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International Students Studying in the United States: Trends and Impacts 2024

A Boundless report uses public data to examine how international student enrollment has changed over time

KEY FINDINGS

  1. Rising Numbers: International student enrollment in the U.S. continued to rebound in 2023, with over 1.5 million students, a 10.4% increase from 2022.
  2. Economic Impact: International students contributed $40 billion to the U.S. economy and supported over 368,000 jobs during the 2022-2023 academic year.
  3. STEM Dominance: Most international students are pursuing degrees in STEM fields, with Computer Science and Business Administration as the most popular majors.
  4. Geographic Concentration: Nearly half of all international students study in California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts, and Florida.
  5. Diverse Origins: Over 70% of international students in the U.S. come from Asia, with India and China leading as the top countries of origin.
  6. Increased Outreach: U.S. colleges are ramping up efforts to recruit international students, partly due to a drop in domestic enrollment.
  7. Limited Capacity Elsewhere: While other countries like Canada and the U.K. are nearing capacity for hosting international students, the U.S. has significant room to grow, with international students making up just 6% of higher education enrollment.
  8. Work Experience: In 2023, 160,627 students participated in Optional Practical Training (OPT), a 37% increase from the previous year.
  9. Majority STEM: Of those, roughly 122,000 were in STEM OPT, with the majority of students coming from India (39%) and China (23.7%).

The United States is strengthened by international perspectives. A key part of that equation involves supporting, investing in, and welcoming international students to college campuses. The United States has historically been a top destination for students, driven by the opportunities for research, professional advancement, and social opportunities. International students are also a barometer of the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of changing rhetoric toward immigrants, and perceptions of the United States on the global stage. 

By examining the contributions and trends of international students in the United States, we can more clearly understand the power of remaining connected — both at home and abroad.

A Look at International Students in the U.S.

International student mobility refers to the enrollment of international students in proportion to total students in the host country. There are more than 1.5 million enrolled in the United States, making up 5.5% of the total U.S. student body. 

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), part of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations, identifies international students as “nonimmigrants” — that is, any foreign national who temporarily visits the United States to fulfill a specific purpose, such as business or study.

Nonimmigrant students are eligible for the following visas: 

J-1 exchange visitors: Those selected to participate in a U.S. Department of State-designated exchange visitor program

F-1 students: Those who seek to complete an academic course of study at an SEVP-certified school or program

M-1 students: Those whose primary purpose is to complete a vocational course of study at an SEVP-certified school or program 

In 2023, international students in the United States came from more than 238 countries and represented every continent in the world, with the exception of Antarctica. Due to the large number of students coming from China and India, more than 70% of international students in the U.S. come from Asia. All six continents saw an increase in the number of students coming to the United States. We’ll explore some potential reasons below.

In May 2021, Duolingo published a report that examined 2020 international education trends based on the number of students sharing their English proficiency results to programs around the world. The list of top-sharing countries included the debut of Kyrgyzstan and Nigeria.

Historically, these countries have not been top countries of origin for students entering higher education in the United States. This trend signals that significant numbers of students from wider geographic regions are seeking international higher education opportunities.

Top Areas of Study for International Students

Most international students come to the United States to enroll in higher education — specifically, SEVP-certified associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral programs. Most students pursue degrees in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math), as well as business and management. In the 2022-2023 academic year, Computer Ccience, Second Language Learning, and Business Administration and Management topped the list of most popular majors.

Top Institutions for International Students

To maintain their visas, F-1 students must attend schools that are SEVP-certified. In 2023, seven schools enrolled more than 15,000 F-1 students: Northeastern University, New York University, Columbia University, Arizona State University, University of Illinois, University of Southern California, and Boston University.

Where International Students Call Home in the United States

International students study throughout the United States, but nearly half of all international students study in the following states: California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts and Florida.

Contributions of International Students in the U.S.

Having so many international students on U.S. college campuses has an immediate economic impact. For one, international students usually pay higher tuition than domestic students in public universities because they do not qualify for state residency tuition breaks (private schools generally do not charge different tuition fees for U.S. and foreign-born students, though tuition at private institutions is generally higher than public colleges and universities). They contributed $40 billion to the U.S. economy and supported 368,333 jobs during the 2022-2023 academic year.

But international students stimulate more than just the economy; they also enhance the intellectual and cultural environment for American students. The relationships and experiences shared by domestic and foreign students have long-lasting impacts on personal, socioeconomic, and even political growth.

Researchers at Duke University surveyed alumni from several universities roughly 5, 10, and 20 years after graduation. The study found that U.S. students who actively interacted with international students reported better self-confidence, leadership, quantitative skills, and overall intellectual growth. Later in life, participants were more likely to appreciate art and literature, be able to place current problems in historical context, read or speak a foreign language, reexamine their political and religious beliefs, and reassess their beliefs about other races or ethnicities.

“A larger number of international students on campus could provide more opportunities for domestic students to interact across cultures and challenge their existing belief and value systems,” the researchers wrote.

