Today kicks off International Education Week. Already, the IIE Open Doors Report was presented with data showing international enrollment trends. It was a great presentation, and here are my 5 takeaways:
1. Fastest growth rate in 40 years
The number of international students studying in the US grew by 12 percent, which is the largest growth rate in 40 years. This number may never be reached again without another global event, but it attests to the strength of international students.
2. Largest year-on-year growth in US history
The number of international students studying in the US grew by 108,000 students. This is the largest year-on-year growth in US history. New international enrollments is up to 298,523; which is greater than it was in 2018/19 pre-pandemic at 269,383.
3. STEM is strong, especially in the US
Over half (55%) of international students in the US are studying STEM majors. This is above the 44% of international students globally who are studying STEM. This may have to do with the attractiveness of extended OPT by majoring in STEM.
4. Record level of graduate students
Graduate students account for a record 21 percent of all international students studying in the US. This large percent is largely attributed to a large increase in masters studies – an increase by 37 percent.
5. China, India, and Korea are the top three markets
China, India, and Korea are the top three markets for international students studying in the US – accounting for over half of all students (602,296 of 1,057,188 or 57%). China and India are still the largest markets by a large margin (China at 290K, India at 269K, and Korea at 44K). Though South Korea is the third largest market for US education, it accounts for only four percent of all international students – indicating a very diversified market for international enrollments.
Our prediction for next year will be a record number of international students in the US. This will be achieved by maintaining a high number of first-year students while at the same time seeing more students continue enrollments and transition into OPT. This year could have been a record if it weren’t for the drop of first-year students during COVID which had continuing impact on today’s enrollment and OPT figures. The future is bright for the US.
#OpenDoorsReport #IEW2023 #
https://www.iie.org/research-initiatives/open-doors/
https://www.studyplans.org
