When looking at F-1 student visa1 numbers issued by the United States over the most recent fiscal year, there are many reasons to be optimistic. As rapidly changing policy in other countries limits international students’ options, the US is continuing its steady growth post-pandemic, and has room to grow. Moreover, the US’ currently stable policy stance on international education could attract students frustrated by shifting rules elsewhere.
Key Insights at a Glance
- The U.S. Department of State issued around 446,000 student visas in the 2023 fiscal year, 8.5% more than the 411,000 visas issued in 2022.
- Growth came primarily from Africa, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. Conversely, fewer European and Latin American students received student visas in 2023 than in the previous two fiscal years.
- Over 130,000 student visas were issued to Indian students. This was the second year in a row Indians received more US student visas than students from any other country.
In the fiscal year 2023, which ran from October 2022 to September 2023, the number of student visas issued in the United States continued to rise. Interestingly, with a few exceptions, the markets with the greatest increases and decreases each come from a few distinct regions, instead of a wide variety of geographic areas.
The student visa data used throughout is from the U.S. Department of State’s monthly data reports.2 Below, we’ll look at the total number of American F-1 student visas issued in 2023, top markets, and key trends which may impact international education in 2024 and beyond.3
Number of US Student Visas Issued Continues to Grow
In the 2023 fiscal year, the U.S. Department of State issued over 446,200 student visas. This was the highest number of student visas issued in a single year since 2016, and continued the upward trend from 2021 and 2022.
The chart below shows how many student visas have been issued in the US since 2015:
It’s exciting to see this continued rebound. There’s still a way to go between 2023’s numbers and the high-water mark set in 2015 of nearly 645,000 student visas issued, but this is a good foundation to build on.
Over the last few years, global competition for international students has intensified. For example, in Canada, an estimated 515,000 student visas were issued from January to November 2023. However, new or upcoming restrictive government policies in other destinations are likely to encourage more international students to choose the US.
For example, a temporary cap on Canadian student visas approved for undergraduates is expected to result in a year-over-year drop of 35%. In Australia, an increase to minimum English-language requirements and cuts to post-study visa durations4 are likely to chill student interest. The United Kingdom has already seen declining interest due to policy preventing dependents from joining most international students in the UK. So, while post-pandemic international student growth in the US market has been more gradual than others, the country’s relative accessibility positions it well for future growth.
African and Asian Markets Lead US Student Visa Growth in 2023
The chart below looks at the markets whose volume of student visas issued grew the most in 2023. With the exception of Mainland China, all of the markets below also grew compared to their 2021 numbers.
As in 2022, when Uzbekistan topped this list, the fastest-growing market for US student visas is in Central Asia.5 This year, Kyrgyzstan is in first place. In 2023, 76% more student visas were issued to Kyrgystani students than in 2022. And, compared to 2021, the number of visas issued climbed by an impressive 170%. While many of the fastest-growing markets have a smaller overall share of student visas, it’s important for institutional recruiters to recognize the steadily growing interest—and visa success rates—from these markets when it comes to outreach and encouraging campus diversity.
A possible driver for Kyrgyzstan’s acceleration is the country’s demographics: in 2023, over half of its population was under 30 years old.6 Its citizens are also becoming more urbanized, which contributes to a higher demand for education. And, as key industries like agriculture, manufacturing, and mining modernize, potential students are attracted to international programs that can help them stand out in those fields.
Other than India, which rounds out the list with 14% growth, the rest of the fastest-growing international student markets are all in East Asia, Southeast Asia, or Africa. Let’s look more closely at these regions.
Steady Growth Among Top African Markets
Kenya and Ghana are second and third on the list of 2023’s fastest-growing markets. Further down the list, the number of student visas issued to Uganda grew by nearly 30% in 2023, which broke the 1,000-student-visas-issued mark for the first time. While student visas issued to Nigerian students actually dropped slightly year over year, Nigeria remains the US’s largest African student market. Nigerian students received just under 7,500 student visas in 2023.
Ghana’s impressive growth makes this its second year as the African country with the second-highest number of student visas issued. From 2016 to 2019, the number of student visas issued held steady in the 1,000 to 1,500 range, dipping to a pandemic-driven low of 370 visas in 2020 and climbing in three years to a high of nearly 5,100.
Ghana was also the second-fastest-growing market in Canada, one of eight African countries on the top-10 list in 2023. However, as Canada implements a temporary study permit cap for 2024, Ghanaian interest in American schools could increase significantly, especially if “[Canadian] institutions … shy away from African applicants due to their low (but rising) approval rate compared to the rest of the world.”7
Over the past two years, the number of F-1 student visas issued to Ghanaian students has nearly tripled.
East Asian Student Markets Rebalance in 2023
In 2023, several East Asian markets performed well. Mainland China was issued 39% more student visas than in 2022, mostly recovering from the dip between 2021 and 2022. Student visa numbers increased for the Hong Kong special administrative region (38%) and Taiwan (14%) as well. Even Japan, which weathered a drop of 15% in 2023, had 52% more student visas approved when compared to 2021. That said, Japan’s numbers haven’t recovered to the heights seen in the mid-to-late 2010s.
