Chapter 4: Domestic and Immigrant Entrepreneurs: A Significant Disparity

Entrepreneurship and innovation, major sources of jobs and economic vitality, are prominent in economic development discussions today. How can we increase the number of entrepreneurs and amount of innovation, and what is the role of higher education? A recent study by “Think New Mexico” concludes that international graduates are far more likely to become entrepreneurs than domestic graduates. This chapter addresses 3 key questions: (a) Why does the domestic/international disparity exist? (b) Could universities produce more entrepreneurial graduates, perhaps making international students’ status a special asset? (c) What are the policy implications—would this be the right thing to do?