Ranked: U.S. International Students by Country

Related stories

Ribadu, CDS Reel Out Laudable Achievements In Addressing Insecurity

The National Security Adviser to the President, Malam Nuhu...

Drama as Senate Insist NNPCL’s led Ojulari Must Explain N210 Trillion Audit Discrepancies

By Hamilton Nwosu  The Nigerian Senate’s Public Accounts Committee has...

2027: SGF Akume Begs Atiku, Kwankwaso, Other Northerners to Defer Ambitions Until 2031

By Hamilton Nwosu Senator George Akume, the Secretary to the...

Egypt’s Growing LNG Imports Could Reshape Global Markets

Egypt turned from a net LNG exporter to a...

Thailand accuses Cambodia of violating hours-old ceasefire

Thailand has accused Cambodia of "deliberately" violating a ceasefire...
  • China and India accounted for more than half of total international student intake during the 2023/24 year
  • Overall, the U.S. welcomed 1,126,690 students from over 210 different countries

Despite travel bans by the current U.S. administration, international education remains a cornerstone of the U.S. academic landscape. In the 2023/24 academic year, over 1.1 million international students enrolled in U.S. institutions.

In this infographic, we break down where these students come from, ranking the top source countries.

Data & Discussion

The data for this visualization comes from Open Doors. It highlights U.S. international students by country, showing both numeric totals and their percentage shares of the overall intake.

Country Number of Students
(2023/2024 Year)
Percentage
🇮🇳 India 331,602 29.4%
🇨🇳 China 277,398 24.6%
🇰🇷 South Korea 43,149 3.8%
🇨🇦 Canada 28,998 2.6%
🇹🇼 Taiwan 23,144 2.1%
🇻🇳 Vietnam 22,066 2.0%
🇳🇬 Nigeria 21,975 2.0%
🇧🇩 Bangladesh 17,099 1.5%
🇧🇷 Brazil 16,877 1.5%
🇳🇵 Nepal 16,742 1.5%
🇲🇽 Mexico 15,994 1.4%
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 14,829 1.3%
🇯🇵 Japan 13,598 1.2%
🇮🇷 Iran 12,490 1.1%
🇵🇰 Pakistan 11,133 1.0%
🇬🇧 UK 10,473 0.9%
🇨🇴 Colombia 10,420 0.9%
🇬🇭 Ghana 9,394 0.8%
🇩🇪 Germany 9,230 0.8%
🇹🇷 Türkiye 8,972 0.8%
🇪🇸 Spain 8,842 0.8%
🇫🇷 France 8,543 0.8%
🇮🇩 Indonesia 8,145 0.7%
🇮🇹 Italy 6,345 0.6%
🇭🇰 Hong Kong 5,627 0.5%
🌐 Other 175,624 15.6%
📊 Total 1,126,690 100.0%

India Surpasses China as the Top Source

India sent over 331,000 students to the U.S. last year, surpassing China’s 277,000. This shift reflects a growing trend seen over the past few years as Chinese enrollments have declined.

As The New York Times reports, expanding middle-class ambitions have helped India take the lead, though the recent halt on visa interviews is throwing things into disarray. The U.S. also happens to have the largest Indian immigrant population in the world.

Smaller Countries See Growth

While giants like India and China dominate, countries like BangladeshNepal, and Nigeria have quietly grown their presence.

According to the 2023/24 Open Doors report, Bangladesh and Nepal both reached all-time highs, while Nigerian enrollment grew by 13.5% year-over-year.

Declines in South Korean Enrollment

Some countries are sending fewer students. South Korea, while still the third largest source, sent 43,149 students in 2023/24, down from 73,351 in 2010/11.

One reason could be South Korea’s declining fertility rate, which results in fewer young people enrolling in higher education both domestically and abroad.

Credit: Visual Capitalist 
The New Diplomat
The New Diplomathttps://newdiplomatng.com/
At The New Diplomat, we stand for ethical journalism, press freedom, accountable Republic, and gender equity. That is why at The New Diplomat, we are committed to speaking truth to power, fostering a robust community of responsible journalism, and using high-quality polls, data, and surveys to engage the public with compelling narratives about political, business, socio-economic, environmental, and situational dynamics in Nigeria, Africa, and globally.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
Ribadu, CDS Reel Out Laudable Achievements In Addressing InsecurityDrama as Senate Insist NNPCL's led Ojulari Must Explain N210 Trillion Audit Discrepancies2027: SGF Akume Begs Atiku, Kwankwaso, Other Northerners to Defer Ambitions Until 2031Egypt’s Growing LNG Imports Could Reshape Global MarketsThailand accuses Cambodia of violating hours-old ceasefire(VIDEO) Anxities as Ghanaians Ask Nigerians to leave Ghana in Viral VideoPeter Obi Warns, Says FG's Borrowing 'll Mortgage Nigerians future, debt Nearing ₦200 TrillionTinubu’s $3m Cash Reward to Super Falcons is Profligacy By Yemi AdebowaleArtificial Intelligence and God’s Plan for Humanity: A Case for Hope, Progress, and PurposeWhen Will This Call to Service End? By Johnson Babalola(VIDEO) Why I Didn’t Watch WAFCON Final– Tinubu Reveals God says, let there be movement, Nigeria Police says no! By Owei LakemfaOil Prices Climb as U.S. and EU Reach Historic Tariff AgreementBreaking! Tinubu Bestows National Honours on Super FalconsEkiti Guber: Fayose Backs Oyebanji, As Ekiti topshots throw Weight Behind State Governor's Re-Election 
X whatsapp