Mainland China, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan were also four of the largest student markets in the US. However, for the second year running, Indian students were issued the most F-1 visas by a very wide margin.
In 2023, Indian students were issued just over 130,000 student visas. That’s over 10,000 more F-1 student visas than the number of visas issued to the top four East Asian markets combined.
China Recovers, But India Sprints Ahead
China’s rebounded numbers in 2023 show that the US remains a strong contender for Chinese international students. While the numbers dipped in 2022, Australia’s reopening to international students early in the 2022 calendar year likely diverted some East Asian and Southeast Asian students, given its popularity as a destination market and relative proximity. Increasing Australia’s Temporary Graduate visa duration later that year likely had a similar effect. Also, as Chinese universities become powerhouses in their own right, more students may be choosing in-country options.
American institutions interested in retaining Chinese students have an opportunity here to emphasize the comprehensive experience—and advantages—of international study. Prestige and research strength are key factors, but so is building an international network, strengthening cross-cultural communication abilities, gaining work experience at top American companies, and accessing diverse research opportunities.
Which brings us to India. Among the big four Anglophone destination markets, Indian students received more student visas than any other market in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the US in 2023, aligning with one of our predictions for the year. Chinese students remain the largest demographic in Australia.8
It will be interesting to see if Indian student numbers continue to rise in countries like the US and Australia in response to restrictive policy changes in both the UK and in Canada. While Indian student interest in Canada was dropping as early as mid-2023, this continued turn in sentiment and perceived accessibility could be a strong opportunity for US institutions to attract students reconsidering their options.
What were the largest destination markets for international students in 2023? Our list might surprise you.
European and Latin American Markets Lag in 2023
Let’s also look at the markets where the number of international students coming to the US dropped in 2023 versus 2022:
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is a likely contributor to its 40% drop, but it isn’t the only European country on this list. In an about-face from 2021, where students from European countries looked for different options in a post-Brexit world and found them in countries like the US, the Netherlands and Germany’s numbers are also lower than they were in 2022.
Moreover, the increased mobility of Spanish-speaking students means countries like Spain, Chile, and Argentina are ascending—as destination markets. Access to programs in their first language, relative physical proximity, and cultural similarities in these markets likely appeal to many Spanish-speaking students. In turn, this contributes to lower international student visa numbers in the US for Latin American markets like Colombia, Venezuela, and Panama.
To capture rising demand for Spanish-language higher education, and in observation of its own shifting demographics,9 forward-thinking US institutions might consider creating post-secondary programs in Spanish. While developing programs and curriculum in a new language is a major investment, it could be a commitment that strengthens the US’s appeal to a wider range of future leaders and innovators.
Measures for Continued Growth
For the second year running, a smaller Central Asian country is the fastest-growing student market in the US. This highlights the importance of institutions’ continued outreach to emerging markets. The growth of several African countries’ international student populations in the United States is also a shift that looks to continue, as these countries’ middle class grows. This shift has the potential to accelerate further if measures like the Canadian study permit cap and the United Kingdom’s limiting of dependents effectively drive African students to different study destinations.
Even where student visa numbers have dropped, the swings are less dramatic than in 2022. Indian students are embracing the US, bringing a wealth of new ideas and perspectives. However, it’s important to find balance here: as Canada is learning, there are risks to depending heavily on one source market, too.
Looking ahead to the next fiscal year, there’s a sense of hope and expanding potential. As the overall growth of F-1 visas issued shows, global students want to study in the US. Moreover, in the wake of restrictive policies which were launched or announced in other study destinations, the US is poised to seize further market share. Institutions can capitalize on this by highlighting their nation and institution’s continued accessibility, and supporting policies that encourage international study.
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FOOTNOTES:
1. As F-1 student visas are the most common visa status used by international students in the US, we’re confining our analysis to that specific visa type. As such, here and throughout this article, “student visa” refers to F-1 student visas. For reference, the US government has three student visas: F Student visas are academic (for study at an accredited K-12 school, college, or university, or studying English at an English language institute; the study must lead to a degree, diploma, or certificate); J Exchange visas are for participants in an exchange program either at the high school or university level; and M Student visas are for non-academic study (not including language programs), or vocational study or training.
2. While the U.S. Department of State advises against aggregating monthly totals as this may not provide an accurate issuance total for the fiscal year to date, our test calculations found an average overcount of just 0.1% across source countries for previous years.
3. Here and throughout this piece, when a year is stated, it is in reference to a fiscal year unless noted otherwise. Fiscal years in the US run from October to September.
4. Seeta Bhardwa, Times Higher Education, “Australia cuts post-study work visa by two years and increases English language test requirements.” Dec. 19, 2023.
5. Countries with a minimum of 1,000 student visas issued in any year between 2021 and 2023.
6. Britannica, “People of Kyrgyzstan.”
7. ApplyInsights, “Canada Hosted Over 1 Million International Students in 2023, but the New Student Visa Policies Will Transform the Sector in 2024.” February 15, 2024.
8. Australian Government Department of Education, “International student numbers by country, by state and territory.” Nov. 16, 2023.
9. Per 2022 U.S. Census Bureau data, almost one-fifth of Americans identify as Hispanic or Latino.
