International students in the United States are more susceptible to plagiarism — using someone else’s academic work as one’s own — and are more likely to be caught than their American counterparts, studies show.

Plagiarism has long permeated American universities among all students. But increases in international student enrollment have raised new concerns on where plagiarism happens and how to combat this form of cheating.

At the University of Minnesota, approximately 85 percent of investigated plagiarism cases originate from students whose native tongues are not English.

Similar research from other universities shows international students are reported for plagiarism at twice the rate of their domestic peers and are more likely to misunderstand the methods of avoiding academic integrity violations.

This discrepancy can be linked to language and cultural barriers.

“In the case of plagiarism, one factor is that it concerns written material. International students are often not native English speakers,” said David Mills, a University of Virginia economics professor. “Their skills and comfort in using the English language may be more limited.”

Students from India and China, who make up half of the international student population in the United States, often come to America without an understanding of plagiarism and how to avoid using another's work.

In the past five years, the percentage of Chinese international students expelled specifically because of academic dishonesty and plagiarism has increased every year, reaching 33.5 percent in 2017, according to the WholeRen Education Research Center.

One factor to consider regarding plagiarism statistics is American students who copy another person’s work may be more adept at avoiding getting caught, compared to their international peers.

Watch: Why students cheat

​Culturally, international students may come from a background in which using words or ideas from other sources is not considered punishable, since some cultures may consider individual works as shared or communal. As a result, students don't put as much emphasis on attribution.

International schools also place more of an emphasis on memorization learning rather than original writing and concept creation. This creates a further divide between a student’s expectations and a university’s standards.

Many students struggle at first to adjust to a more vigilant system that is tougher on certain uses of another person’s work.

“I’ve seen people get caught for it, and I’ve thought about, ‘What if they did the same thing back home’ and it’s two completely different consequences because of the notion of what the word means and how much is tolerated,” said Smaran Shantharaju, a University of Virginia student from India.

WATCH: Plagiarism and international students

Educators and researchers alike have also pointed to the stress of university classes as a contributor to rates of plagiarism.

Among international students, the stresses of a new environment, new language, and new education system make educational resources on plagiarism and academic guidelines vital in any university hoping to aid international students.

“You’re facing many different cultural and social differences in terms of how people treat you, which could add on unreasonable pressure. You could be thinking that if everything else isn't working, I want to be good at something, so you spend your time stressing on education and you no longer see what’s right or wrong,” Shantharaju said.

Universities taking action

Universities are stepping up their efforts to address this lack of understanding on U.S. standards of academic integrity. Writing centers, mandatory workshops and other resources have become a focus for universities trying to educate incoming international students.

Schools such as Western Kentucky University and Columbia University graduate school have adopted plagiarism tutorials, requiring incoming students to complete an academic integrity workshop.

In recent years, universities like California State University, Los Angeles have made plagiarism statements mandatory on all course syllabi, so students can gain a clearer understanding of what each professor expects.

These small measures have been created specifically to provide simple explanations and resources to all students.

Jayati Chaudhuri, a Cal State university librarian and researcher who runs plagiarism workshops, says schools must adopt a more comprehensive effort to educate foreign students.

Educators like Chaudhuri have found the biggest motivator for students to learn about plagiarism comes only after they have received a poor grade or been caught for plagiarism and sent to their university’s writing center.

Although progress has been made as universities identify a disconnect between their expectations and international students, a divide remains in how these students are being informed. Chaudhuri says different departments and educators must work jointly to give students ample opportunities to learn.

“There has to be a collaboration of faculty, librarians, and international student education,” said Chaudhuri. “And there has to be more writing intensive courses or training for students.”

“We need to offer it in the beginning of their academic careers, so when they are actually going through a semester, they are well-equipped to fight this problem.”

It’s tough to gain admission to Yale University, and it’s getting even tougher for international students as standout students from around the world set their sights on Yale.

The Yale Dale News, the campus newspaper, takes a look at the situation here.

Read the full story here.

Ruth Chane, a computer science major from Ethiopia, writes about her experiences settling into student life at Whitman College in the U.S. state of Washington.

"The community at Whitman College made sure I felt welcomed even before I stepped foot on campus," she says.

Read her essay here.

In The Student Life, the student newspaper for the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five liberal art colleges and two graduate schools in Claremont, California, student Rochelle Lu writes about readjusting to her Shanghai home after spending a semester in the United States.

