The Institute of International Education released Fast Facts from Open Doors 2024[1] in Washington DC on 18 November 2024.
The number of international students at US universities and colleges during the 2023/24 academic year increased by 69,502 students or 7% from the previous academic year to the new record high number 1,126,690.
Chart 1 International Student Trends: U.S. shows the trends in numbers over 75 years to 2023/24.
Chart 1: International Student Trends: U.S.
International students accounted for 5.9% of the total US higher education population in 2023/2024 and, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, contributed more than $50 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023.
Source Countries
From the Open Doors Press Release:
India is the top-sending country for the first time since 2009. India sent 331,602 international students to pursue higher education in the United States in 2023/2024, reflecting a 23% increase from the prior year. India enrollments increased primarily at the graduate (196,567; +19%) and Optional Practical Training (OPT) academic levels (97,556; +41%).
China was the second leading place of origin, despite a 4% decline to 277,398 students. It remained the top-sending country for undergraduates and non-degree students, sending 87,551 and 5,517, respectively. Chinese students pursuing OPT increased by 12% to 61,552.
India and China made up over half of all international students in the United States.
Study Abroad
In addition to data on numbers of international students at universities and colleges in U.S., the Open Doors release also included data on U.S. students studying abroad, in 2022/23. In respect of students incoming to U.S., Open Doors 2021 reports on numbers in 2023/24. But in respect of students outgoing from U.S., Open Doors reports on numbers in 2022/2023.\
Chart 2: U.S. Study Abroad Trends
Destination Countries
From the Open Doors Press Release
The Open Doors Report shows that in the 2022/23 academic year, 280,716 U.S. students studied abroad for academic credit, an increase of 49% from the prior year and signalling further growth after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, and France remained the leading host destinations, with nearly half (45%) of all students studying in these top four destinations.
Study abroad destinations further diversified post-pandemic, with Australia and New Zealand back in the 25 leading destinations for U.S. study abroad students.
Italy, United Kingdom, Spain and France remained the most popular destinations. In 2022/23, 64% of U.S. students who studied abroad went to Europe. 6,135 students (2.2%) studied abroad in Australia.
Access to Study Abroad
In November 2024, Open Doors reported that numbers equivalent to 9.3% of completing U.S. domestic undergraduates pursuing bachelor degrees undertook study abroad in 2022/23, from 5.9% in 2021/22, but still down from 16.1% in 2018/19, 16.0% in 2017/18, 16.0% in 2016/17 and 15.5% in 2015/16.
Strategy and Policy are guided by Research in Education.
Detail is in the paper International Students in US: Open Doors 2024 at the What’s New page of http://www.spre.com.au
[1] https://opendoorsdata.org/ downloaded 19 November 2024
