International Student Enrollment in USA is at Peak in 2023-2024

USA is reaping the rewards of remaining consistent with their policies and quality of education, at a time where other top international study destinations are constantly chopping and changing the norms to curb international student numbers and prevent overburdening their resources, as a result USA has benefitted from this and as per the Open Doors report, close to 11 lakh international students are actively studying in USA including OPT enrolments in 2023-2024, indicating a 7% increase from last year.

The overall scenario also includes a 22% increase in the OPT, while an 8% increase in graduate student numbers when we consider it on a year-on-year basis, so while it needs to be celebrated, we need to be aware that students’ part of the OPT are also counted as international students in this survey. 883,000 students are enrolled in universities and colleges, while the other estimated 240,000 are pursuing their OPT.

USA is proud of the international student numbers it is hosting in 2023-2024 and at the same time acknowledges what qualities the international student brings to their culture, enriching it multifold. At the same time the USA bodies involved in the international education market know that they cannot rest on their laurels, they need to keep setting the pace, keep innovating and providing students with enough reason to keep choosing USA. They want the best students to study in their country and for that they need to keep adding fresh approaches to teaching and learning, so that they can be the first choice for students for the longest time.

International students generate close to 4 lakh jobs in the USA, directly or indirectly which accounts for every third student of international origin, generates a job in the USA labor market. Hence the USA is also aware of the importance of the international student market, which roughly generates US$ 43 billion annually. India has become the largest sender in the previous year sending close to 3.5 lakh students, India and China together account for more than half of the total international chunk of students. All the major sending markets in the USA were on an upward curve in 2022-2023.

Underlying factors like the upcoming young population in South Asia, the lack of options in the international market have also contributed to the increasing share of international students in the USA. The USA continues to make efforts and retain its cluster of international students and retain its glory as the preferred study destination for international pupils. The USA knows the impact international students have on their economy, understanding what they bring and how important they are, USA universities continue to spend further, without cutting down on expenses, knowing and hoping that international student numbers are only going to increase in the coming years.

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