International Student Enrollment in 2023 Matches Pre-Pandemic Levels

HI INDIA NEWS DESK

WASHINGTON, DC – The number of international students in the U.S. surged from 2022 to 2023, reaching 1,503,649 active F-1 and M-1 students, a 10% increase according to a new report by Boundless. This growth marks a significant rebound in international student enrollment, nearly returning to pre-pandemic levels.

The increase is attributed to several factors. U.S. institutions have ramped up recruitment efforts to offset declining domestic enrollments, and the country’s higher education system still has capacity to welcome more students, unlike Canada and the U.K., which are nearing their limits. The U.S. government also issued 446,000 student visas in 2023, the highest number since 2016, representing an 8.5% rise from 2022.

The report highlights that international students are drawn from various countries and pursue degrees across all regions of the U.S., with California hosting the most students. Additionally, the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which allows students on F-1 visas to work in their field of study, saw a 37% increase in participation, with 160,627 students in 2023. Notably, 122,101 of these students were in STEM fields, with the majority coming from India (39%) and China (23.7%).

This increase underscores the continued appeal of U.S. higher education for international students and the growing importance of STEM education in the global job market.