Clinton trumps Trump among international students – survey

Come November 8, the U.S. will finally decide who its next president will be, and even though they can’t vote, international students overwhelmingly prefer Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton over the Republican party’s Donald Trump.

According to a survey conducted by Study in the USA, 65 percent of foreign students would likely choose to study elsewhere should Trump be elected.

Meanwhile, only 91 participants said they would be less likely to study in the U.S. if Clinton won.

The survey, which included over 975 respondents from 130 countries, asked whether students felt that the U.S. election affected them and how more or less likely they were to study in the U.S. if either candidate became president.

Speaking to The PIE News, Jennifer Privette, Study in the USA’s editor and assistant publisher, said she had designed the survey to see if the polarization of political views seen in the U.S. was the same overseas, in addition to gauging how closely those outside the country were following the election.

“I also wanted to know if it would affect students’ desire to come study in the United States. International students contribute US$30.5 billion to the U.S. economy and support 373,000 jobs in the USA,” she added.

Most of the survey’s responses came from prospective students living in Brazil, India, Mexico, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

Those taking part in the survey could also leave comments: A 17-year-old South African wrote that if Trump wins, she was doubtful about going to the U.S. due to the “very explicit racist remarks” he has made during his presidential campaign.

“I would not feel comfortable living in a country that is run by a man who seems to hate me and discriminates me just because of my ethnicity,” she said.

On the other hand, some students are impressed by Trump’s background in business: a Peruvian student responded, “Considering the economical state of the USA, I personally think… Trump could help the U.S. get out of debt.”

There were also those who opted to remain neutral – an Iraqi student said: “Both candidates are working hard to keep America safe and at the top of the world’s best places and ensure a better life for their citizens.”

The results mirror that of a similar survey done earlier this year, which revealed that around 60 percent of international students would probably choose another country to study abroad in if Trump became president.

Image via the Associated Press

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