The number of international students in the US has increased more than 40-fold from less than 30,000 students in 1949-50 to an all-time high of over 1.12 million in 2023-24, hailing from more than 200 countries. For the first time after 2008-09, India has emerged as the leading place of origin for international students in the US, overtaking China.
The United States of America (US) is a popular choice among students worldwide seeking academic excellence and career prospects. The country’s world-renowned universities, diverse academic programs, and cutting-edge research opportunities are major attractions. American institutions offer flexibility in courses, allowing students to specialize in various fields, especially in STEM. Beyond high-quality education, studying in the US provides valuable cultural exchange, language development, and networking opportunities. Programs like Optional Practical Training (OPT) enable international students to gain work experience after graduation, further enhancing their career prospects.
The Open Doors Report on International Education Exchange is an annual survey that provides comprehensive data on international students in the US. Funded by the US Department of State, the report covers key details such as students’ countries of origin, financial support sources, fields of study, host institutions, and academic levels. The data is used by US embassies, government departments, and policy organizations for informed decision-making. The report for 2024 was released recently on 18 November 2024 during International Education Week, marking the 75th anniversary of the Open Doors report.
Datasets based on the Open Doors report on Indian Students studying in US and International Students studying in US are available on Dataful.
An all-time high of over 1.12 million international students in the US in 2023-24
The number of international students in the US has increased more than 40-fold from less than 30,000 students in 1949-50 to an all-time high of over 1.12 million in 2023-24. These 1.12 million students hailed from more than 200 countries across the world. Over the past 75 years, the number of international students has consistently increased, with only two notable declines: between 2002-03 and 2004-05, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and stricter visa policies, and in 2019-20, 2020-21, caused by the policies in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, which led to travel restrictions. Following the pandemic, it was only in the 2023-24 academic year that the number of international students in the U.S. surpassed the pre-pandemic levels.
International students accounted for 6% of the total U.S. higher education population and, according to the US Department of Commerce, contributed more than $50 billion to the US economy in 2023. The report also noted that the number of new international students enrolling at a US college or university for the first time remained robust, with 298,705 new international students in 2023-24, matching pre-pandemic levels.
7 in 10 international students in the US are from Asia
Students from Asia continue to account for the lion’s share of international students in the US. The share of students from Asia has increased from 66.1% in 2015-16 to 71.5% in 2023-24, even though there was a marginal decline during the COVID-19 years. During this period, the share of students from Sub-Saharan Africa has gone up from 3.4% in 2015-16 to 5% in 2023-24 while that from the Middle East and North Africa has dropped from 10.4% to 4.6%.
In each of the years since 2014-15, the top 25 places of origin of international students in the US account for an average of more than 80% of all international students that year. In 2023-24, eight countries among the top 25 recorded their highest-ever number of students in the US. These countries include Bangladesh, Colombia, Ghana, India, Italy, Nepal, Pakistan, and Spain. The number of students from countries like Hong Kong, the UK, and Vietnam are yet to reach the pre-pandemic levels.
Number of students from China and Saudi Arabia continues to decline
During this period, there was a considerable decline in the number of students from China, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan, the UK, and Germany. A closer look reveals that the number of students from China increased steadily until the 2019-20 academic year, after which it began to decline, largely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020. Meanwhile, the number of students from Saudi Arabia has been on a continuous decline since 2015-16, dropping to less than one-fourth of its 2015-16 level in the 2023-24 academic year.
India and China together continue to account for more than 50% of the international students
China and India together continue to account for more than 50% of the international students since 2016-17. For the first time after 2008-09, India has emerged as the leading place of origin for international students in the US, overtaking China. The number of students from India recorded a 23% increase in 2023-24 as compared to 2022-23, crossing 0.33 million. China was the second leading place of origin for 0.27 million students despite a 4% decline in 2023-24.
The trend in the number of students from the top 15 countries of origin is given in the following chart. These 15 countries were the places of origin for more than 13,000 students each in each of these years.
More Indian and international students are pursuing Math and Computer Science related courses
In terms of the field of study of international students in the US, the share of students pursuing Math and Computer Science has increased from 11.6% in 2014-15 to 24.9% in 2023-24. Simultaneously, the share of Indian students pursuing the same has gone up from 31.4% to 42.9%. During this period, the share of international students pursuing Engineering declined from 20.2% to 18.7% while that of Indian students fell from 37.5% to 24.5%. Since 2021-22, the share of Indian students in Math and Computer Science has been higher than that in engineering, emerging as the leading field of study. The share of Indian students pursuing Math and Computer Science and Engineering-related courses continues to be higher than the global average of international students pursuing these courses.
STEM-related courses include engineering, health professions, math and computer science, and physical and life sciences. The share of international students pursuing STEM-related courses has increased from 42.8% in 2014-15 to 54.7% in 2023-24 while that of Indian students decreased from 80.4% to 75.5%. On the other hand, the share of Indian students pursuing ‘other fields of study’ and ‘health professions’ has increased.
Undergraduate courses were the most popular among international students since 2010-11 and until 2020-21. However, since the pandemic, there has been a stark increase in the number of international students pursuing graduate courses in the US. The number of international students in Optional Practical Training (OPT) has also risen, accounting for 21% of the total 1.12 million.
OPT is a temporary employment that is directly related to a student’s major area of study. Eligible students can apply to receive up to 12 months of OPT employment authorization before their student visa expires. Students who earned a degree in certain science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields may apply for a 24-month extension of OPT. In other words, those students who pursue STEM courses can opt for three years of OPT or temporary employment before their student visa expires. Meanwhile, the number of International graduate students and students on OPT has reached record highs.
Among Indian students, the share of Indian students pursuing OPT had increased to 43.9% until 2020-21 and declined since then. The majority of the Indian students, around 60%, pursued graduate (Masters) courses and about 27% were in OPT in 2022-23 and 2023-24. Meanwhile, there has been no visible change in the share of Indian students in undergraduate courses and others.
The share of students funded by foreign governments and universities has reduced while those funded by current employment have increased
Just like in previous years, the primary source of funding for over 55% of the international students in the US continues to be through personal or family funding and about 19% through US colleges and universities since the pandemic. Around 22% are funded through their current employment and the share has risen in the last three years. Compared to 2015-16, the share of students funded by family/personal has dropped by more than 10 percentage points while those funded by US Colleges/Universities have improved. In 2015-16, only about 6.6% of the students depended on their current employment. The share of students funded by foreign governments and universities has reduced from over 7% to 1.8% in the last 9 years.
These figures clearly indicate a growing trend of Indian students choosing to study abroad, particularly after the pandemic. The US, along with countries like Canada and the UK, remains a premier destination for Indian students due to its high-quality education, diverse academic programs, and post-graduation opportunities.
