Mexico looks to US and beyond to recruit staff and students

Times Higher Education

Tom Williams

July 27, 2023

CETYS Universidad in Baja California, Mexico has a target of 5 per cent of its students to come from outside the country. But in reality, it has already far surpassed this goal thanks to what its rector calls a “special breed” of international student.

With campuses in Mexicali and Tijuana, CETYS is just minutes from the US border and its rector, Fernando León García, said students based in nearby San Diego were increasingly opting to live in one country but study in another.

They are attracted by the competitive tuition fees and CETYS’ accreditation in the US, which means that they can access loans from the US State Department as well as the university’s own scholarships.

But also, according to Dr León García, students have seen a chance in Mexico to access employment and other opportunities that might be inaccessible in the hypercompetitive world of US universities.

Beyond the day trippers, CETYS is one of several Mexican universities looking to expand their global reach, attracting both students and faculty from overseas.

At the Monterrey Institute of Technology (“Tec”), 500 international students will start this year out of a cohort of 12,000, and the institution is aiming to double this in the years ahead.

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