The number of international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities increased 12% in 2022-23, according to the just-released Open Doors report by the Institute of International Education (IIE). Total international enrollment stood at 1,057,188, up more than 100,000 students over the 2021-22 total.
The strong increase – it was the fastest growth rate in more than 40 years – brought international enrollment back to near pre-pandemic levels, with international students representing 5.6% of the total number of college students.
Graduate Students and First Years Particularly Strong
While international numbers increased in almost every category, graduate programs led the way, with a whopping 21% increase, representing a surge of more than 80,000 students over the prior year. Undergraduate enrollment, on the other hand, rose by only .9%.
First-time international enrollment was up 14%, another strong showing that reinforces the 80% increase that occurred in 2021-22, following the worst of the pandemic fall-out when 2020-21 saw a decrease of about 100,000 students.
All major fields of study experience increases, with the majority (55%) of students majoring in the STEM fields. Math and computer science continued to grow as leading fields of study for international students in 2022/23. Just over 240,000 international students studied math and computer science (23%) while more than 202,000 studied engineering (19%).
Other popular fields include business and management (15%), social sciences (8%), physical and life sciences (8%), and the fine and applied arts (5%).
Countries of Origin
China remains the number one source of international students coming to the U.S. even though its overall enrollment (289,526) dropped by .2% last year. Still, that was much less of a decline than the 9% decrease from China in 2021-22 and the 15% drop-off in 2020-21.
India was in the second spot, and contrary to China, was on the upswing, with a 35% increase in students (268,923) coming to the U.S. That represents the highest number of students from India in the report’s history.
South Korea ranked third with 43,847 students (a 7.6% increase), followed by Canada (27,876 students, a 3.2% increase) and Vietnam (21,900 students, a 5.7% increase)
Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest rate of growth among world regions, rising by 18%. Notably, Ghana placed among the top 25 places of origin for the first time in Open Doors history.
Leading U.S. Institutions
The top ten U.S. universities for international student enrollment were:
- New York University (24,496 students)
- Northeastern University (20,637)
- Columbia University (19,001)
- Arizona State University (17,981)
- University of Southern California (17,264)
- University of Illinois (14,680)
- Boston University (13,281)
- Purdue University (11,872)
- University of California, Berkeley (11,719)
- University of California, San Diego (10,431)
A Welcome Rebound
The report offers very good news to higher education leaders, who continue to struggle to maintain overall enrollment levels. While early estimates are that college enrollment is up nationwide about 2% for the fall 2023 semester, that’s the first increase since the beginning of the pandemic, and it comes after several years of eroding numbers before then.
International students are attractive to U.S. institutions for several reasons. They bring new perspectives to campus. They generally come well-prepared for academic success. And many of them pay the full fare of tuition, making them an excellent source of revenue for institutions. Competition for them has heated up across the globe so this strong showing by the U.S. is an encouraging sign.
“Over one million international students studying in the U.S. reflects a strong rebound, with the number approaching pre-pandemic levels. This reinforces that the U.S. remains the destination of choice for international students wishing to study abroad, as it has been for more than a century,” said Allan E. Goodman, IIE’s CEO. “The Open Doors 2023 Report emphasizes that international education is resilient and also integral to universities and countries looking to support global innovation, collaboration, and peace.”
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