Central America - Education and Training Snapshot

Central America Education and Training Snapshot

Last published date: 2022-03-28

CENTRAL AMERICA

This article covers the following countries in the region: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

**Table 1: Central American Students studying abroad and Percent of the population under 25 years of age**
The number of students studying abroad per UNESCO Student Mobility Statistics:		Percent of population under 25 years of age per CIA World Factbook:
Belize	894	Belize	51.57%
Costa Rica	3,675	Costa Rica	37.27%
El Salvador	4,536	El Salvador	44.65%
Guatemala	3,354	Guatemala	53.44%
Honduras	4,888	Honduras	51.23%
Nicaragua	3,664	Nicaragua	45.14%

OVERVIEW

The United States is a leading destination for international students from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. The number of Central Americans enrolled in U.S. higher education institutions reached a total of 7,115 during the 2021/22 academic year, representing an 8.15% increase over the previous year. Among the top receiving states are Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, California, New York, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Louisiana.

**Table 2: Number of international students per country and academic level**
Place of Origin	Academic Year 2021/ 2022	Undergraduate	Graduate	Non-degree	OPT
Belize	388	209	112	6	61
Costa Rica	1,315	611	447	40	217
El Salvador	1,445	1,027	239	42	137
Guatemala	1,228	718	296	36	178
Honduras	2,186	1,323	501	65	297
Nicaragua	553	328	136	17	72
TOTAL	7,115	4,216	1,731	206	962

Source: 2022 Open Doors Report

Key reasons why Central American students choose U.S. higher education institutions:

Geographic proximity
High-quality education system
Wide variety of institutions and higher education programs
Good and diverse living environments; possibility of living with relatives while studying
Availability of intensive and short-term English programs to learn or improve English skills

In addition, studying abroad represents an opportunity to be more competitive and increases the possibility for better employment in national or multinational corporations. Other countries of destination for students from the Central American region are Spain, Argentina, France, Canada, Korea, China, and Germany.

Central Americans, in general, are interested in scholarships and financial aid when evaluating universities. Community college degrees represent an opportunity due to lower tuition fees and simplified application procedures.

Undergraduate programs are preferred, followed by graduate studies. English language programs have strong potential as there is low to moderate English proficiency in most of the region. Although Costa Rica has a comprehensive program for becoming a bilingual country, it is ranked #37 in the 2022 EF EPI English Proficiency Index (which evaluates the English language skills of 100 countries worldwide), followed by Honduras in position 48, El Salvador at 50, Guatemala at 58, and Nicaragua at 61.

SUB-SECTORS

Central American students are primarily attracted to the following programs in the U.S.:

Universities and community colleges with tuition fees lower than $20,000 per year
English language programs (from 1 month up to 1 year) for students, teachers, and adults
Summer camps
Undergraduate, graduate, and master’s programs
Online programs

In the 2021/2022 academic year, El Salvador and Honduras ranked 18th and 22nd, respectively, among the top 25 places of origin for international students attending community colleges.

Among the top fields of study and majors are business and management, engineering, math and computer science, physical and life science, and social sciences.

OPPORTUNITIES

The COVID-19 pandemic created new opportunities in the education sector for virtual education programs. One of the main challenges for the governments of each country is access to the Internet and the lack of availability of computers for each student.

The “100,000 Strong in the Americas” initiative represents an opportunity to increase the number of exchange students between Central America and the United States. All U.S. Embassies, U.S. Commercial Service offices, and EducationUSA offices in the region are committed to increasing the number of students studying in the U.S. Through grant competitions, the 100K Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund provides funds for innovative partnerships between U.S. and Latin American and Caribbean institutions of higher education.

In August 2017, Honduras launched the Presidential Scholarship Program “Honduras 20/20”, a robust financial aid initiative with a defined structure to promote the education and professional development of young Hondurans. This program aims to support graduate education abroad for students with academic excellence. The program gives priority to key areas under the country’s economic development strategy to generate new jobs and sharply boost exports by expanding and adding value to textiles, manufacturing, tourism, and business services. The Presidential Program is also seeking to establish alliances with U.S. higher education institutions to enhance professional-technical skills and student development through specialized training.

In addition, Costa Rica has until 2023 available funds for five grants of $40,000 each (through the CRUSA foundation, a private, independent, non-profit organization in the country). The grants are intended to cover expenses for U.S. community colleges and all students interested in starting a STEM career. Dealing with public institutions in Costa Rica can be difficult and requires time and dedication.

Public universities are in higher demand and rank the highest in the country. Public universities usually look for investigation partnerships; you will hardly find them promoting study abroad programs. On the other hand, private universities are always looking for partnerships and cooperation with foreign institutions, and once they sign any kind of agreement with foreign institutions they are commonly used as a marketing and branding technique. Texas Tech University established in 2020 a campus in San Jose, offering a 100% English learning environment, something brand new for the market, and offering high-demanding diplomas in STEM, business, and hospitality.

In El Salvador, private universities are focusing on alliances and agreements with foreign schools for joint programs, exchanges with students and professors, dual certification, and recognition of credits.

To enter the Central American market, it is highly recommended for U.S. universities, community colleges, and/or technical institutions to:

Seek partnerships or agreements with public or private universities to facilitate exchange programs for students and professors and recognition of credits and/or dual certification.
Travel to the market to meet face-to-face with school counselors, parents, and higher education institution officers.
Participate in local recruitment campaigns, fairs, trade missions, and outreach events in high schools, public venues, and universities.
Provide in-depth information about programs and the application processes.
Describe opportunities for scholarships and financial aid.
Provide information on the process to obtain a U.S. student visa.

It is recommended that all marketing materials and program information be available in Spanish.

DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGIES

The use of digital marketing strategies and social media are key elements to equip the Education field with unlimited access to online communication and information. Since all teachers and students were forced to transition to homeschooling due to the unexpected Covid-19 situation, the use of digital platforms has significantly increased during 2021 and 2022.

There are different platforms preferred by Central American students, depending on the activity or information desired. Below is a list of preferred platforms in the region.

For virtual classes: Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet.
Social media: WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.
Research: Google search engine
Streaming videos: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok
For one-on-one quick meetings: WhatsApp

It is important for U.S. higher education institutions to share information with both students and parents, as the latter will be part of the decision process. Information is usually shared by email or during an education fair. WhatsApp is now being used to send information or conduct video calls.

Finally, when a student is ready to incorporate into the labor market, they seek job opportunities through job fairs, direct recommendations of a professor or Dean, headhunting websites, or LinkedIn.

Competitor countries usually promote their programs through participation in education fairs or paid advertisements on Facebook and Instagram. It is recommended that U.S. higher education institutions or U.S. study state consortia replicate this practice and seek partnerships with the U.S. Commercial Service and/or EducationUSA. The inclusion of short testimonial videos in Spanish is highly recommended.