According to a 2023 report by the UK-based Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), the United States is the most popular place of study for overseas students who go on to become political leaders in their home countries. This is significant because research has found that when international students develop positive relationships with their host countries, they are more likely to have future visits, do business, and maintain fruitful relationships with that country.

HEPI researchers write: “Growth in the number of people crossing borders for higher education has been so strong in recent years that any country that is not increasing its numbers significantly is falling back against its competitors in terms of global share.”

Optional Practical Training

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a program that allows international students on F-1 visas to work temporarily in a field related to their major area of study. Students are eligible to apply for up to 12 months of OPT either during their studies (pre-completion OPT) or after completing their degree (post-completion OPT).

For students in certain STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields, there is an opportunity to extend the OPT period by an additional 24 months. OPT provides valuable work experience and is often a step toward securing longer-term employment in the U.S.

Why OPT Is Beneficial for U.S. Employers

Optional Practical Training (OPT) gives U.S. employers access to highly skilled international graduates from U.S. universities. These students bring fresh perspectives, specialized knowledge, and technical skills, particularly in high-demand fields like STEM. OPT allows employers to hire talented individuals without needing to immediately sponsor them for a work visa. This gives them time to determine if they want to hire the student permanently and sponsor them for a longer term work visa. It also helps companies stay competitive by bringing in fresh, diverse talent.

In 2023, there were 160,627 pre- and post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) students who held an employment authorization document (EAD) and reported working for an employer, compared to 117,301 students in 2022 — a 36.9% increase.

Of that total, 122,101 international students participated in STEM OPT, with the majority coming from India (39.1%) and China (23.7%).

Changes in International Student Enrollment Over Time

First, the obvious: the COVID-19 pandemic had a marked impact on international student enrollment, but 2023 showed enrollments continue to rebound.

According to the SEVP, there were 1,503,649 active records for F-1 and M-1 students in 2023 — a 10.4% increase from 2022 and the largest number of records since 2019. All four regions of the U.S. — the Northeast, Midwest, South, and West — saw an increase in international student records of between 6% and 13%. The South saw the greatest increase at 13.4%, closely followed by the Midwest, which welcomed 13.2% more international students. This was in contrast to the previous year, in 2022, when the Northeast saw the biggest increase and the South came in third place.

This trend was true across all degree programs in the 2022-2023 school year, with Master’s programs experiencing the largest increase (20%). 

Why More International Students are Studying in the United States

After a drop in international student enrollments during the COVID-19 pandemic, enrollments are rising. Possible reasons for the increase include:

  1. More outreach: According to a 2023 survey by the Institute of International Education (IIE), 92% of colleges and universities said they hoped to increase their international student population and 85% said their funding to recruit more international students was the same or higher than the previous year. One reason for this focused effort to entice more international students is the drop in domestic enrollment — since 2010, the number of American-born students enrolling in undergraduate study has decreased by 10%. 
  2. More capacity: Other countries have a limited number of higher education institutions, or they are running out of capacity to accommodate international students. According to the IIE, international students make up 22-30% of higher education enrollment in Canada and the United Kingdom, limiting their capacity to host more international students. In contrast, international students make up just 6% of higher education enrollment in the U.S. “With almost 4,000 higher education institutions, the United States has the greatest capacity to host international students,” wrote IIE researchers. 
  3. Increase in student visa issuances: The U.S. government has put more resources toward making visa processing more efficient. In 2023, the U.S. issued 446,000 student visas, 8.5% more than in 2022. This marked the most student visas issued in a single year since 2016, continuing the growth seen in 2021 and 2022.
  4. End of COVID-19: The coronavirus pandemic brought travel to a virtual standstill. Once travel restrictions were lifted across the globe, U.S. campuses were thrumming with life once again. According to a 2021 survey by the Council of Graduate Schools, which looked specifically at masters and doctoral programs, the sharp drop-off in international enrollment from fall 2019 to fall 2020 was fueled more by health and travel issues than a drop in interest. 
  5. Friendlier legal immigration policies: In 2020, researchers from Central Michigan University examined “the Trump effect” — the net effect of the Trump administration’s policies, anti-immigrant rhetoric, and shifting requirements for both students and colleges. Although international student enrollment was already declining prior to Donald Trump taking office, new international student enrollment decreased by 6.6% in the 2017-2018 academic year and 0.9% in the 2018-2019 academic year. 

One of the benefits of traveling is being granted the opportunity to experience people, cultures, and belief systems outside of our own — and citizens also benefit when international visitors uproot their lives to work and study in a new country.

There is plenty of evidence for how international students enrich the United States, both economically as well as in making its citizens more globally aware and culturally competent. This in turn could lead to higher levels of international cooperation and peace-building, cultivating a sustainable future for not just this country but the planet as a whole. When we interact with people who broaden and challenge our perspectives, we become more global-minded, more connected, and more culturally competent. In this way, international students are a key part of not just U.S. campus life, but also United States culture as a whole.

About the Data

The following public sources were used: