aviv

The U.S. Commercial Service at the American Embassy in Israel organizes an annual "Study USA" fair in cooperation with the Israel Studies Exhibition organizer. The fair attracts quality potential Israeli students that are interested in studying in the United States and presents a distinct opportunity for accredited American colleges and universities to tap into the more than 25,000 requests for information about studying in the United States.

Student Demographics and Recruiting

Israel has a population of 7.4 million and boasts one of the highest per capita rates of university graduates in the world. The average first year undergraduate Jewish student tends to be older, post army, 21-22 years old. He/she may be married and working full time while going to school. 80% of the target audience interested in studying in the U.S is unreachable through local high schools, but rather through educational fairs, advertising, special outreach presentations at local universities and organizations such as the United States-Israel Education Fund. The other 20%, mainly Christian and Moslem high school students, are not required to do army service and therefore may be targeted directly at the high school level.

Matriculation Exams

In Israel, the matriculation certificate (Bagrut) is awarded to every high-school graduate who successfully fulfills all the educational and legal requirements of the Ministry of Education. The certificate is awarded by the examination board, which is responsible for holding the external state examinations, and by the schools. 44% of recipients continue undergraduate studies after their compulsory military service.

Market Background and Characteristics

The number of students studying for degrees rose by 4% for the 2007-2008 academic year, reaching 263,584. The growth rate has slowed down to only 4% a year this decade, compared to 8% a year in the 1990s, when higher education became more accessible to the Israeli public. There are 65 institutions of higher learning in Israel, and 79.6% of students are studying for a bachelor's degree. Post-graduate students taking masters’ degrees numbered 43,463, or 16.4% of the student body. PhD students numbered 10,300, or 4.0% of the student body. The total excludes the 44,327 students studying at the Open University and the 1,210 non-degree diploma students. The Council for Higher Education accredits all new institutions and programs and authorizes them to award academic degrees. The growing number of entering college students has changed the profile of Israeli higher education. The growth in the student population has led to the establishment of new colleges to meet the demand of qualified students. These colleges are accredited and must offer the same quality of education as the BAs taught in the local universities. Undergraduate students are entering these institutions in ever-increasing numbers (54.8% of all undergraduate students in 2007/8), thereby allowing the eight universities to focus more on graduate and research level studies. Today, institutions of higher education in Israel include 8 universities, 8 regional colleges associated with universities, 23 other regional colleges, 22 teacher training colleges, 12 institutions that offer a diploma recognized by the Ministry of Education, 11 art schools, and 59 technological colleges. In 2008, revenues of the top 20 local universities and community colleges exceeded $2 billion.

U.S. Special Scholarship Programs

Almost all undergraduate students who go to study in the United States pay their own way. However several graduate and postgraduate scholarship programs are available to Israelis. They include the International Visitors Program (IVP), the Fulbright Scholarship Fund (FSF), the Ford Foundation Fellowship Program and the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program (HHFP). The (IVP) program is funded by the Department of State and managed by the Public Diplomacy (PD) section at the American Embassy in Tel Aviv.

The United States-Israel Educational Foundation (USIEF), an American education NGO, administers the Fulbright exchange program between the United States and Israel in addition to a wide range of other programs. Grants are awarded to outstanding graduate and post-doctoral candidates as well as to researchers and professionals. For more information about USIEF and its programs, please visit http://www.fulbright.org.il

List of American schools offering scholarships for international students

Preferred Specializations

Israeli undergraduate students typically apply for law, psychology, medicine, veterinary medicine, architecture, engineering and fields that are not offered as BA's in Israel such as hotel administration, advertising, performing arts and therapy. Short-term or non-degree study includes fields such as English language, culinary arts and sound engineering. Popular majors include: law, clinical psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, MBA, culinary arts, film, music, video editing, advertising, East Asian studies, international relations, computer sciences, architecture, social work, mass communications, pre-med, and life sciences. Increasingly popular are ecology, environmental sciences, make up artistry, image consulting, drug and substance abuse counseling, and various expressive therapies.

Israelis Like to Study in the USA

Israeli students value U.S higher education institutions because of the high standard of education they offer, the wide choice of specializations and the experience of living in the United States. Cultural and family ties also play an important part. Typically Israeli students apply to universities situated in cities with large Jewish communities where they can be close to family and friends. Israeli students are interested in American undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate, high school, short-term study, non-degree, and correspondence study programs. However graduate and undergraduate studies are the first two choices. According to 2008 statistics, a total of 25,000 Israelis requested information and showed interest in study programs in the States. In 2007/8 there were 3,004 Israeli students studying in the United States. (Breakdown: 1,031 under-graduate, 1,511 graduate and 462 other).

Embassy-sponsored Trade Promotion Opportunities

The U.S. Commercial Service organizes "Study USA" fairs in conjunction with the Israel Studies Exhibition organizers and Nirshamim Educational Portal. The event will be staged with the full cooperation of the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. State Department educational specialists and Commercial Specialists from the U.S. Commercial Service in Tel Aviv will actively promote and participate in the event.

U.S. Commercial Service in Israel: Our Website, Programs and Services

The U.S Commercial Service, with offices in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, assists American companies to succeed in Israel by providing professional trade promotion, consultation, market research, and customized contact facilitation services. CS Israel offers the Gold Key Matching Service (GKS) for personalized business appointments, the International Partner Search (IPS) to help you find local partners and licensees, the International Company Profile (ICP) when you need to conduct due diligence on a potential Israeli partner, Single Company Promotion (SCP) and Customized Market Research as needed by the client. For complete up-to-date information on our events and services please visit our web site at: http://www.BuyUSA.gov/israel

For further information on the topic or trade promotion opportunities, please contact Alan Wielunski, Commercial Specialist, Tel: 972-3-519-7390, Fax: 972-3-510-7215, E-mail: alan.wielunski@N0SPAM.mail.doc.gov