After pandemic plunge, international enrollment on nation's campuses rebounds

A year after absorbing historic pandemic-driven losses, international enrollment at colleges in Pennsylvania and nationwide has rebounded, spurred by an 80% jump in new students and other gains, a new report says.

The New York-based nonprofit Institute of International Education, in a survey released Monday, says the nation’s total international enrollment grew by nearly 4% to 948,519.

The figure is a stark turnaround from the year before, when total enrollment fell by 15% — the largest drop in the survey’s seven-plus-decade history.

The surge in new students to 261,961 and a 17% increase in graduate enrollment to 385,097 more than offset a 4.2% slide in undergraduate learners, leaving an overall enrollment gain.

The Open Doors report produced in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State covered academic year 2021-22, the most current available. Each year, the IIE’s Open Doors report surveys about 3,000 institutions.

Pennsylvania, which a year earlier saw a 15% loss in international enrollment, saw an increase of nearly 5% last year and remains the sixth-largest destination among the states, totaling 44,370 students.

Penn State University was the 13th-largest host institution nationally and the largest in this state. Its international enrollment grew by 13% to 9,313 students, according to Open Doors data.

Carnegie Mellon University was the 15th-largest host university nationally with 8,196 students, an 11% gain. The University of Pittsburgh saw its total dip by 3% to 3,192, according to the report.

As covid-19 spread illness and death globally in 2020, it created barriers to overseas study unlike previous economic slumps or shifts in political climate, shuttering entire campuses and preventing travel to some places. Officials now say 90% of international students have returned to in-person learning.

Open Doors

“We are thrilled to see international student numbers on the rise, and to see the United States maintain its global leadership as the top destination of choice for international students,” said Lee Satterfield, assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs, in a statement.

“U.S. colleges and universities are places of inspiration, innovation and opportunity — providing the skills and networks necessary to solve global challenges,” Satterfield added.

Officials with IIE attributed the gains at least in part to pent-up demand during covid-19 shutdowns and to schools recognizing the value that overseas students bring to their campuses and to the U.S. economy — to the tune of $32 billion in spending.

“The incredible rebound we have seen in international student mobility demonstrates the United States’ and its higher education institutions’ unwavering commitment to welcoming students from around the world,” said IIE CEO Allan E. Goodman. “The Open Doors 2022 report emphasizes that, despite the complexity and uncertainty that accompany pandemics, international educational exchanges continue.”

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A smaller snapshot survey of 630 institutions in fall 2022 suggests continued growth, with total enrollment up by 9% and new enrollment by 7%.

Despite a decline of almost 9%, China remained by far the largest sender of international students at 290,086, or 31% of the US total, while India was second at 199,182, up 19%. Those two countries alone made up almost 52% of enrollment from abroad, and in Pennsylvania, they account for an even higher share at 57%.

The next largest exporter of students to the United States was South Korea, with 40,755 students, up by 3%; Canada at 27,013, up by 7% and Vietnam at 20,713, down 4%.

Of the top 25 sending countries, the largest increases were registered by Germany and Spain, with jumps of 59% and 41%, respectively. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait saw the biggest drops, down 17% and 14%, respectively.

Among host institutions, New York University had the highest international enrollment at 21,081. Others in the top five included Northeastern University in Boston, at 17,836; Columbia University in New York, 16,956; the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, 15,729; and Arizona State University in Tempe, 15,293.

International enrollment accounts for just under 5% of total U.S. higher education enrollment, according to IIE officials.

Open Doors

About 21% of learners from abroad in the latest survey studied math and computer science, the most popular academic pursuit, followed by engineering at 20%, business and management at 16%, and social sciences and physical and life sciences, both at 8%, according to Open Doors data.

Open Doors also examined study abroad by U.S. students for the year 2020-2021. It showed those trips were virtually halted amid the covid-19 pandemic, plummeting 91% to 14,549 students.