One of the main takeaways in the latest SEVIS by the Numbers report was that the US recorded its most active students since 2019. When the report was fresh off the press, we dove into some of the year-over-year shifts for US census regions, source markets, and primary majors.
But how did 2022 compare to the pre-pandemic 2019? Has there been a shift in the largest student markets, and which emerging markets are growing the fastest? And how have the subjects that students pursue in the US changed?
Join us as we dive into the ever-evolving US international education sector.
Key Insights at a Glance
- The 1.3 million active international students in the US in 2022 was 11% below the pre-pandemic year 2019.1
- California accounted for 43% of the overall drop in active international students between 2019 and 2022.
- 5 of the US’s top 10 Latin American student populations grew by over 16% over this period.
- Computer science attracted 18% more international students in 2022 than it did in 2019, becoming the sector’s top pursued major.
Comparing Current and Pre-Pandemic SEVIS Data
There were over 1.3 million active students in the US in 2022. The graphs below show how that compares to the US’s pre-pandemic active student count:
Calendar year 2022 was an impressive 10% jump over 2021. But next to 2019? It came in 11% below the pre-pandemic student count.
However, the larger snapshot tells a more complete story. The active international student count in the US declined at a near-consistent rate from 2017 through 2019. The total count for 2022 was nearly a perfect continuation of that trendline following the pandemic-related outliers of 2020 and 2021.
California Accounts for Large Percentage of Overall Drop
Three of four US Census regions hosted over 400,000 students in 2019, while only the Northeast surpassed this total in 2022. The chart below shows this shift:
The West experienced the largest decline in active students from 2019 to 2022. While the other census regions dropped either 6% or 7% over this period, the West dropped by a whopping 20%.
California played a massive role in this shift. In 2019, nearly 295,000 international students pursued an education in the Golden State. That was almost 70,000 more than in 2022, accounting for 43% of the overall drop in the US last year.
While California remains the most popular US destination among international students, other states are closing the gap. The Golden State accounted for just over 16% of all active students in the US in 2022, a decline of nearly three percentage points from 2019.
Texas hosted 4% more students in 2022 compared to 2019, the only top five state to grow over this period.
India and Nigeria Among the Top Growing Student Populations
What student populations contributed the most to the overall drop from 2019 to 2022? And what are some growing markets that institutions can focus their recruitment efforts on? The chart below shows how the top 10 source markets in 2022 changed compared to 2019:
The US hosted 150,000 fewer Chinese students in 2022 compared to 2019, a drop of nearly 32%. China’s zero-COVID policy likely contributed to this shift, and with this policy concluding in late 2022, the US’s international education sector should look to rebuild and develop new supports for Chinese students to reignite its largest market.
But China wasn’t the only top source market to trend downward over this period. Five others fell by at least 18%, including a massive 54% drop in Saudi Arabian students. This decline in Saudi Arabian students aligns with a shift toward smaller, more targeted scholarships for those students, with self-funded students expected to drive future Saudi Arabian outflows.
The top source markets that grew over this period include India and Nigeria, both up 19%. The US hosted nearly 48,000 more Indian students in 2022 than it did in 2019. Combined with China’s declining student count, India is trending toward becoming the US’s largest student population in 2023, one of our five international education predictions for the year.
To see how the US compares to other destination countries in attracting Indian students, check out our deep dive into the state of the Indian market.
US Could Take Advantage of Expected UK Policy Change
The UK is expected to limit dependant visas for some international master’s students. Indian and Nigerian students—two top student populations that grew in the US from 2019 to 2022—are expected to be the most affected by the potential policy shift.
The US’s international education sector has recently benefited from policy changes across the pond. The Open Doors data released in late 2022 showed a spike in students from the EU, which coincided with UK universities restructuring their tuition rates in the wake of Brexit.
If the UK moves forward with the expected dependant visa changes, US institutions should lobby their government representatives to swiftly enact new policies to attract Indian and Nigerian master’s students with families. Two of the world’s largest student populations may be alienated by these expected changes, making now the perfect time for the US to secure a significant competitive advantage.
Latin American Student Populations on the Rise in 2022
One exciting trend is the growth of Latin American (LATAM) students in the US since 2019. The table below shows how the top LATAM international student populations shifted from 2019 to 2022:
Of the US’s top 10 LATAM student populations, only Brazil (-8%) and Venezuela (-39%) dropped in 2022 compared to 2019. Five of the top 10 countries grew by more than 16%.
The US saw particularly impressive growth in its Mexican (+16%), Colombian (+27%), and Peruvian (+36%) student populations, three of the four largest LATAM student populations stateside.
If US institutions hope to further cultivate their LATAM student bodies, investments into English-language pathways could be key. Some of the US’s largest competitors for attracting LATAM students include Chile, the fastest-growing destination for international students in the world since 2019, and Australia, which recently launched a new platform that translates sector information into Spanish to specifically target LATAM students.
In the years to come, the destinations and institutions that best streamline language-learning pathways alongside career development opportunities will likely be the ones that set themselves apart from their competition.
International Students Pursuing Computer Sciences in the US
Are international student interests shifting? The table below shows the top six primary majors by active international student count in 2019 and 2022:
International students are gravitating toward computer science, and computer and information sciences, in the US. Computer science became the top primary major in 2022, attracting 18% more international students than in 2019. Likewise, computer and information sciences jumped by 30%. This aligns with the findings from our recent deep dive into science searches on the ApplyBoard Platform.
Second language learning, which indicates a major in a language other than English, declined by 38% from 2019, when it was the most pursued major by international students. Business administration and management, electrical and electronic engineering, and mechanical engineering all experienced substantial drops in student count as well, with each subject declining by at least 21%.
Keep an eye on the econometrics and quantitative economics major. This subject attracted 43% more students in 2022 than it did in 2019, and became a top 10 pursued major over this period.
Looking Forward
By looking at a larger snapshot of active students in the US, we can see that the stateside international education sector has generally recovered from the pandemic and returned to pre-pandemic trends.
Those trends show that the US faces more competition than ever before, from both major destination markets and emerging destination markets.
Because of the sector’s decline of Chinese students, US institutions should leverage their current international student body as well as their alumni in diversification recruitment efforts. Some markets that have grown since 2019 that institutions could target, in addition to those mentioned above, include Nepal (+18%), Bangladesh (+73%), Pakistan (+25%), Ghana (+48%), and Ethiopia (+40%).2
Also, post-graduation work opportunities are a top student concern. In addition to building OPT options and career guidance, institutions should look into how they’re helping their international students develop the soft skills that can make or break post-graduation employment. The institutions that can best help their students reach their career goals are the ones that will set themselves apart from their competition.
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FOOTNOTES:
1. All data courtesy of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), unless otherwise noted.
2. Total active student counts in 2022: Nepal 20,344, Bangladesh 18,184, Pakistan 11,993, Ghana 7,537, Ethiopia 4,274.
