On Nov. 18, 2024, the Institute of International Education (IIE) released its annual Open Doors Report. The report, which is released each year as part of International Education Week, includes detailed information and data about post-secondary student flows into and out of the United States during the previous academic year.

The Open Doors report for the 2023-2024 academic year showed a record high 1.1 million students from around the world studied in the United States, a 7 percent increase from 2022-2023. International students contributed over $50 billion to the U.S. economy, supporting academic campuses and their surrounding communities.

India became the top country of origin for the first time since 2009, with a 35 percent increase in Indian students. China, while seeing a 4 percent decline, remains the second-largest source of international students, especially for undergraduates.

Eight of the top 25 countries, including Bangladesh, Colombia, Ghana, and Nepal, saw record-high numbers of students studying in the United States. Sub-Saharan Africa experienced a notable 13 percent increase.

Other significant trends from the 2024 Open Doors report include:

• International graduate student enrollments increased by 8 percent, while undergraduate enrollment slightly declined by 1 percent.
• 56 percent of international students were enrolled in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Computer Science, Engineering and Data Analytics remain the most popular.
• California, New York and Texas host the largest international student populations, significantly boosting local economies.

IIE’s Open Doors Report is based on a survey of approximately 3,000 accredited, Student and Exchange Visitor Program-certified post-secondary institutions in the United States.