The 2024 Open Doors Report on International Education Exchange reveals that the US hosted 1,126,690 international students from over 210 places of origin in the 2023/24 academic year. This marks a 7% increase from the previous period and records a new all-time high for foreign enrolment in the country. Moreover, the number of new international students enrolling at a US college or university for the first time remained robust, with 298,705 new foreign students, matching last year’s total (0.1%) and pre-pandemic levels.
Promising numbers for continued growth
Open Doors data reported promising numbers at each academic level. International graduate students and students on OPT also reached record highs with growth rates of 8% and 22%, respectively. Meanwhile, the number of international undergraduate students remained stable, with a moderate 1% decrease.
As a further indication of success, nearly 700 US institutions responded to IIE’s fall 2024 snapshot survey, reporting a 3% increase in international enrolment at the start of the 2024/25 academic year. This supports an upward trend, with IIE CEO Allan Goodman commenting, “The next four to five years are going to show a lot of growth in international students coming to the US.”
Changing student demographic
Together, India and China make up over half (54%) of all international students in the US. But for the first time since 2009, India surpassed China to become the leading place of origin. The country sent 331,602 students, reflecting a 23% increase from the prior year. India enrolments increase primarily at graduate (+19%) and OPT academic levels (+41%). Still, China remained the top sending country for undergraduates and non-degree students, despite a 4% overall decline. Chinese students pursuing OPT also increased by 12%.
Notable growth was seen in sub-Saharan Africa, where totals grew by 13%. This represents the highest growth rate among all world regions for the second consecutive year, building on an 18% increase in 2022/23. Nigeria was the top market in sub-Saharan Africa, ranking 7th overall, while Ghana experienced the largest percentage increase at 45% versus the previous year.
Open Doors also outlined all-time high numbers of international students in eight of the top 25 places of origin. These include:
- Bangladesh
- Colombia
- Ghana
- India
- Italy
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Spain.
Many of the fields of study noted increases. However, the majority of international students studied in the STEM fields (56%). At the same time, math and computer science continued to grow as the leading fields of study. One in four (25%) studied math and computer science, while nearly one in five (19%) pursued engineering. Other popular programs include business and management (14%), physical and life sciences (8%), social sciences (8%), and fine and applied arts (5%).
Shifting interest to the US
Reflecting on this year’s growth patterns, IIE’s Heard of Research, Evaluation and Learning Mirka Martel also commented: “Multiple factors contribute to the change in international student numbers, and many of these factors indicate that international enrolments, especially in emerging market economies, will continue to increase. Most of these countries, such as India, Bangladesh, or Nigeria, have expanding tertiary-age populations and fewer options for higher education. As a result, growing numbers of students from these countries are looking to the US to study.”
Goodman also noted the shift of interest due to recent policy changes and looming enrolment limits: “Students are really voting with their feet. They are seeing where [enrolment] caps and restrictions are and they are moving to destinations without caps. This puts the US in a very advantageous position.”
With nearly 4,000 educational institutions overall, the US is well-equipped to host even more international students in the coming years. However, despite the reported all-time highs, international students only make up 6% of total students in the country. This compares to around 26% in the UK and Australia and almost 40% in Canada.
Valuable economic impact
A complementary analysis by NAFSA found that international students at US colleges and universities contributed US$43.8 billion and supported 378,175 jobs in 2023/24. These totals indicate that one American job is created or supported for every three foreign students enrolled in the country.
“International students’ contributions to the US are significant and multi-faceted, and this year’s record-breaking economic total is the latest proof of that,” said NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Fanta Aw. “Yet we cannot be complacent… The United States must adopt more proactive policies to attract and retain global talent. We cannot afford to lose international students’ meaningful positive impact on American students’ global competence, our economies and our communities, particularly in the areas of STEM-related research and innovation.”
As the US remains among the most preferred study destinations for international students, upGrad GSP is ready to help you assist your students in pursuing their education in the country. Contact us to learn more about opportunities in the US!