Read the full story here.

Cedarville University in the U.S. state of Ohio says it’s got more than 140 international students representing 44 countries.

Here, the school interviews Jonathan Sutton, director of international student services. He talks about his job and the opportunities for international students on campus.

Read the full article here.

Morehouse College, a private, historically Black liberal arts college in the U.S. state of Georgia, offers a guide for international students interested in attending the school.

Among the tips to apply and thrive at Morehouse:

• Take advantage of the school’s orientation program
• Turn to the school’s Center for Academic Success for tutoring, support and more
• Immerse yourself in campus life via clubs and societies

Read the full article here.

The administration of President Donald Trump said on Monday it will review Columbia University's federal contracts and grants over allegations of antisemitism, which it says the educational institution has shown inaction in tackling.

Rights advocates note rising antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias since U.S. ally Israel's devastating military assault on Gaza began after Palestinian Hamas militants' deadly October 2023 attack.

The Justice Department said a month ago it formed a task force to fight antisemitism. The U.S. Departments of Health and Education and the General Services Administration jointly made the review announcement on Monday.

"The Federal Government's Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is considering Stop Work Orders for $51.4 million in contracts between Columbia University and the Federal Government," the joint statement said.

The agencies said no contracting actions had been taken yet.

"The task force will also conduct a comprehensive review of the more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments to Columbia University."

The agencies did not respond to requests for comment on whether there were similar reviews over allegations of Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias.

Columbia had no immediate comment. It previously said it made efforts to tackle antisemitism.

College protests

Trump has signed an executive order to combat antisemitism and pledged to deport non-citizen college students and others who took part in pro-Palestinian protests.

Columbia was at the center of college protests in which demonstrators demanded an end to U.S. support for Israel due to the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's assault on Gaza. There were allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia in protests and counter-protests.

During last summer's demonstrations around the country, classes were canceled, some university administrators resigned and student protesters were suspended and arrested.

While the intensity of protests has decreased in recent months, there were some demonstrations last week in New York after the expulsion of two students at Columbia University-affiliated Barnard College and after New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered the removal of a Palestinian studies job listing at Hunter College.

A third student at Barnard College has since been expelled, this one related to the occupation of the Hamilton Hall building at Columbia last year.

The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.

It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.

In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.

Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.

Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.

"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.

The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.

An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."

House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."

Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.

Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.

The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.

"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."

The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.

STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)

U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.

Read the full story here. (January 2025)

US News & World Report details the three top factors in foreign students' decision to study in the U.S. They include research opportunities and the reputation of U.S. degrees. Read the full story here. (December 2024)

A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.

Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.

Read the full story here. (December 2024)

Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health reaches out to international students by detailing the international student experience at the school.

Learn more about housing, life in Boston and more here.

China issued its first national action plan to build a "strong education nation" by 2035, which it said would help coordinate its education development, improve efficiencies in innovation and build a "strong country."

The plan, issued Sunday by the Communist Party's central committee and the State Council, aims to establish a "high quality education system" with accessibility and quality "among the best in the world."

The announcement was made after data on Friday showed China's population fell for a third consecutive year in 2024, with the number of deaths outpacing a slight increase in births, and experts cautioning that the downturn will worsen in the coming years.

High childcare and education costs have been a key factor for many young Chinese opting out of having children, at a time when many face uncertainty over their job prospects amid sluggish economic growth.

"By 2035, an education power will be built," the official Xinhua news agency said, adding that China would explore gradually expanding the scope of free education, increase "high-quality" undergraduate enrolment, expand postgraduate education, and raise the proportion of doctoral students.

The plan aims to promote "healthy growth and all-round development of students," making sure primary and secondary school students have at least two hours of physical activity daily, to effectively control the myopia, or nearsightedness, and obesity rates.

"Popularizing" mental health education and establishing a national student mental health monitoring and early warning system would also be implemented, it said.

It also aims to narrow the gap between urban and rural areas to improve the operating conditions of small-scale rural schools and improve the care system for children with disabilities and those belonging to agricultural migrant populations.

The plan also aims to steadily increase the supply of kindergarten places and the accessibility of preschool education.

The Open Notebook, a site focusing on educating journalists who cover science, has complied a list of U.S. graduate program financial aid information for international students.

Read it here.